What is an EORI number?

An EORI (Economic Operators Registration and Identification) number is the ID that customs authorities in the EU use to identify whoever imports or exports goods. You need one whenever goods from outside the EU go through customs clearance, for example a package that reaches our Czech warehouse from outside the EU, and you need one to export goods as a business. You can get one when you need it, or we arrange it for you as part of our Customs assistance service.

What it is

• One number for one business or person, valid in every EU country.
• It starts with the code of the country that issued it, for example CZ for the Czech Republic.
• You register once. You can use the same number for all future imports and exports.
• The UK issues its own EORI numbers, which start with GB. Businesses that move goods into or out of Great Britain may need one. If you import goods for your personal use only, and they are not controlled goods (goods that need a license or are prohibited or restricted), you don't need a UK EORI: the carrier can use your name and address instead. See Shipping to the UK: customs, VAT and gifts.

When you need one

• You import goods from outside the EU. Every shipment that goes through EU customs clearance needs the importer's EORI, also when you import as a private person.
• Your package reaches the Czech warehouse from outside the EU. It has to clear EU customs when it arrives, so you need an EORI, whether you clear customs yourself with the carrier or we do it for you. See Importing into the EU: a guide.
• You export as a business. Customs and carriers ask for the exporter's EORI on the customs declaration.
• Goods that don't go through customs, for example from a seller in the EU to our Czech or German warehouse, don't need one.

How to get one

Apply to the customs authority of the EU country where you or your business are established. If you are not established in the EU and import through our Czech warehouse, you can apply online with the Czech Customs Administration: EORI registration. The application is available in Czech and English. If you use our Customs assistance service for a package at the Czech warehouse, we can arrange the EORI number for you as part of it.

To check whether an EU EORI number is valid, use the European Commission's EORI validation page.

Add your EORI number to your Tiptrans account

Save the number in your account, and we print it on the customs invoice of your shipments. On the Account page, in the Settings box, enter a name such as "EU EORI" or "UK EORI" under Name of the ID, the number under Value, and click Save. The number then appears under List of your IDs; to remove it, click the x next to it.

The same box takes other numbers that customs may need, such as a VAT number or a tax number.