Get an EORI number

You need an EORI number to move goods into or out of the EU (including the UK).

If you do not get one, you may have increased costs and delays. For example, if HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) cannot clear your goods you may have to pay storage fees.

If there’s a no-deal Brexit
You’ll need an EORI number that starts with GB to move goods in or out of the UK if there’s no Brexit deal.

If you already have an EORI number that starts with GB, you can continue to use it. It will be 12 digits long. If you’re registered for VAT it will include your VAT registration number.

If you want to trade with an EU country you’ll also need an EU EORI number. It will start with the country code of the EU country you got it from. You should get one from the customs authorities in the EU country you’ll trade with first.

You do not need an EORI number if you’ll only move goods between Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Before you apply
To apply you may need your:

VAT number and effective date of registration - these are on your VAT registration certificate
National Insurance number - if you’re an individual or a sole trader
Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) - find your UTR if you do not know it
business start date and Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code - these are in the Companies House register
Government Gateway user ID and password
If you need a Government Gateway user ID, use either:

the one for your business or organisation
your own if you’re applying as an individual
If you do not already have a user ID, you’ll be able to create one when you apply.

Apply for an EORI number
It takes 5 to 10 minutes to apply for an EORI number. You’ll get it either:

straight away
within 3 working days (if HMRC needs to make more checks)