A French buyer may ask an Irish company for its SIREN or SIRET. That can create confusion: an Irish CRO company number is the identifier for the company’s Irish incorporation record, while SIREN and SIRET identify French enterprises and establishments. The numbers are not interchangeable. Before accepting an invoice, first identify which legal company is selling and where it is registered.
Direct answer
Use the Irish CRO CORE search for the Irish company number. Use France’s Annuaire des Entreprises for a French SIREN or SIRET. Ask for both sets of identifiers only when the supplier actually has an Irish company and a separately identifiable French establishment or entity. Verify an EU VAT number through VIES, not by entering it in a company-number search.
Three identifiers that answer different questions
| Identifier | What it identifies | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Irish CRO company number | A company registered with Ireland’s CRO | CRO CORE / Irish company search |
| French SIREN | A French enterprise or legal unit in the Sirene system | Annuaire des Entreprises / French official sources |
| French SIRET | A specific French establishment | Annuaire des Entreprises |
| EU VAT number | A tax registration for VAT purposes | EU VIES for cross-border validation |
French government guidance says the Annuaire can be searched by SIREN, SIRET, legal name, director or geography and can provide an RNE registration proof where available. A SIRET is establishment-specific, so several sites can be connected to one enterprise. An Irish CRO number does not become a SIREN when the company sells to France. Conversely, an Irish-branded offer may actually be invoiced by a French company; check the entity shown on the contract.
Match the French invoice to the Irish legal person
Collect the quote, order terms, invoice and bank details. Write down the legal seller printed on each. If they differ, ask for a written explanation before payment. A French sales office may market products for an Irish parent, a French subsidiary, a distributor or a branch; these relationships affect who owes delivery and warranty obligations. Do not infer the contracting party from a website’s language or from the nationality of the salesperson.
Search the Irish company by its CRO number and compare its current name, type, status and address. For a material contract, confirm the official result on CRO CORE. Search the French entity separately in the Annuaire if a SIREN or SIRET is supplied. Save both result dates. A match of addresses or officers is useful context but does not, on its own, prove a parent guarantee.
How a French procurement team can verify an Irish supplier
- Request the Irish company’s full legal name and CRO registration number.
- Confirm the number in the Irish register and note incorporation date, status and registered office.
- Determine which legal name will sign and invoice; request an explanation for a different trading name.
- Search a French SIREN or SIRET only if a French enterprise or establishment is claimed.
- Validate any supplied Irish or French VAT number in VIES and record the outcome.
- Independently confirm the person approving the order and the receiving bank account.
- Inspect filings and request current references or accounts when the supplier exposure is significant.
Our guide to legal versus trading names helps when the advertised brand does not match the CRO result. A mismatch is not automatically fraud, but it should be resolved before your purchase order names an entity other than the one you researched.
What if the Irish company has a French establishment?
A French establishment may have French identifiers even though the company was incorporated in Ireland. That does not mean the Irish CRO record disappears or that the establishment is necessarily a separate subsidiary. Ask whether the French presence is a branch, a distinct French company or a commercial agent. Inspect the French result for the entity type and compare it with the Irish company’s documents. When the distinction affects liability or tax, seek specialist advice.
The EU business-register interconnection service can help locate company information across participating European registers. It covers specified company forms and branches, not every sole trader or tax registration. Use it to find source records, not as a substitute for understanding who signed the agreement.
Do not use VAT validation as a corporate-identity shortcut
VIES checks whether national VAT data returns a valid cross-border VAT result. The Commission notes that an invalid response can reflect a number not activated for intra-EU transactions or a pending registration, as well as a number that does not exist. A valid response does not prove that the email sender controls the Irish company. Keep the VIES result for tax records and separately validate the CRO record and contact channel.
Correct VAT treatment of goods and services depends on the actual supply, parties, location and current tax rules. This guide does not tell you to charge or omit VAT. Ask your French and Irish tax advisers when the invoice structure is unusual or the value makes an error material.
Why an Irish company may have no French SIREN
Supplying a customer in France does not by itself mean the Irish supplier has formed a French company or registered a French establishment. A French buyer should not reject a genuine Irish company only because it cannot provide a French company identifier it does not have. Instead, verify its home-country CRO number, VAT information where relevant and the exact contracting terms.
The reverse is also true: finding a French entity with a similar brand does not establish that it is the Irish seller. Use the legal name and registration number on the invoice to select the record. For repeated high-value purchases, review the Irish filing history and ask for current financial information if public accounts are old or abbreviated.
Decision points before paying
- Does the quoted legal name match the Irish CRO record?
- Is a French SIREN/SIRET being presented as an establishment, subsidiary or separate seller?
- Which entity owns the goods and owes refunds or service?
- Does the bank-account name match the actual payee named on the agreement?
- Is the VAT number valid for the relevant use, and was the result saved?
- Are the company’s filings and contact details recent enough for the credit or advance-payment risk?
For a larger exposure, organise the evidence in a supplier file and set a review date. Read our pre-contract Irish company checklist before relying on a single register screenshot. A company report can help structure public CRO information, but it cannot verify a French tax position or guarantee a shipment.
Sources and editorial review
Reviewed on 22 September 2026 using the CRO’s CORE search guidance, France’s Annuaire des Entreprises explanation and INPI company-search guidance, and the Commission’s VIES guidance. This is an identification workflow, not French or Irish tax or legal advice.