EORI number: what it is for and how to get it

EORI stands for “Economic Operators Registration and Identification”: the registration and identification of economic operators. The regime is established by the Union Customs Code, Regulation (EU) No. 952/2013. Concretely, it is the number under which European Union customs identify your company in its dealings with them. It consists of the two letters of the country that issued it, followed by a sequence of characters: a French number therefore starts with FR.

This number confers no particular right and does not replace any other: it is neither a VAT number, nor an approval, nor an authorization. It serves solely for identification. It is issued once, is valid throughout the European Union, and remains valid as long as your declared situation does not change. The data attached to your number, notably name and address, are recorded in a system common to all member states.

The EORI number appears wherever your company interacts with customs. For both import and export, any customs declaration filed in the Union must include it: without it, filing is impossible. It is also required to lodge a summary declaration, to request a binding tariff decision, or to apply for a customs authorization, such as a customs warehouse.

The obligation applies to operators who carry out customs acts. Any person established in the Union must hold one to lodge a customs declaration or summary declaration, and to request a decision or authorization. A person established outside the Union is also concerned for certain specific acts: summary declaration, temporary declaration, customs declaration.

Individuals who purchase for personal use do not need to apply. As soon as the purchase is part of a professional activity, even occasional or small volume, the number becomes necessary. A sole trader is concerned just like a company. If your company has already carried out a customs operation in the Union, it may already have a number: check before requesting a new one. An operator established in the Union only requests one number, in one member state: a company established in France does not approach another customs administration.

The application is free. It is made to the customs of your country of establishment. In France, it is done online on the official customs website, douane.gouv.fr. The form requires the company's identification, its Siren number, its address, and the nature of its activity. The process is simple and does not require any mandatory intermediary. Third-party sites that offer to obtain one for a fee add no value: the service is free from customs.

The processing time depends on the country and the period: it generally takes a few working days. Apply before confirming your order in China, ideally as soon as the purchase is seriously considered, because the number must appear in the declaration filed by your freight forwarder. A company not established in the Union applies to the member state where it files its first application or first customs declaration.

Three numbers coexist and serve different purposes. The EORI number identifies the company in its dealings with customs. The intra-Community VAT number identifies the company for its taxable operations within the Union, including import VAT and self-assessment. The Siren number identifies the company in France with the authorities. None replaces another: an importer may have all three.

Similarly, the EORI is neither a label nor a guarantee. It does not grant any preferential treatment and says nothing about your supplier's reliability. It identifies your company, that's all.

The number appears in the customs declaration filed by your freight forwarder, but it also conditions upstream documents. The factory's commercial invoice, packing list, and transport document must bear designations consistent with your file. A declaration whose data does not match the registered information may be rejected: the name, address, and number must cross-check from one document to another.

Report any change to customs: relocation, name change, cessation of activity. Inaccurate data can lead to invalidation of the number, and a declaration filed under an invalid number blocks release. Before a first import under a new legal entity, verify that the number exists and is valid. A number is attached to a specific legal entity: your company and a sister company do not share the same one.

Sorva is a brokerage and sourcing firm. On each file, our Chinese-speaking team in Guangzhou checks at the factory the documents that will feed your declaration: commercial invoice, product designations, consistency with what is actually manufactured. We also prepare the compliance, marking, and certificates part before departure, so that the container's arrival is not the moment when a problem is discovered. You manage your EORI number with your customs, we provide you with clean, consistent documents ready for the declaration.

In most cases, you pay no fees: you open a file, we negotiate the goods for you and take a commission on their ex-works value. You provide a valid EORI number, we bring you a reliable invoice and a compliant product. It is this preparation that shortens customs clearance.