The latest changes to the EORI number

The EORI number (Economic Operator Registration and Identification) is a unique number required for all customs operations in the European Union, such as export, import and transit.

It uniquely identifies each company or person doing business with the customs authorities.

Each person or company can have only one valid EORI number at any one time, which they must communicate to customs during the clearance process. This unified system makes customs clearance processes more efficient and secure.

Every company in the European Union must have an EORI number. Even companies located outside the European Union must obtain one if they carry out customs operations, such as import and export declarations.

In addition, certain non-business people are also required to have an EORI number, if the law of their country or the rules of the European Union so require.

To obtain an EORI number, a company must register with the customs authority of its country within the European Union.

If the company is not located in the European Union, it must register in the country where it will carry out its first customs operation. Companies from non-EU countries with several permanent establishments in the EU may choose to register in any of the countries where they have an establishment.

THE EORI NUMBER CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS: Country code of the issuing member state (2 letters) ; Unique identifier in the member state (up to 15 alphanumeric characters).

EORI numbers are permanently assigned to economic operators and other persons, but can be invalidated on request or in the event of cessation of activities. After invalidation, registered EORI data is kept for ten years.

Until now, the EORI number in France consisted of the word “FR” followed by the SIRET number. Companies had one EORI per site.

From 2025, companies will have just one EORI, based on the SIREN, for all their sites. This change is designed to comply with European regulations, which stipulate that the EORI must be assigned to a company and not to an establishment.

Once the transition to EORI-SIREN has been finalized, EORI-SIRET will be deactivated and can no longer be used for customs clearance. Goods will be blocked until an EORI in SIREN format is obtained. Companies are therefore advised to apply for an EORI-SIREN as soon as possible to avoid bottlenecks in customs systems and delays in obtaining the number.

The post The latest changes to the EORI number appeared first on Project Cargo.