Verify a VAT number in Saudi Arabia: what it is and how to check a supplier

To verify a VAT number in Saudi Arabia, open ZATCA's free VAT registration lookup, choose the search type (VAT account number, VAT certificate number or CR national number), enter the number, accept the terms and send [1]. A Saudi VAT registration number has 15 digits and starts and ends with 3 [2]; then match the result to the invoice.

This guide explains what the number is, why it matters before you pay, the lookup step by step, how to read the result, and a routine for your finance team. It is general information, not tax advice: confirm a specific case with ZATCA or a licensed tax adviser.

What a Saudi VAT number is, and where you will see it

When ZATCA accepts a VAT registration, it issues a certificate that shows the business's tax identification number and the date its registration took effect (Article 8(5) of the Implementing Regulations) [4]. On invoices and in everyday use, this is the VAT number; ZATCA's lookup calls it the VAT account number, and Arabic speakers call it «الرقم الضريبي» [1].

• Format: ZATCA's e-invoicing technical guideline describes the VAT registration number as 15 digits, starting and ending with 3. A VAT group has its own group number, and the same guideline treats an 11th digit of 1 as the mark of a group number [2].
• On a tax invoice: the supplier's VAT number is a required detail, together with the invoice date, a serial number, both parties' names and addresses, the goods or services, the rate and the VAT in riyals (Article 53(5)) [4].
• On a simplified invoice: the supplier's name, address and VAT number are required too (Article 53(8)) [4].
• On the wall and the website: a resident registered business must display its registration certificate at its head office, branches and online stores (Article 8(8)) [4].

A number that is not 15 digits long is not a VAT registration number. It may be a commercial registration number or another identifier, so ask for the right one before you book the invoice.

The same terms in Arabic and English

Suppliers, ZATCA's pages and the invoices themselves switch between the two languages, so it helps to know which term means what [1][4].

Why check a supplier's VAT number before you pay

Input VAT, the VAT you pay to suppliers, can be deducted only when you hold the evidence the rules require, which is normally a valid tax invoice (Article 49(7)) [4]. Only a registered business can issue one: the VAT Law fines an unregistered person who issues a tax invoice up to SAR 100,000 (Article 44) [5]. If you claim VAT from such an invoice, the deduction is at risk, and an understated return can carry a fine of 50% of the difference (Article 42(1)) [5].

ZATCA also states on the lookup page that it is not responsible for the accuracy of data obtained through the service, and that the user is responsible for verifying it [1]. The lookup is a strong check, but it works best alongside the invoice itself and the supplier's certificate.

Illustrative example: one building-materials invoice

Illustrative example. A Riyadh contractor receives an invoice for building materials: SAR 80,000 plus SAR 12,000 VAT, a total of SAR 92,000.

A two-minute check before payment protects SAR 12,000 of input VAT on this one invoice, and avoids the fine.

How to verify a VAT number in Saudi Arabia, step by step

ZATCA's VAT Registration Verification service is free and open to taxpayers and the public [3]. The steps:

1. Open the official VAT registration lookup on zatca.gov.sa. Its heading reads "Verify the Current VAT Registration Status of Any Business" [1].
2. Under Type, choose VAT Account Number, VAT Certificate Number or CR National Number [1].
3. Type the number exactly as it appears on the invoice or certificate.
4. Tick I confirm reading terms and conditions [1].
5. Select Send. The business's VAT registration status appears on the screen [3].
6. Save the result, for example as a screenshot or a PDF printout with the date, in the supplier's file.

Checking many suppliers at once

The same page offers a bulk check for multiple businesses: download the template, fill it in, and upload it. The page accepts .xlsx files only [1]. This suits onboarding a batch of new suppliers, or a quarterly re-check of your whole supplier list.

Checking an e-invoice's QR code with ZATCA's VAT app

E-invoices carry a QR code that customers can use for a basic validation. ZATCA's e-invoicing guideline describes the process: you scan the QR code with the VAT App, the app checks that the QR content is compliant, and it shows you the content together with the verification result [6]. Simplified invoices carry the QR code, and for tax invoices cleared in the integration phase, ZATCA generates the QR code itself at clearance [6].

What you may and may not do with the results

ZATCA's terms on the lookup page say the data must not be used for marketing, promotion, data analysis or sale, and that ZATCA may take legal action over unauthorised use [1]. Use the lookup to check the businesses you deal with, not to build lists.

Reading the result: what to do next

The lookup tells you the registration status. Your next step depends on what you see and on how it compares with the invoice [1][3].

Registration can change. A business must deregister when it stops its activity, and ZATCA can cancel a registration that should not exist (Article 13) [4]. A supplier that checked out last year is worth checking again.

Quick checks on the invoice itself

Before you even open the lookup, an invoice that fails these checks needs a question to the supplier. Each point comes from Article 53 of the regulations [4]:

1. The invoice is in Arabic, alongside any other language.
2. It shows the issue date and a serial number.
3. It shows the supplier's VAT number, in the 15-digit format.
4. It names both the supplier and your business, with addresses.
5. It describes the goods or services and their quantity.
6. It shows the VAT rate and the VAT amount in riyals.
7. For a simplified invoice, the supplier's name, address and VAT number are still there.

If the invoice carries a QR code, scanning it with ZATCA's VAT app adds a further check [6].

A supplier VAT check routine for your finance team

Most problems come from checking once at onboarding and never again. A routine that fits a small finance team:

• At onboarding: look up the VAT number, ask for a copy of the VAT certificate, and save both in the supplier file. The certificate is available to the supplier on ZATCA's portal, and it can reprint a copy for free at any time [7].
• Before the first payment and any unusually large one: run the lookup again and compare it with the invoice.
• Every quarter: run a bulk check of active suppliers with ZATCA's .xlsx template [1].
• When anything changes: a new legal name, new bank details or a new address is a reason to check again before paying.
• Keep the evidence: the dated result belongs with the invoice in your records, which the regulations require you to keep for at least six years (Article 66) [4].

If your team keys supplier invoices from scanned PDFs, our guide to Arabic OCR for scanned PDFs shows how to pull out the VAT number and other fields with a human check. For the repeat checks themselves, our comparison of AI agents, RPA and workflow tools helps you decide what to automate.

Five common mistakes

1. Using lookup copies on other websites. Use the service on zatca.gov.sa; third-party copies may be out of date.
2. Confusing the commercial registration number with the VAT number. The lookup accepts the CR national number as a search type, but the VAT number on the invoice is a separate 15-digit number [1][2].
3. Checking once and never again. Registrations can be cancelled (Article 13) [4].
4. Trusting the invoice alone. A number in the right format can still belong to someone else; only the lookup shows the registration status.
5. Treating the lookup as a mailing list. ZATCA's terms forbid using the data for marketing or analysis [1].

Your next step

This week, take your ten largest suppliers by spend, verify each VAT number on ZATCA's lookup, or in one bulk upload, and save the dated results in their files. Then make the check part of supplier onboarding, so that every new supplier's VAT number is verified in Saudi Arabia's official service before its first invoice is paid. O AI is a software and AI company in Al Khobar; more about us on our home page.