How Long Does It Take to Get a VAT Number in the UK & EU?
VATAi Team
2025-04-17
Registering for a VAT number is a important first step for businesses planning to expand into European markets. But the time it takes to register can be very different among different countries, ranging from a few days to six months. Understanding these differences is important for building a business when to enter a market.
The tax authority in each country has its own special way of running the VAT registration process. Some countries, like Italy, have streamlined processes that can be finished in 3–7 days. Other countries, like France and Spain, use more traditional methods that need a lot of manual verification, which takes 3–6 months to finish.
These differences in timing are caused in large part by the complexity of the documentation needs. Some countries require only basic documents like business licenses and proof of identity, some countries require demand extensive paperwork including notarized documents, official translations, and local tax certificates. For example, Spain often requires official translations of all business documents, while France frequently requests articles of incorporation and supplementary forms.
| Registered Country | Business Type | Documents Required (* Only the general information, the specific information required depends on different company entities) | Time |
| UK | New Registration | Company business license or registration certificate, passport or ID card or driver's license, store screenshot, two legal certificates, purchase invoice, shipping agreement, FBA warehouse address certificate, inventory certificate, questionnaire form completion | About 8-16 weeks |
| UK | Transfer Agent | MTD Account | About 1-2 weeks |
| France | New Registration | 1. Non-EU companies: business license, articles of incorporation, ID card of the legal person, store links 2. EU and UK companies: business license, national VAT certificate, articles of association, ID card of legal person, store link | About 3-6 months |
| France | Transfer Agent | 1. Non-EU company: business license, tax ID certificate, the last three declarations, corporate ID card, articles of association. 2. EU and UK companies: business license, tax identification number certificate, VAT certificate, recent three declarations, legal person ID card, store link, articles of incorporation | About 3-6 months |
| Germany | New Registration | 1. Company information: company business license or registration certificate 2. Legal representative information: passport or ID card of legal representative 3. Store information: Screenshot of store link (Amazon, eBay, Sizzle, others), FBA inventory certificate (Amazon), shipping and storage certificate (Amazon), storage contract (eBay, Sizzle, others) | About 8-12 weeks |
| Germany | Transfer Agent | 1. Company information: company business license or registration certificate 2. Legal representative information: passport or ID card of legal representative 3. Store information: Screenshot of store link (Amazon, eBay, Sizzle, others), FBA inventory certificate (Amazon), shipping and storage certificate (Amazon), storage contract (eBay, Sizzle, others) 4.VAT number information: VAT certificate, local tax number certificate, last VAT declaration return | About 4-8 weeks |
| Italy | New Registration | Business license/certificate of company registration; tax code of the country where the company is registered; passport/ID of the legal person; signature of the legal person; link to the store | About 3-7 days |
| Italy | Transfer Agent | Return of previous year's annual report + return of current year's quarterly VAT report + return of current year's INTRA declaration, business license, passport/ID card, store link, tax ID certificate | About 3-7 days |
| Spain | New Registration | Business license (provide the original first, after reviewing and confirming the correctness, then let the customer provide English and Spanish translations); legal person passport / ID card, legal person's signature; store link, Amazon sales proof) | About 3-4 months |
| Spain | Transfer Agent | Return of previous year's annual report + return of current year's quarterly report, business license, passport/ID card, store link | About 1-2 weeks |
| Netherlands | New Registration | About 6-8 weeks | |
| Netherlands | Transfer Agent | About 1-2 weeks | |
| Ireland | New Registration | Company business license or registration certificate, passport or ID card or driver's license, store screenshot, FBA warehouse address certificate, inventory certificate, submit the business service agreement signed by the customer and the platform - Business Service Agreement (BSA) | About 5 months |
| Ireland | Transfer Agent | Tax Identification Number Certificate and Return Receipt | About 1 month |
| Austria | New Registration | About 4-6 weeks | |
| Austria | Transfer Agent | About 1-2 weeks | |
| Belgium | New Registration | 1. Non-EU companies: registration certificate/business license, ID card/passport of the legal person, proof of bank account opening information, proof of activity in Belgium, store links and information 2. EU and UK companies: registration certificate/business license, legal identity card/passport, EU/UK tax number and certificate, proof of bank account opening information, proof of activity in Belgium, store links and information. | About 2-4 months |
| Belgium | Transfer Agent | 1. Non-EU companies: Belgian VAT certificate, registration certificate/business license, reference number of previously paid bank guarantee/deposit, legal person ID card/passport, proof of bank account opening information, history of filing returns, store's main information 2. EU and UK companies: Belgium VAT certificate, registration certificate/business license, legal person ID/passport, proof of bank account opening information, history of filing returns, store key information | About 2-4 months |
| Czech Republic | New Registration | About 3-6 weeks | |
| Czech Republic | Transfer Agent | About 1-2 weeks | |
| Norway | New Registration | Business license, passport/ID of the legal person, signature of the legal person, link to the independent site | About 3-4 weeks |
| Norway | Transfer Agent | Business license, passport/ID of the legal person, signature of the legal person, link to the independent site, Norwegian tax ID number, password for the administrator's account; authorization letter | |
| Poland | New Registration | Business license, tax certificate of the country where the company is registered, passport/ID of the legal person, signature of the legal person, link to the store, main categories of the store | About 5-6 weeks |
| Poland | Transfer Agent | Business license, tax certificate of the country where the company is registered, passport/ID card of the legal person, signature of the legal person, store link, main categories of the store, certificate of the Polish tax number (valid tax number, receipt of the last three declarations, whether there is a carry-over balance from the last declaration (no/yes, specific amount)) | About 5-6 weeks |
| Sweden | New Registration | About 2-3 months | |
| Sweden | Transfer Agent | About 1-2 months | |
| Switzerland | New Registration | Business license, legal identity certificate, store link information, information collection form, bank information Note: Projected turnover: expected turnover with Swiss customers for the next 12 months, to be filled in carefully, as it involves the calculation of the security deposit (2% - 5%) | About 1-2 months |
| Switzerland | Transfer Agent | Business license, legal identity certificate, store link information, information collection form, tax ID certificate, historical declaration receipt, bank information filing (if already registered with the tax office) | About 1-2 months |
How to Reduce Delays
While you cannot control every component of the process, you can take the following steps to speed things up:
- Prepare Documents in Advance: Research the specific requirements for each country and ensure all documentation is completed.
- Use Professional Help: Work with VATAi, we have the professional experience to handle the registration process.
- Start Early: Apply for VAT numbers well before you plan to begin operations in a country, especially in places with long timelines like France or Spain.
- By understanding these differences and planning accordingly, you can avoid unnecessary delays and keep your international operations running smoothly.
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