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Laws of United Kingdom

Get an EORI number (GOV.UK guide) - part 1 "Who needs an EORI"

Text as of 2026-09-28

Public law and official guidance, published as research. Not legal, tax or financial advice.

About this law

Kind
Guidance
Number
none - GOV.UK service guide
Issued by
GOV.UK service guide for the HMRC EORI service; the page itself names no organisation (to confirm on the printable version, /eori/print)
Country
United Kingdom

Where to read it

Text

The law's own text, section by section, as held. Each section has its own link.

  1. 1. [Home](/)

  2. 2. [Business and self-employed](/browse/business)

  3. 3. [Buying and selling outside of Great Britain](/browse/business/buying-selling-outside-great-britain) # Get an EORI number [Skip contents](#guide-contents) ## Contents

  4. 1. Who needs an EORI

  5. 2. [Check which EORI number you need](/eori/Check-which-EORI-number-you-need)

  6. 3. [If you move goods to or from Northern Ireland](/eori/eori-northern-ireland)

  7. 4. [Apply for an EORI number](/eori/apply-for-eori)

  8. 5. [Report a change or cancel an EORI number](/eori/change-or-cancel-EORI-number)

  9. 6. [Get help](/eori/get-help) # Who needs an EORI You may need an Economic Operators Registration and Identification number (EORI number) if you move goods: - between Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) or the Isle of Man and any other country (including the EU) - between Great Britain and Northern Ireland - between Great Britain and the Channel Islands - between Northern Ireland and countries outside the EU This guide is also available [in Welsh (Cymraeg)](/cael-rhif-eori). You will also need an EORI number to [register for an export licence](/government/publications/spire-online-export-licensing-guidance). You do not need an EORI number if you’re moving goods that are both: - not controlled goods - for personal use only ## If your business is based (‘established’) in the country you’re moving goods to or from To get an EORI number, your business usually needs to have premises based in the country you want to import to or export from - this is called ‘being established’. Your premises needs to be one of the following: - a registered office - a central headquarters - a permanent business establishment - premises where some of your customs-related activities take place and your HR and technical resources are permanently located ## If your business is not based in the country you’re moving goods to or from You should still get an EORI number if you’re: - making a customs declaration for transit - making a [customs declaration for temporary admission](/guidance/apply-to-import-goods-temporarily-to-the-uk-or-eu) - applying for a customs decision - making an [entry summary declaration](/guidance/making-an-entry-summary-declaration) - making an [exit summary declaration](/guidance/find-out-when-to-make-an-exit-summary-declaration) - making a [temporary storage declaration](/guidance/how-to-put-goods-into-a-temporary-storage-facility) - [getting a customs guarantee](/guidance/getting-a-customs-guarantee) for temporary admission or re-export declarations - acting as a carrier for transporting goods by sea, inland waterway or air - acting as a carrier connected to the customs system and you want to get notifications regarding the lodging or amendment of entry summary declarations - established in a [common transit country](/guidance/common-transit-convention-countries) where the declaration is lodged instead of an entry summary declaration or is used as a pre-departure declaration If you’re not eligible to apply for an EORI number yourself, you’ll need to [appoint someone to deal with customs on your behalf.](/guidance/appoint-someone-to-deal-with-customs-on-your-behalf) The person you appoint will need to get the EORI number instead of you. If you’re based in the Channel Islands and you move goods to or from the UK, you do not need an EORI number. ## When you’ll need your EORI number You’ll need your EORI number if you: - [appoint someone to deal with customs on your behalf](/guidance/appoint-someone-to-deal-with-customs-on-your-behalf) and are ‘established’ in the country you’re importing to or exporting from - make customs declarations - [check if you’re eligible to make a customs declaration](/check-customs-declaration) - use customs systems, such as the Customs Declaration Service and the Import Control System 2 - apply for a customs decision Next:Check which EORI number you need [View a printable version of the whole guide](/eori/print) ## This page is Part of - [Get UK customs clearance when importing goods into the UK: step by step](/import-customs-declaration) - [Get UK customs clearance when exporting goods: step by step](/export-customs-declaration) - [Import goods into the UK: step by step](/import-goods-into-uk) ## Related content - [Check an EORI number](/check-eori-number) - [Moving goods into, out of, or through Northern Ireland](/government/collections/moving-goods-into-out-of-or-through-northern-ireland) ### Collection - [Import, export and customs for businesses: detailed information](/government/collections/import-export-and-customs-for-businesses-detailed-information) - [Travel or do business in Europe: Brexit guidance](/government/collections/brexit-guidance) - [Trade with the UK as a business based in the EU](/government/collections/trade-with-the-uk-as-a-business-based-in-the-eu) - [The art market sector and the EU](/government/collections/the-art-market-sector-from-january-2021) - [The arts, culture and heritage sectors and the EU](/government/collections/the-arts-culture-and-heritage-sectors-from-january-2021) - [Show 3 more collections](#) - [The tourism sector and the EU](/government/collections/the-tourism-sector-from-january-2021), [The digital, technology and computer services sectors and the EU](/government/collections/the-digital-technology-and-computer-services-sectors-from-january-2021), and [The creative industries sector and the EU](/government/collections/the-creative-industries-sector-from-january-2021) ## Explore the topic - [Buying and selling outside of Great Britain](/browse/business/buying-selling-outside-great-britain) ## Is this page useful? - [Maybe](/contact/govuk) - Yes this page is useful - No this page is not useful Thank you for your feedback Report a problem with this page ## Help us improve GOV.UK Do not include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details. 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Get an EORI number (GOV.UK guide) - part 1 "Who needs an EORI" · Nelum