How to check a TRN in the UAE
Six steps, about two minutes. The FTA page is the only one that confirms registration. The checker on this page handles the format test before it and the Peppol lookup after it.
Take the TRN from a document
Copy the 15-digit TRN from the supplier's tax invoice or VAT registration certificate, or ask the business for it. The FTA page checks a number you already have. It does not search by company name.
Test the format in the checker on this page
Paste the number into the TRN checker above. It ignores spaces and dashes and tells you whether the number is 15 numeric digits. If it fails, it cannot be a UAE TRN.
Open the FTA TRN verification page
Open the FTA TRN verification service on tax.gov.ae. The page has separate TRN and TIN fields, each with its own Submit button. Use the TRN one.
Enter the TRN and the security code
Paste the 15 digits with no spaces, type the security code shown in the image and press Submit. A "TRN/TIN verification result" window opens.
Compare the result and keep it
Check the name in the result against the supplier name on the invoice, and save a dated screenshot alongside the invoice.
Look up the Peppol participant
Back in the checker on this page, run the e-invoicing check. It looks up the business's Peppol address (0235 followed by the first ten digits of the TRN) in the public Peppol directory and shows whether it is listed to receive UAE e-invoices.
What this check actually tells you
The format result tells you whether the number is 15 digits and numeric. Spaces and dashes are ignored. If it fails, it cannot be a UAE TRN. If it passes, the shape is possible, but a valid format is not proof the number is registered.
One control opens the FTA verification page. Another copies the digits so you can paste them in. Only the FTA page can tell you whether a TRN is registered.
The optional directory check is separate. Under UAE e-invoicing, invoices travel as structured data between businesses through accredited service providers, rather than as PDFs sent by email. Each participating business has an address on that network, built from the code 0235 and its 10-digit TIN — the first ten digits of its 15-digit TRN. This tool looks that address up in the public Peppol directory.
A listing that accepts UAE electronic invoices means the business can receive them. "Not listed" is weaker evidence: the business may not be listed yet, and it is not proof that it is not connected. A positive result describes the recipient, not you — it does not mean you can send e-invoices.
Fatura Go does not transmit invoices to the tax authority today. The directory check only reads the public directory.
How to read the FTA result
We have not confirmed the FTA's exact wording for each outcome, so read the result against these four cases.
- Valid and the name matches the invoice. Nothing more to do. Save the screenshot with the invoice.
- Valid but the name is different. A branch or trade name can differ from the registered legal name. Ask the supplier to explain the difference in writing and treat the invoice as unverified until they do.
- Not found. First re-check the digits and the security code. If it still fails, ask the supplier to confirm the TRN against their VAT certificate, and hold the VAT portion until they do.
- Deregistered. Ask the supplier to confirm its VAT status in writing and the date it changed. If it is not registered, ask for a corrected invoice without VAT.
A supplier that charged VAT without a valid TRN is covered in what to do when a supplier charges VAT with no TRN.
TRN vs TIN, and why the TIN matters for e-invoicing
A UAE TRN is 15 digits. The TIN is its first 10 digits. The FTA verification page has separate fields for each, and a TIN on its own is not a VAT TRN.
The TIN matters for e-invoicing because a business's Peppol address is the scheme code 0235 followed by its TIN. That is the address the directory check above looks up. See the UAE e-invoicing guide for the timeline and what it means for you.
Common errors
- Spaces or dashes. Our format check ignores them, but paste digits only into the FTA field.
- Wrong digit count. Anything other than 15 digits is not a TRN. A 10-digit number is a TIN.
- Security code rejected. Retype the code exactly as shown, or reload the page to get a new image.
- A recently issued TRN not found. We could not confirm how quickly new registrations appear on the FTA page. If a new supplier's TRN fails, ask for their VAT certificate and try again later.
Where to find a TRN
The FTA verification page works from a number you already have, so take the TRN from a document. A tax invoice the business issued to you should show it, and so should its VAT registration certificate. If you have neither, ask the business directly.
If a supplier charges VAT but will not give you a TRN, treat the invoice as unresolved. See what to do when a supplier charges VAT with no TRN.
Re-check TRNs you verified a while ago
A registration can change after you first checked it. Before a large payment, or if anything about the relationship has changed, run the FTA check again and save the new result.
What to do when a TRN fails
Hold the VAT portion. Ask the supplier to reissue the invoice with the correct TRN, or without VAT if they are not registered. The supplier VAT guide explains the input VAT risk and what to send the supplier.
Keep the evidence
Save a dated screenshot of the FTA result alongside the invoice, so you can show what the check returned and when.