EORI Number Application: Complete Guide 2026

The EORI number is one of those compliance requirements nobody remembers until the first container import — usually when customs has already charged 800 EUR in storage fees for the delay. I failed to sort this out in time exactly once during my first two years with Daniks, and since then the EORI number is item 2 on my setup checklist, right after business registration.

What you’ll have after this guide: an EORI number in the format of your country code plus digits, valid EU-wide, free of charge, one-time application. With it, you can import goods from China, Turkey, the UK, or other non-EU countries into the EU without customs holding your containers at the port.

When Do You Need an EORI Number?

You need an EORI number as soon as you import or export goods across EU borders as a business. Specifically for Amazon FBA sellers:

• You import goods from China, Turkey, UK, USA, India, Vietnam, etc. — mandatory.
• You only import from EU countries (e.g., a Polish supplier) — no EORI needed.
• You only sell what’s already stored in the EU — no EORI needed (but sooner or later you’ll want to reorder from outside the EU).

Without EORI:

• Customs can’t process the container.
• Port storage fees run 30–80 EUR per day until the EORI is submitted.
• Amazon can’t complete the FBA inbound shipment because the freight forwarder can’t transmit EORI data to customs.

What You Need Before Applying

• Tax identification number (from your local tax authority) — becomes part of your EORI number
• VAT ID (EU format, e.g., DE + 9 digits for Germany) — recommended, simplifies the application
• Business registration (copy as PDF)
• Commercial register extract (only for limited companies — not needed for sole traders)
• ID document as digital PDF
• Electronic tax portal credentials (for electronic filing — highly recommended)

If you don’t have a VAT ID yet, apply for one first with your national tax authority (free, 2–4 weeks). The EORI application works without it, but takes longer.

Step 1: Customs Portal Login

Go to your country’s customs portal. In Germany, that’s zoll-portal.de (the official customs portal). Other EU countries have equivalent portals — check your national customs authority website.

Login options:

• With electronic tax certificate — fastest route, instant authentication. If you already use electronic tax filing, you have it.
• With national digital ID — alternative authentication.
• Without login — possible, but requires postal submission with physical signature and takes 2–4 weeks longer.

If you have an electronic tax certificate: use it. Saves you 2 weeks of processing time.

Time required: 2 minutes.

Step 2: Start the EORI Application

In the customs portal:

1. Navigate to the business customers section, then customs and taxes.
2. Or search directly: “EORI number application.”
3. Click the official EORI application form.

The form is the standard application for issuance of an EORI number.

Time required: 1 minute.

Step 3: Enter Company Details

Enter:

• Company name (exactly as on the business registration)
• Address (street, postal code, city, country)
• Legal form (sole trader, limited company, etc.)
• Tax identification number
• VAT ID (if available)
• Commercial register number (only for limited companies)
• Start of business activity (date of business registration)
• Contact person (name, email, phone number)

Important: all details must exactly match your business registration. Customs verifies automatically. Discrepancies — even small ones like abbreviations versus full legal form names — can trigger manual review and add 2+ weeks of processing time.

Time required: 5 minutes.

Step 4: Activity Description

In the application, you must specify which business activities you plan.

For Amazon FBA sellers, select:

• Import of commercial goods (mandatory for FBA imports)
• Export to third countries (optional, if you export to the UK for example)
• Online trading via marketplaces (optional, specifies your activity)

In the free-text field, you can add something like:

“Import of consumer goods from Asia (China, Turkey) for storage in Amazon FBA warehouses and sale to end customers via the Amazon marketplace.”

Time required: 3 minutes.

Step 5: Upload Documents

Upload the required documents as PDF:

• Business registration (copy)
• Commercial register extract (only for limited companies)
• ID document copy (only for sole traders or managing director identification)
• VAT ID confirmation (if available)

File requirements:

• PDF format
• Maximum file size: 10 MB per document
• Legible (scan at minimum 300 dpi)

Time required: 3 minutes.

Step 6: Submit the Application and Wait

Click “Submit application.” You’ll receive a confirmation of receipt with a reference number.

Processing time:

• With electronic tax certificate: 1–3 weeks
• With national digital ID: 2–4 weeks
• Postal submission without login: 4–6 weeks

In urgent cases — if a container is already on its way — you can call your local customs office and ask for expedited processing. This sometimes helps, but it’s not a guaranteed mechanism.

Time required: 1 minute (submission), then passive waiting.

Step 7: Receive and Store Your EORI Number

You’ll receive the EORI number by email to the address given in the application. Format:

Country code + digits (e.g., DE123456789012 for Germany)

The EORI number is:

• Free (now and always)
• One-time (valid indefinitely, as long as the company exists)
• Valid EU-wide (you don’t need a separate one for FR/IT/ES)

Store the EORI number in:

• Compliance folder (password manager or notes file)
• Your freight forwarder’s records (as soon as you plan the first container)
• Amazon Seller Central (not mandatory, but helpful for some FBA inbound workflows)

Time required: 5 minutes.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

1. Applying without electronic authentication and forgetting the signature. If you apply without login, you need a physical signature by post. Forget that, and 2 weeks later you get a request for the signed form — effectively restarting the application.

2. Wrong tax number format. Your national tax number and VAT ID are different numbers. Mixing them up leads to application rejection.

3. Missing commercial register extract for limited companies. Mandatory document for all legal entities. Forget it and you get a request for supplementary documents — plus 1–2 weeks delay.

4. Activity description too generic. “Online trade” alone isn’t enough. Be specific: “Import of consumer goods from Asia for storage in Amazon FBA and sale to end customers in the EU.”

5. Submitting the application, then ordering the container — in that order. The most common beginner mistake. Get the EORI number first, THEN book the container with your freight forwarder. The other way around costs port storage fees.

6. Not communicating the EORI number to your freight forwarder. You have the number, the forwarder doesn’t. Container arrives at port, customs clearance fails. Fix: file the number with your freight forwarder immediately after receiving it.

What’s Next After This Tutorial?

With a valid EORI number, you can:

• Order containers from China and route them via your freight forwarder to Amazon FBA warehouses
• File import customs declarations (let your freight forwarder or tax advisor handle this)
• Prepare for Pan-EU FBA setup

Next compliance steps:

1. LUCID Registration — if not done yet
2. Amazon Brand Registry application — for A+ Content and protection against listing hijacking
3. OSS procedure (coming in the next tutorial update) — once you sell more than 10,000 EUR/year across EU borders

The complete setup guide is in the Amazon FBA in Germany 2026 article.

If you’re stuck on the EORI application — reach out through my contact form. I answer personally.