EORI number explained: what it is and how to get one (2026)

A container stuck at port over a missing number

Your first shipment from India lands at Felixstowe or Rotterdam. The freight forwarder calls: "I need your EORI number to lodge the entry." You have no idea what that is. While you scramble to find out, the container sits on the terminal, free time runs out, and demurrage starts ticking. This everyday scenario for a first-time importer explains why the EORI number is the very first ID to secure — before you even negotiate a freight rate.

The EORI number (Economic Operators Registration and Identification) is the customs identity card of any business that imports, exports or moves goods in transit within the EU or UK. Without it, no customs declaration can be filed. This guide covers what it does, its format by country, how to get one for free, and the case of exporters based outside the EU — including US and Indian firms selling into the bloc.

What is an EORI number?

The EORI is a unique identifier assigned by a national customs authority to an economic operator. Introduced on 1 July 2009 and now anchored in the Union Customs Code (Regulation (EU) No 952/2013, Article 9), it replaced the patchwork of national importer numbers with a single ID recognised across all 27 member states.

Its function is straightforward: it lets customs IT systems (ICS2 for safety and security, national clearance platforms, NCTS for transit) unambiguously identify who is importing, exporting or declaring. Three core principles:

• Uniqueness: one operator holds one EORI, no matter how many ports or countries it operates through within the EU.
• Registration in the country of establishment: you register with the customs authority of the member state where your business is set up.
• Free of charge: issuance costs nothing.

Who needs one?

Anyone completing customs formalities in the EU or UK. In practice:

• Importers and exporters of record, from the very first commercial operation.
• Transit operators lodging a T1 declaration in the NCTS system.
• Customs representatives (forwarders, brokers) declaring on behalf of others.
• Non-EU operators acting as declarant or importer within the Union.

Consignment value is irrelevant: unlike the de minimis relief that waives duty on small parcels, an EORI is required as soon as a commercial declaration is lodged, even for a $300 shipment.

Number format by country

The number consists of the two-letter ISO country code followed by an identifier specific to each country (up to 15 alphanumeric characters in total). Most jurisdictions build it from the existing tax or company registration number:

Note the Brexit split: a "GB" EORI is required for UK operations and does not replace an EU one. A business trading on both sides of the Channel needs both, and the "XI" prefix covers Northern Ireland movements — see our guide on importing from the UK post-Brexit.

How to get one: the process

The process is online, free and quick. In the UK, you apply through HMRC (gov.uk); in France, through the customs portal douane.gouv.fr; each member state runs its own registration page. Typical steps:

1. Gather your VAT or company registration number and basic business details.
2. Complete the online registration form.
3. Receive the number, typically within 1 to 3 working days (in the UK, GB EORIs are often issued almost immediately).
4. Verify validity on the European Commission EORI validation service (for EU numbers).

Plan ahead: request the EORI before the goods reach the port, never on clearance day. A two-day issuance lag is enough to turn a smooth import into a demurrage bill.

The non-EU exporter case

A US, Indian or Turkish exporter selling on DDP terms (delivered duty paid) becomes the importer in the EU and therefore, in principle, needs an EORI. Two routes:

• Register directly with the customs authority of the first member state of entry. The non-EU business then obtains its own EORI.
• Use an EU-based indirect customs representative, who declares under their own name and EORI and becomes jointly liable for the customs debt. This is the common path for exporters who prefer not to manage a foreign registration.

The choice carries liability consequences: under indirect representation, the representative shares the customs debt. Weigh their fee against the operational simplicity it buys.

Worked examples

Example 1: the cost of a clearance blocked for want of an EORI

These figures are order-of-magnitude (rates vary by port and carrier), but the principle holds: the EORI is free, the absence of an EORI is not. See our guide on demurrage and detention.

Example 2: building a GB EORI

The number takes the VAT registration, drops the spaces, and appends "000". That is why VAT-registered UK businesses already hold the "base" of their EORI and only need to activate it with HMRC.

Conclusion: the first-time importer's first move

An EORI number is neither a tax nor a certification — it is the key that unlocks the customs systems of the EU and UK. Free, valid across the whole EU, issued within days: there is no reason to discover it on the day the container arrives. Request it the moment you know you will import, then move on to tariff classification and cost calculation.

Next, read our AEO status guide (the certification that builds on the EORI to smooth controls), our method for determining customs value, and our guide to customs procedure 42 for importing without fronting VAT.