Spanish VAT Number Check

About the Spanish VAT number

The Spanish VAT number is the NIF (Número de Identificación Fiscal) with the ES prefix, often called NIF-IVA. Companies used to have a separate CIF, and the term is still common, but today the company tax ID is also a NIF.

Spanish numbers mix letters and digits. A company NIF starts with a letter that reflects the type of entity, followed by 7 digits and a control character. Individuals use their 8-digit DNI plus a control letter, and foreign residents use an NIE starting with X, Y or Z.

Spanish VAT number format

• Format: ES + 9 characters: letter or digit, 7 digits, letter or digit
• Examples: ESB12345678, ES12345678Z, ESX1234567L (illustrative, not real numbers)
• Length: 11 characters including the prefix
• Local name: NIF-IVA, NIF (Número de Identificación Fiscal), CIF
• ES + 9 characters: the first and last can be a letter or a digit, the 7 in between are digits.
• To appear as valid in VIES, a Spanish business must be entered in the register of intra-community operators (ROI).

Where to find a Spanish VAT number

• On Spanish invoices, labelled NIF or CIF.
• On the company website, usually in the aviso legal.
• In contracts and order confirmations.

Common input mistakes

• Leaving out the control character at the end.
• Checking a business that has a NIF but is not registered in the ROI for intra-EU operations.
• Leaving out ES.

Spanish VAT numbers in practice

The first letter of a company NIF shows the legal form: A for a public limited company (sociedad anónima) and B for a limited liability company (sociedad limitada) are by far the most common. Entry in the ROI is requested from the Spanish Tax Agency (AEAT) with the census declaration (form 036), and until it is granted the number is not valid in VIES even though the NIF is correct.

The Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla are part of Spain but outside the EU VAT area; the Canary Islands apply their own indirect tax (IGIC) instead of VAT. For VAT purposes, trade with businesses there is treated like trade with a non-EU country, even when the customer has a Spanish NIF.

How to check Spanish VAT numbers

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

justaxit first checks each entry against the Spain format (ES + 9 characters: letter or digit, 7 digits, letter or digit). 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 Spain 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.

Spanish VAT number FAQ

What does a Spanish VAT number look like?

ES followed by 9 characters, for example ESB12345678 for a company or ES12345678Z for an individual.

Why is a valid Spanish NIF invalid in VIES?

Spanish businesses have to be registered in the register of intra-community operators (ROI) to be valid in VIES. A domestic NIF alone is not enough.

Is the CIF still used?

The term CIF is still common, but company tax IDs are now NIFs. For VIES, use the NIF with the ES prefix.

Can I paste Spanish numbers with lower-case letters?

Yes. justaxit converts every entry to upper case before checking it.