Greek VAT Number Check

About the Greek VAT number

Greece is the one EU member state whose VAT prefix is not its ISO country code. Greek VAT numbers start with EL (from Ellada, the Greek name of the country), not GR. The number after the prefix is the 9-digit tax registration number, the ΑΦΜ (AFM).

The Greek tax administration is the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE). Because the ΑΦΜ is used by every taxpayer, a correct ΑΦΜ only shows as valid in VIES if the holder is registered for intra-EU transactions.

Greek VAT number format

• Format: EL + 9 digits
• Example: EL123456789 (illustrative, not a real number)
• Length: 11 characters including the prefix
• Local name: ΑΦΜ (Αριθμός Φορολογικού Μητρώου), AFM
• Use EL, never GR. A Greek number entered as GR123456789 cannot be checked.
• After EL come exactly 9 digits, the ΑΦΜ.

Where to find a Greek VAT number

• On Greek invoices, labelled ΑΦΜ or VAT number.
• On the company letterhead and website.
• In contracts, usually next to the responsible tax office (ΔΟΥ).

Common input mistakes

• Using GR instead of EL.
• Entering the ΑΦΜ without any prefix.
• Dropping a leading zero from the ΑΦΜ when it was stored as a number in a spreadsheet.
• Typing the prefix on a Greek keyboard layout, so it becomes the Greek letters ΕΛ instead of Latin EL.

Greek VAT numbers in practice

The ninth digit of the ΑΦΜ is a check digit calculated from the first eight, so a mistyped digit usually gives a number that does not exist. Greek companies are also listed in the General Commercial Registry (ΓΕΜΗ, GEMI), whose registration number is a different and longer identifier.

Greek businesses report their invoice data to AADE through the myDATA platform, including the tax numbers of their counterparties. For intra-EU trade the number to exchange is still the ΑΦΜ with EL in front.

When a number is typed on a Greek keyboard layout, the prefix can end up as Greek letters (ΕΛ) instead of Latin EL, and the number then fails the format check. Mount Athos is part of Greece but outside the EU VAT area.

How to check Greek VAT numbers

Paste your Greek numbers into the validator above, one per line, each starting with EL. Spaces, dots and hyphens are removed automatically, and lower-case letters are converted to upper case.

justaxit first checks each entry against the Greece format (EL + 9 digits). Numbers with the wrong shape are flagged immediately and are not sent to VIES. Well-formed numbers are then checked through VIES, which asks the Greece tax administration whether the number is currently valid for intra-EU transactions.

Each result shows valid or invalid, plus the name and address when the member state shares them through VIES. If the national service is temporarily unavailable, the number is marked for retry rather than reported as invalid. Registered users can save lists and export results to CSV, Excel or PDF.

Greek VAT number FAQ

Why is the Greek VAT prefix EL and not GR?

VIES uses EL for Greece, from the Greek name Ellada. GR is the ISO code but is not used for EU VAT numbers.

What is the format of a Greek VAT number?

EL followed by the 9-digit ΑΦΜ, for example EL123456789.

My spreadsheet shows an 8-digit ΑΦΜ. What happened?

Spreadsheets often drop leading zeros from numeric cells. Format the column as text and restore the leading 0 so the number has 9 digits.

Is the ΓΕΜΗ number the Greek VAT number?

No. ΓΕΜΗ (GEMI) is the General Commercial Registry number. The VAT number is the 9-digit ΑΦΜ with the EL prefix.