Is the VAT check free?

Yes. No account, no card. It asks the European Commission's public VIES system in real time; nothing is stored.

Which countries does it cover?

All 27 EU member states plus Northern Ireland (prefix XI). Enter the number with its country code, e.g. DE811569869, or EL… for Greece.

Why is the company name sometimes missing?

Some countries — Germany among them — only confirm that a number is valid and do not publish the name through VIES. The check is still meaningful: an invalid number is a clear red flag.

What is the difference between this tool and Nucra?

This tool checks one number. In Nucra you paste the whole offer and get the company check, the real route with tolls and your margin per km at once — and the load becomes an order in one click.

Free, no sign-up

Check a freight company before you take the load

Enter the forwarder's or carrier's VAT number. In seconds VIES tells you whether it is valid — and, in most countries, which company it belongs to.

Check the whole load, not just the VAT number

In Nucra you paste the offer or the e-mail and see everything at once: whether the VAT belongs to the company that wrote to you, the real kilometres with empty running and tolls, and what the trip leaves you per km after your costs. Then turn it into an order in one click.

Start free

14 days free · no card

How the check works

The number goes to VIES, the European Commission's system that links the national VAT registers of every EU country (and Northern Ireland, prefix XI). It confirms whether the number is active right now and, in most countries, returns the registered name and address. Germany and a few others confirm validity but do not disclose the name.

The freight-exchange scams this helps catch

Fake forwarders: a fresh account on a freight exchange offers attractive loads, with a VAT number that does not exist — or that belongs to another company.
Identity theft: the scammer copies the name and VAT number of a real, well-known forwarder but writes from a free e-mail or a look-alike domain. VIES shows the real owner — compare the name and call the company's official number.
Cargo theft: the "carrier" you hand a load to has no valid registration and the goods never arrive. Check carriers the same way before loading.

What VIES can't tell you

A valid VAT number is necessary, not sufficient. VIES says nothing about whether a company pays on time, holds a transport licence or is insured. Check the national company register and the exchange's rating, ask for the community licence for international haulage, and never release a load to a vehicle that does not match the order.

Questions

Is the VAT check free?: Yes. No account, no card. It asks the European Commission's public VIES system in real time; nothing is stored.
Which countries does it cover?: All 27 EU member states plus Northern Ireland (prefix XI). Enter the number with its country code, e.g. DE811569869, or EL… for Greece.
Why is the company name sometimes missing?: Some countries — Germany among them — only confirm that a number is valid and do not publish the name through VIES. The check is still meaningful: an invalid number is a clear red flag.
What is the difference between this tool and Nucra?: This tool checks one number. In Nucra you paste the whole offer and get the company check, the real route with tolls and your margin per km at once — and the load becomes an order in one click.