# Greece VAT number format

Source: https://veriport.io/vat-number-format/el (published 2026-10-28)

A Greece VAT identification number is the prefix EL followed by 9 digits (prefix EL, not GR); EL094259216 is a well-formed example. The national check digit is public, so a mistyped number is caught before VIES is asked. Structure as published in the Commission’s VIES FAQ, consulted 2026-10-24.

## Structure

Prefix `EL`, then 9 digits (prefix EL, not GR). The regular expression the API applies to the part after the prefix is `^[0-9]{9}$`; letters are upper-cased and spaces, dots and dashes removed before the test.

| Country prefix | Structure | Example | Public check digit |
|---|---|---|---|
| EL | 9 digits (prefix EL, not GR) | EL094259216 | yes, verified before VIES |

## The check digit

Greece publishes the algorithm of its check digit, so an impossible number is refused before VIES is asked: the answer says `structure.checksum: "failed"`, costs nothing and reaches no upstream. The same algorithms are implemented by the open libraries (jsvat, python-stdnum).

## How to validate it

The structure says whether a string can be a Greece VAT number; only VIES says whether it is registered. The free check below asks VIES live and shows the registered name and address where Greece publishes them; the API does the same from your code.

```bash
curl "https://veriport.io/api/v1/vat/validate?number=EL094259216"
```

## What a valid answer proves

That the number was registered for intra-EU trade at the moment of the check. Keep the date and, on paid tiers, the VIES consultation number: together they are the evidence a tax audit asks for when an intra-EU supply was zero-rated.

## Questions

### How many digits does a Greece VAT number have?

9 digits (prefix EL, not GR), after the two-letter prefix EL: EL094259216 is an example.

### Is EL094259216 a real VAT number?

It is a well-formed example used in the documentation; whether it is registered today is VIES’s answer, not this page’s. Check it with the free tool.

### Why EL and not GR?

VIES uses EL for Greece (the ISO code is GR); a number sent with the GR prefix is normalised to EL by the API.

## Read next

- [VAT number formats of every member state](https://veriport.io/vat-number-format)
- [Free VAT number check](https://veriport.io/tools/vat-number-check)
- [The VAT validation API](https://veriport.io/vat-validation-api)
- [VAT rates in Greece](https://veriport.io/vat-rates/el)

## Sources

- VIES — VAT Information Exchange System: FAQ and VAT number structures (Q11) — https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/#/faq (2026-10-24)
- VIES REST API — check-vat-number, check-status (technical information) — https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/#/technical-information (2026-10-24)