What the tool checks
A correct check digit only proves that a number is well formed. The register says who it belongs to:
- the company's status: active or closed, with the closing date
- its identity: name, head office or requested establishment, address and activity code, where they may be published
- the numbers that follow from it: the EORI FR + SIREN and the VAT number, whose key is calculated from the SIREN
Why check before declaring
Since 2023, French customs has been moving French operators to the EORI based on the SIREN (FR + 9 digits), while the older EORI based on the SIRET (FR + 14 digits) stays in use during the transition. One SIREN therefore links the EORI, the VAT number and the company. The Customs Check validator runs the same check on the parties of a file: inconsistent numbers, a closed or unknown company, a very different name.
Source and limits
The data comes from the public Recherche d'entreprises API (data.gouv), updated daily from INSEE's Sirene register. What a company does not publish is neither shown nor compared. The tool does not say that an EORI or VAT number is active: the EORI register and VIES do.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between SIREN and SIRET?
The 9-digit SIREN identifies the company. The 14-digit SIRET identifies one of its establishments: it is the SIREN followed by a 5-digit number.
Why is an address or a name missing?
A person can ask for their data not to be published. The tool respects that choice: it gives the company's status without showing what is masked.
My company was just created and cannot be found. Is that normal?
The register can lag a few days behind a new registration. Check the number on your INSEE registration notice.
Is your file ready?
Check it for free in a few minutes, before you prepare your declaration.