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How to Get an EORI Number?

For anyone shipping goods in or out of the UK or EU, here’s your plain-English guide to EORI numbers – what they are, who needs them and how to get one fast.

First off, what is an EORI number?

If you have ever tried shipping a commercial package across UK or EU borders and suddenly hit a customs wall, welcome to the club. That wall? It’s called not having an EORI number.

An EORI (Economic Operators Registration and Identification) number is like a passport for your business. Customs uses it to track – who’s doing what – when it comes to importing or exporting goods. Without it, your shipments might just… sit there. At the border. Waiting. While your customers wait. And the clock ticks.

Look at it this way, if international trade is the airport, your EORI number is your boarding pass.

Who needs one, really?

Let’s cut to the chase. Do you need an EORI number? 

Here’s a quick gut-check:

• Are you shipping goods into or out of the UK or EU for commercial purposes?
• Is your business handling customs paperwork?
• Are you acting on behalf of someone else during a customs declaration?

If the answer to any of the above is a solid yes, then guess what? You need an EORI number.

That includes:

• Small businesses
• Freelancers sending physical products
• Large corporations
• Ecommerce sellers using platforms like Amazon FBA or Etsy

Even if you are just dipping your toe in international waters with one or two shipments a year, it still applies. 

Can I ship to the UK without an EORI number?

Technically? No. Practically? You can try… but your goods will be stuck in customs limbo until you sort it out.

So, yeah, you can ship without one – if you enjoy surprise fees, delivery delays or explaining to clients why their stuff is floating in a container yard somewhere near Felixstowe.

The UK government doesn’t mess around with customs compliance. They will delay or even seize goods if your EORI number’s missing.

How can we get an EORI number? Or more urgently, how fast can I get one?

The process isn’t rocket science, but it’s also not exactly fun. You can apply through the HMRC portal (if you are in the UK), but be prepared for:

• Pages of forms
• Wait times of up to 5 working days (or more if something’s wrong)
• Vague error messages that send you in circles

And don’t get me started on applying from outside the UK or EU, it’s even more bureaucratic spaghetti. 

But there’s a smoother route. Services like Icon Offices’ EORI number application service can handle it for you. You send in your basic details, and we handle the paperwork, validation and follow-up. It’s not just a convenience thing, it’s about speed and accuracy. Especially when customs are breathing down your neck.

Wait, is UTR the same as EORI?

Nope. And this confusion trips up a lot of new business owners. Let us break it down:

• UTR (Unique Taxpayer Reference) is for UK tax purposes. Think of it as your HMRC ID.
• EORI is for customs. It’s the ID your shipments need when they cross borders.

If you mix them up during form filling, customs won’t just shrug and move on. They will bounce your declaration like a bad cheque.

UK vs EU EORI Numbers: Do I need both?

Ah, the post-Brexit riddle. If your business is based in the UK, you will need a UK EORI number starting with “GB”. If you are moving goods to or from the EU, you will likely need an EU EORI as well, especially if you are acting as the importer of record within EU countries.

So yes, you can need both. And yes, that’s annoying. But skipping the EU one could lead to, you guessed it – more delays.

What happens after I apply?

Once approved, your EORI number looks something like this: GB123456789000.

It gets linked to your business’s VAT number (if applicable), and every time you make a customs declaration, it tells the system: “Hey, this company is legit. Let their stuff through.”

Okay, but how long does it really take?

If you are doing it on your own via HMRC, it can take a few business days, assuming no errors, and you are registered properly.

Using a paid service like Icon Offices can significantly speed up the process, especially if you are under time pressure to move inventory, fulfill orders or make a customs declaration stat.

It’s the difference between pacing the floor and calmly sipping coffee while someone else queues up for you.

Real talk: Why bother applying now?

Because every delay, every customs issue, every stuck shipment – costs money and trust.
Your clients don’t care about customs codes. They care about getting their order on time.

Plus, once you have it, you are good for all future shipments. It’s a one-time setup that saves weeks of stress later. Like renewing your passport before it expires.

TL;DR – Your EORI Gameplan

• Need to trade internationally? You probably need an EORI.
• Don’t have one? Customs might hold your stuff hostage.
• Apply for an EORI number either through HMRC or a third-party like Icon Offices.
• Don’t confuse UTR with EORI, they are not interchangeable.
• Want to avoid customs chaos? Get your number sorted before you ship.

Final thoughts: One small number, one big advantage

It might seem like a small thing. Just a few digits. But an EORI number is the difference between shipping like a pro and running into one customs headache after another.

So, if you are sitting on this task thinking, “I’ll do it later” – don’t! Later might be too late when your next shipment’s already in transit.

Go on, apply for your EORI number today and ship with confidence tomorrow.