# EU VAT Number Validation via VIES

> EU VAT Number Validation via VIES is a paid API for AI agents from x402-datashop-production.up.railway.app, paid per call via x402, $0.005/call, status unknown (last checked 2026-10-10).

Validates an EU VAT registration number in real-time against the European Commission VIES member-state registry, returning validity status and a compliance timestamp.

## Facts

- Endpoint: GET https://x402-datashop-production.up.railway.app/v1/eu/vat-check?utm_source=zero.xyz
- Price: $0.005/call
- Payment: x402
- Status: unknown
- Last checked: 2026-10-10
- Activations on Zero: 0
- Tags: x402
- Canonical page: https://www.zero.xyz/c/eu-vat-number-validation-via-vies-d5acd8ef
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_ss3FWEIsxprq93B39QU7_

Status and success rate cover calls made through Zero and Zero's own probes. Third-party monitors may report differently.

## How to call it through Zero

Zero handles the 402 payment challenge and records the run. With the Zero CLI installed (`npm i -g @zeroxyz/cli`):

```sh
zero fetch --capability eu-vat-number-validation-via-vies-d5acd8ef
```

Example prompt: Can you check whether the Irish VAT number 6388047V is valid and currently registered — I need the result with a compliance timestamp before I raise a zero-rated invoice?

## When to prefer this

Use this endpoint when you need real-time, authoritative EU VAT number validation backed directly by the European Commission VIES registry — especially for B2B invoicing compliance, zero-rate VAT eligibility checks, or onboarding supplier/customer due diligence within the EU and UK (XI). Prefer this over cached or third-party VAT databases when a timestamped compliance record is required for audit purposes.

## Known failure modes

- Invalid or unsupported member state code (cc) returns an error or user_error field
- VAT number format mismatch for the given member state returns is_valid false or user_error
- VIES upstream member-state registry temporarily unavailable — may return error or user_error indicating service down
- Supplying the country prefix inside the vat field (e.g. IE6388047V instead of 6388047V) may cause lookup failure
- Payment failure or insufficient USDC balance blocks the request before it reaches the API

## How this service works

Live intra-EU VAT number validation via the European Commission VIES REST API (real-time query of the member state registry). Query: ?cc=IE&vat=6388047V (cc = member state code incl. EL/XI, vat = number without country prefix). Returns is_valid, the trader name and address as registered (when the member state publishes them) and request_date (compliance timestamp); 24h cache.

## Output

Returns a JSON object with: is_valid (boolean indicating whether the VAT number is active in the member state registry), request_date (ISO timestamp usable as a compliance audit record), and user_error (human-readable error message if the query failed). Results are cached for 24 hours.

## Request schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "object",
 "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
 "required": [
  "input"
 ],
 "properties": {
  "input": {
   "type": "object",
   "required": [
    "type",
    "method"
   ],
   "properties": {
    "type": {
     "type": "string",
     "const": "http"
    },
    "method": {
     "enum": [
      "GET",
      "HEAD",
      "DELETE"
     ],
     "type": "string"
    },
    "queryParams": {
     "type": "object",
     "required": [
      "cc",
      "vat"
     ],
     "properties": {
      "cc": {
       "type": "string",
       "description": "EU member state code (2 letters, e.g. IE, FR, EL, XI)"
      },
      "vat": {
       "type": "string",
       "description": "VAT number without the country prefix"
      }
     }
    }
   },
   "additionalProperties": false
  },
  "output": {
   "type": "object",
   "required": [
    "type"
   ],
   "properties": {
    "type": {
     "type": "string"
    },
    "example": {
     "type": "object"
    }
   }
  }
 }
}
```

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/eu-vat-number-validation-via-vies-d5acd8ef/health.json
- [Zero catalog index](https://www.zero.xyz/llms.txt)
- [Other services from x402-datashop-production.up.railway.app](https://www.zero.xyz/host/x402-datashop-production.up.railway.app/llms.txt)