How to look up a Spanish company by its tax ID (CIF/NIF)
What each letter of a Spanish company tax ID means, where to look a company up for free and how to get its phone and email from the CIF.
IberiaData editorial team · 19 October 2026 · 2 min read
The CIF is a Spanish company's ID card. If you have it — on an invoice, a quote, a contract or the legal notice on its website — you can identify the company without any doubt, even if fifty businesses share the same trading name.
What the first letter tells you
| Letter | Type of entity |
|---|---|
| A | Public limited company (SA) |
| B | Limited liability company (SL) |
| C | General partnership |
| E | Community of property |
| F | Cooperative |
| G | Association or foundation |
| J | Civil partnership |
| U | Temporary joint venture (UTE) |
Sole traders (autónomos) don't have a CIF: they use their personal NIF (DNI) or, if foreign, an NIE starting with X, Y or Z.
Where to look up a company by CIF
Free:
- BORME. The Official Gazette of the Companies Register lets you find published acts: incorporation, director changes, change of address.
- VIES. For EU VAT numbers (ESB12345678), the European Commission's VIES service confirms whether the company is registered for intra-EU trade.
Paid:
- A nota simple from the Registro Mercantil confirms directors, share capital and status.
- Credit reports with accounts and payment risk.
From tax ID to phone number
None of the official sources give a phone number or email. For that you need a directory. On IberiaData you type the CIF and, if the company is among our 490,000+ profiles, you'll see its legal form, province and headcount band, whether there's an email, a phone or both, and the price to reveal them before paying. If there's no data, you don't pay.
What it's used for
- Before paying a new Spanish supplier, to check it exists and talk to someone.
- To chase an invoice from a client who stopped answering.
- To reach a prospect you only know by its legal name.
Tip: copy the CIF without spaces or dashes. And if a company won't give you its tax ID before taking your money, be suspicious.
Frequently asked questions
Is CIF the same as NIF?+
Since 2008 the company CIF is officially called NIF, though everyone still says CIF. The format is the same: a letter, seven digits and a check character.
What does a CIF starting with B mean?+
It's a limited liability company (Sociedad Limitada, SL). A is a public limited company (SA), E a community of property and J a civil partnership.
Do Spanish sole traders have a CIF?+
No. They use their personal tax ID: a Spanish DNI number with a letter, or an NIE starting with X, Y or Z for foreign residents.
Written and reviewed by the IberiaData editorial team. Last updated: 19 October 2026. If you spot anything out of date, let us know.
