Netherlands VAT API — Validate Netherlands VAT Numbers in Real Time
REST JSON endpoint for verifying Belasting over de toegevoegde waarde (btw) numbers against the official EU VIES register, with national registry fallback where available and a VIES consultation number on every successful check.
Why a Netherlands-aware VAT API
In Netherlands, VAT is known as Belasting over de toegevoegde waarde (btw) and the current standard rate is 21%. Every Netherlands VAT number starts with the prefix NL and follows a fixed structure issued by the Netherlands tax authority. A generic VAT validator that ignores country-specific quirks will accept malformed input, miss the country's format rules, and fail to surface the local registry identifier that accountants and auditors actually need.
The vatnode API normalises btw input, runs the official VIES check, falls back to the Netherlands national company registry when VIES is unavailable, and returns a single JSON shape with the consultation number, company data where published, and the current Netherlands VAT rates inline.
Netherlands VAT number format
NL + 9 digits + B + 2 digits^NL\d{9}B\d{2}$Real Netherlands VAT numbers you can validate right now:
- NL805734958B01 — Booking.com BV
- NL803441526B01 — ASML Holding NV
- NL817154243B01 — Adyen NV
Validating Netherlands VAT numbers — code examples
All three examples validate the same Netherlands VAT number NL805734958B01.
curl https://api.vatnode.dev/v1/vat/NL805734958B01 \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"const res = await fetch(
'https://api.vatnode.dev/v1/vat/NL805734958B01',
{ headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.VATNODE_API_KEY}` } }
)
const data = await res.json()
console.log(data.valid, data.companyName, data.consultationNumber)import os, httpx
r = httpx.get(
"https://api.vatnode.dev/v1/vat/NL805734958B01",
headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['VATNODE_API_KEY']}"},
)
data = r.json()
print(data["valid"], data["companyName"], data["consultationNumber"])What you get back
A successful response for a valid Netherlands VAT number looks like this:
{
"valid": true,
"vatId": "NL805734958B01",
"countryCode": "NL",
"countryName": "Netherlands",
"companyName": "Booking.com BV",
"consultationNumber": "WAPIAAAAXk7ZpY3o",
"source": "VIES",
"countryVat": {
"currency": "EUR",
"standardRate": 21,
"reducedRates": [9],
"superReducedRate": null,
"parkingRate": null
},
"verifiedAt": "2026-05-19T08:14:22Z"
}When the number is not registered, valid is false and company fields are null. The consultationNumber is the EU VIES requestIdentifier — the documented audit reference for reverse-charge "reasonable care" evidence.
Netherlands VAT rates
vatnode returns the current Netherlands btw rates inline with every successful response. Today's rates (standard 21%, reduced 9%) are sourced from the European Commission TEDB feed and refreshed daily.
| Rate type | Value |
|---|---|
| Standard | 21% |
| Reduced | 9% |
VIES vs national fallback for Netherlands
VIES is the primary data source for Netherlands validation — it is the authoritative EU register and the only source that produces a consultation number. When VIES returns a transient error (timeout, MS_UNAVAILABLE, SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE), vatnode automatically queries the Netherlands national company registry as a fallback so your checkout or invoicing pipeline keeps working.
The response includes a source field that tells you which system answered — VIES for the EU register, or the Netherlands national-registry source code when the fallback ran.
Netherlands is one of the EU countries where vatnode keeps validating during EU VIES outages via a direct national registry adapter. See coverage matrix for the full list.
Netherlands VAT API — FAQ
Is the Netherlands VAT number the same as the company registration number?
No. The Netherlands btw number is issued by the tax authority for VAT purposes; the national registry identifier is a separate ID issued by the company registry. vatnode returns both fields (registryCode + registryCodeName) for Netherlands when the data is available.
How fast is Netherlands VAT validation through vatnode?
Cached responses return in single-digit milliseconds. Live VIES lookups for Netherlands typically complete in under one second; a 15-minute Redis cache is applied to identical VAT IDs.
Does the API work for Netherlands sole traders and small businesses?
Yes. If a Netherlands sole trader or small business is registered for btw and listed in VIES, vatnode validates the number and returns the same response shape as for corporate entities. The valid field is true regardless of legal form.
What happens if EU VIES is down for Netherlands?
vatnode falls back to the Netherlands national registry adapter when VIES returns a transient error (timeout, MS_UNAVAILABLE). Validation keeps working from the national source; the response includes a source field so you can tell which system answered.
What is the consultation number returned for Netherlands checks?
The consultationNumber is the VIES requestIdentifier — a unique reference issued by the EU VIES service that proves the check was performed against the official EU register on a specific date. It is the EU's documented mechanism for "reasonable care" evidence under the reverse-charge rules and is returned on every successful VIES validation, including Netherlands.
See also
Start validating Netherlands VAT numbers
100 validations per month on the free plan, no credit card required. REST JSON over HTTPS, VIES consultation number on every check, Netherlands national registry fallback, EU-hosted by default.