EORI Lookup Guide

Who needs an EORI number, and where to apply

Who must have an EORI number for customs and which authority issues it, according to the European Commission.

1 min reading time / Review scheduled for 2027-01-18

Who needs one

According to the European Commission:

  • Economic operators established in the EU customs territory.
  • Operators not established in the EU who lodge customs declarations, entry or exit summary declarations or temporary storage declarations, or who act as carriers.
  • Other persons, where national law or other EU legal acts require one or where they carry out activities that require one.

Whether you personally need a number depends on your activity. Ask your national customs authority or a customs broker.

Where to apply

Only one customs authority can assign an EORI number (European Commission):

  • If you are established in the EU, apply to the national customs authority of your country of establishment.
  • If you are not established in the EU, apply in the EU country where you plan your first customs operation.
  • Non-EU operators with several permanent establishments in the EU can apply in any of those countries.

The Commission also publishes a search for registering authorities.

United Kingdom

For GB numbers, see the UK government's own guidance on GOV.UK. We have not summarised the UK application steps here because they change; use the official service and its linked pages.