Norwegian VAT Number Validation API: MVA Format and Bronnysund Register

Norwegian VAT numbers (MVA numbers) are based on the 9-digit organization number issued by the Bronnysund Register Centre (Enhetsregisteret). This guide covers how Norwegian VAT numbers work, how validation works, and how Vatly handles it for you.

What is a Norwegian VAT number?

A Norwegian VAT number consists of the country prefix NO, a 9-digit organization number, and the suffix MVA (Merverdiavgift, the Norwegian word for VAT). The full format is NO123456785MVA.

• NO - country prefix
• 9 digits - organization number (last digit is a MOD11 checksum)
• MVA - indicates VAT registration

The organization number itself is assigned by the Bronnysund Register Centre and is used for all official purposes in Norway, not just VAT.

Organization number vs MVA registration

Similar to the Swiss system, having a valid organization number does not mean the entity is VAT-registered. A company must register for MVA separately once their taxable turnover exceeds NOK 50,000. The Enhetsregisteret tracks both: the entity exists in the register, and the registrertIMvaregisteret field indicates whether they are MVA-registered.

Vatly checks both. valid: true means the entity exists and is actively registered for MVA.

The Bronnysund Register API

The Bronnysund Register Centre provides a free, open REST API for looking up Norwegian organizations. No authentication is required.

• Endpoint: GET https://data.brreg.no/enhetsregisteret/api/enheter/{orgNumber}
• Protocol: REST (JSON)
• Authentication: none
• No documented rate limit
• Returns: company name, address, MVA registration status, business activity codes

HTTP status codes:

• 200 - entity found (check registrertIMvaregisteret for VAT status)
• 404 - organization number does not exist
• 410 - entity has been deleted from the register

MOD11 checksum validation

The 9th digit of a Norwegian organization number is a MOD11 checksum. The algorithm uses weights [3, 2, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2] on digits 1-8. If the remainder is 1, the number is invalid. If the remainder is 0, the check digit is 0.

Validating with Vatly

Pass any Norwegian VAT number to the same endpoint you use for EU, UK, and Swiss numbers:

curl "https://api.vatly.dev/v1/validate?vat_number=NO923609016MVA" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer vtly_live_YOUR_KEY"

Response:

{
  "data": {
    "valid": true,
    "vat_number": "NO923609016",
    "country_code": "NO",
    "company": {
      "name": "EQUINOR ASA",
      "address": "Forusbeen 50, 4035 STAVANGER"
    },
    "requested_at": "2026-03-26T12:00:00.000Z"
  },
  "meta": {
    "request_id": "req_abc123"
  }
}

Vatly normalizes all input formats:

• NO923609016MVA, NO923609016, and 923609016 with an NO prefix all work
• The MVA suffix is stripped automatically
• MOD11 checksum is validated before making the upstream call
• Results are cached for 25 days

Norwegian VAT rates

Norway has three main VAT rates: 25% (standard), 15% (food), and 12% (transport, accommodation, cinema). These are available through the /v1/rates endpoint.

Test mode

Use a vtly_test_ API key with these magic numbers:

• NO123456785 - valid, MVA-registered
• NO987654325 - valid org, not MVA-registered
• NO999999999 - simulates upstream error (503)

Get your API key and start validating Norwegian VAT numbers in under 2 minutes.