Hungarian VAT number check
Check a Hungarian supplier's or customer's number against VIES, the European Commission's register. Below: the format, what it's called locally, and the mistakes that make a correct number fail.
Paste the number with or without the country prefix. Nothing you enter is stored.
The format
| Prefix | HU |
|---|---|
| After the prefix | 8 digits |
| Structure | One block of 8 digits. |
| Example | HU12345678 |
You can paste the number with spaces, dots or dashes; the checker removes them.
What it's called
Közösségi adószám (community tax number).
It is HU followed by the first 8 digits (the core number, törzsszám) of the longer domestic tax number (adószám).
Registered, but invalid in VIES?
It isn't automatic. NAV assigns it on request, at registration or later, and can withdraw it, for example when EU trade stops.
What trips people up
- Hungarian invoices show the domestic adószám, which looks like 12345678-2-41. For VIES, use HU plus the first 8 digits only.
- When a VAT group is authorised, the members' own community numbers are deleted and the group's number is used.
Other ways to check
VIES is the check to rely on for cross-border trade. The number is issued by Nemzeti Adó- és Vámhivatal (NAV, National Tax and Customs Administration); if a correct number keeps showing invalid, the business has to take it up with them.
Sources
Formats from the European Commission's VIES FAQ, checked 16 October 2026. Rules can change; the tax authority's own guidance wins.
Questions about Hungarian VAT numbers
What is the format of a Hungarian VAT number?
HU followed by 8 digits. Example: HU12345678.
What is a Hungarian VAT number called?
Közösségi adószám (community tax number). It is HU followed by the first 8 digits (the core number, törzsszám) of the longer domestic tax number (adószám).
Why would a correct Hungarian VAT number show as invalid in VIES?
It isn't automatic. NAV assigns it on request, at registration or later, and can withdraw it, for example when EU trade stops.