Portuguese VAT number check
Check a Portuguese 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 | PT |
|---|---|
| After the prefix | 9 digits |
| Structure | One block of 9 digits. |
| Example | PT123456789 |
You can paste the number with spaces, dots or dashes; the checker removes them.
What it's called
Número de identificação para efeitos do IVA: in practice the NIF (individuals) or NIPC (companies).
The VAT number is PT followed by the 9-digit NIF or NIPC. There is no separate VAT number.
Registered, but invalid in VIES?
A NIF is only loaded into VIES after the business declares intra-Community operations, in its start-of-activity declaration or a later change declaration.
What trips people up
- A valid, active NIF can still show invalid in VIES if the business never declared intra-Community operations.
Other ways to check
VIES is the check to rely on for cross-border trade. The number is issued by Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (AT, Tax and Customs Authority); 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 Portuguese VAT numbers
What is the format of a Portuguese VAT number?
PT followed by 9 digits. Example: PT123456789.
What is a Portuguese VAT number called?
Número de identificação para efeitos do IVA: in practice the NIF (individuals) or NIPC (companies). The VAT number is PT followed by the 9-digit NIF or NIPC. There is no separate VAT number.
Why would a correct Portuguese VAT number show as invalid in VIES?
A NIF is only loaded into VIES after the business declares intra-Community operations, in its start-of-activity declaration or a later change declaration.