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Cyprus VAT Number Checker
A Cypriot VAT number is CY followed by eight digits and a single letter. The letter is a check character computed from the digits, so it is part of the number, not a suffix that can be left off.
Cyprus has many holding and trading companies that invoice across the EU, so Cypriot numbers turn up in B2B checkouts more often than the country's size suggests.
Checked live against VIES, the European Commission’s VAT Information Exchange System. Not affiliated with the European Commission or the Cyprus tax authority.
Cyprus VAT number format
- Local name
- ΦΠΑ (Φόρος Προστιθέμενης Αξίας)
- Structure
- CY + 8 digits + 1 letter
- Format example
- CY12345678AIllustrative: right shape, not a registered business.
- Standard rate
- 19% · reduced 9%, 5%
CY plus eight digits plus one letter — eleven characters. The letter is uppercase A–Z; lowercase input is normalised.
How this Cyprus check works
- Format, in your browser. As you type, the number is compared with the Cyprus pattern (prefix, length and characters). This costs nothing and sends nothing: a number in the wrong shape is rejected on the spot and never reaches the registry.
- Registration, live. A well-formed number is then looked up in VIES, the European Commission’s VAT Information Exchange System, which says whether it is registered today and, where the register publishes them, the business name and address. Free checks are limited per visitor per hour so the registry is not scraped through this page.
- More checks, or from your code. A free account gives you an API key with 100 validations a month, the same answer as this page as JSON.
What usually goes wrong
Leaving off the final letter
CY12345678 is incomplete and fails the format check. The trailing letter is the check character and is always required.
Mixing up the registration number and the VAT number
A Cypriot company's registration number (HE followed by digits) is not its VAT number. Only the CY number is in VIES.
Frequently asked questions
What is the letter at the end of a Cypriot VAT number?
A check character derived from the eight digits. A typo in the digits usually makes it inconsistent, which is how VIES knows the number cannot exist.
Is a company's HE number its VAT number?
No. HE numbers come from the companies registrar. The VAT number comes from the Tax Department and has the CY + 8 digits + letter form.
Is checking the format enough?
No. A number in the right shape may never have been issued or may have been cancelled. The VIES lookup tells you whether it is registered today.
Validating Cyprus numbers from your own code instead of by hand? The Cyprus VAT validation API guide has the endpoint, the response shape and examples in four languages. To check a number from another country, go back to the VAT number checker.