The VAT number and the VIES check
To trade with businesses in the European Union, the VAT number is your NIF preceded by ES. The customer’s number is checked outside the invoice.
The NIF with the ES prefix
The Spanish VAT number is the prefix ES plus the NIF. It is not a new number the app assigns. On an intra-EU invoice to a business you identify the customer with theirs, the one from their Member State.
- Spain: ES followed by the NIF.
- It is not an identifier separate from the NIF.
- The customer uses the one from their country.
VIES is not inside the app
Checking that the customer’s VAT number is active is a VIES query, from the Tax Agency and the European Commission. Factura Fácil does not run that query and does not replace it. A NIF typed into the profile does not prove the European register has it listed.
Common questions
Is my VAT number different from my NIF?
No. It is the same NIF with the ES prefix. It is not a number the app generates.
Does the app check the customer on VIES?
No. That query belongs to the Tax Agency and the Commission. Saving the NIF on the profile does not replace it.
Official sources
Informational text reviewed on 26 September 2026. It is not tax advice and does not replace the Spanish Tax Agency or your accountant. Deadlines, rates, and forms can change.