EUDR Reference Number vs Verification Number: A Plain-English Guide for Wood Packaging

When you file an EUDR Due Diligence Statement, the EU information system returns two numbers, and they do different jobs: the reference number is the one you must pass on, to customs and to your first downstream buyer, while the verification number is a security check that stays private unless someone with a justified concern asks for it. Confusing the two, or passing the wrong one, is a common reason a shipment stalls at customs. This guide explains what each number is, who hands which to whom, and what changes when the wood packaging is made outside the EU.

Note on currency: EUDR is a moving target. The mechanics below reflect the EU Deforestation Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2023/1115, and the EUDR Information System (TRACES NT) as documented in mid-2026. Confirm the current rules against official EU sources before relying on this for a live shipment. Mechanics last reviewed against public EU sources on 29 June 2026.

The Two Numbers You Get After Filing a DDS

After an operator submits a Due Diligence Statement (DDS) in the EUDR Information System, that system, built on the EU's TRACES NT platform, generates two identifiers at once: a reference number and a verification number. Both are tied to that specific statement, and both exist only after a successful submission. The platform has been live since 4 December 2024, and a submitted DDS can still be changed or withdrawn for a short window (reported as up to 72 hours, provided it has not yet been used in a customs declaration) after the reference number is assigned. The important thing to fix in mind from the start is that these two numbers are not interchangeable. One is meant to travel with the goods; the other is meant to sit in the system and be checked only when there is a reason. The rest of this guide is really about that single distinction.

What the Reference Number Does

The reference number is the DDS's identity, and it is the number that moves through the supply chain. Think of it as the compliance passport for the consignment: it links a specific shipment of in-scope goods back to a specific statement filed in the system. Two obligations attach to it. First, the operator who filed the DDS must proactively forward the reference number to the first downstream actor in the supply chain. Second, the reference number must be provided to customs on import and export. This is the number customs authorities check. Without a valid reference number (or, for some simplified declarations, a valid declaration identifier), a product will not be released for free circulation at the EU border. For wood packaging, that means the reference number is what stands between your goods and a customs hold.

What the Verification Number Does

The verification number is a security layer, not a routing number, and most of the time it never leaves the system. Its function is to let the authenticity of the data stored in a DDS be checked inside the EUDR Information System. Crucially, there is no general legal obligation to disclose the verification number the way there is for the reference number. It is a reactive tool: a non-SME downstream operator or trader who has a substantiated concern about whether due diligence was genuinely exercised can request the verification number to confirm the statement's authenticity. In normal trade, where no such concern arises, the verification number stays with the operator who filed and is simply not part of the documents that move with the goods. If a supplier tells you that you "must send the verification number to customs," that is a sign the two numbers have been mixed up.

Who Passes What to Whom

The flow is asymmetric on purpose: the reference number is pushed proactively, the verification number is pulled only on request. Mapping it out removes most of the confusion.

A downstream operator's job is narrow. It collects the reference numbers for the products it handles, checks that they are valid in the EUDR Information System, retains them for at least five years, and reports any justified concerns. It does not re-run a full due diligence assessment from zero, and it does not need to chase verification numbers as routine practice. The party that carries the heavy obligation is the operator that first places the goods on the EU market, because that operator files the DDS and owns both numbers at the source.

What This Means If Your Wood Packaging Comes from Outside the EU

For wood packaging manufactured outside the EU, the factory does not file the DDS and does not hold either number; the EU-side importer files it and receives the reference and verification numbers. This is the part overseas suppliers and their European buyers most often get wrong. A factory in Taiwan that makes wooden cigar boxes, watch boxes, or wine boxes for a European brand sits upstream of the point where the EUDR obligation legally attaches. The importer or brand owner placing the goods on the EU market is the operator who files the statement and obtains the numbers. The manufacturer's job is different but essential: supply the upstream data, country of harvest, wood species declaration, and supporting documentation, that lets the importer complete its risk assessment and file a defensible DDS. For the full breakdown of which party files, see our guide on who submits the EUDR due diligence statement, the manufacturer or the importer.

CY Atelier's role in that chain is to deliver clean, audit-ready upstream data, not to file a statement it has no standing to file. CY Atelier coordinates a wood packaging supply chain across specialist facilities under one coordinating standard, and for qualifying orders that supply chain delivers FSC-certified materials and Chain of Custody documentation through a certified trade partner who holds the CoC certificate. The supply chain is EUDR-ready, with documentation that has passed German customs review. In concrete terms, that means we provide the harvest-origin and species data your importer needs, so that once the importer files, the reference number can be carried on the shipping documentation for the consignment. To see how that documentation set is built, read our EUDR-ready wood packaging supply chain guide.

Forest certification is a related but separate question: FSC and PEFC certificates are evidentiary inputs to a Due Diligence Statement, not a substitute for one. For how the two schemes compare for EU-bound wood packaging, see our guide to FSC and PEFC certification under EUDR.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does customs need both the reference number and the verification number?

No. Customs needs the reference number, which the operator provides on import and export. Without a valid reference number (or a valid declaration identifier for certain simplified declarations), the goods are not released for free circulation. The verification number is not a customs document. It is a reactive authenticity check inside the EUDR Information System, requested only by a non-SME downstream operator or trader who has a substantiated concern, so it does not normally accompany a customs declaration.

How long must I store the EUDR reference number?

Downstream operators and traders must retain the reference numbers for the products they handle for at least five years from the date the goods were placed on the market or exported. Retention is part of the obligation: a competent authority can ask to see the reference numbers, and a downstream operator is expected to produce them and confirm they are valid in the EUDR Information System. Keeping them is what lets you demonstrate compliance without re-running due diligence.

Who gives me the EUDR reference number?

The operator who files the DDS receives the reference number from the EUDR Information System and is required to pass it proactively to the first downstream actor. If your wood packaging is made outside the EU, that operator is normally your EU-side importer or brand owner, not the overseas factory. The factory supplies the upstream harvest data the importer needs to file; the importer files, obtains the number, and forwards it down the chain.

Can I request the verification number from my supplier?

A non-SME downstream operator or trader can request the verification number, but only in the case of a substantiated concern about whether due diligence was actually exercised. There is no general obligation for the filing operator to disclose it as routine practice. In normal trade you collect and retain the reference number; you reach for the verification number only when there is a specific, justified reason to confirm a statement's authenticity in the system.

In Short

The reference number and the verification number come from the same DDS submission but play opposite roles: the reference number is the one you pass on, to customs and your first downstream buyer, and the one customs checks before release, while the verification number is a reactive authenticity check that stays in the system unless a justified concern brings it out. For packaging made outside the EU, neither number sits with the factory; both sit with the EU-side operator who files. The manufacturer's value is upstream of all of it, in the quality of the harvest data that makes the importer's filing fast and defensible.

To discuss how our supply chain supports your EUDR documentation, or to review our FSC and EUDR compliance approach, get in touch with our team.