Barcode Country Codes

A common myth about UPC/EAN barcodes is that you can trace the country of origin from a barcode. The beginning segment of UPC (US/Canada) and EAN barcodes are comprised of an assigned Company Prefix from the local GS1 numbering office of each country. The prefix assignments by each local country office begin with a particular unique prefix (Country Code).

It is important to note that companies license prefixes based on where their primary offices are located and NOT where products are manufactured. A company such as Nike, manufactures shoes and clothes from various factories around the world but their products are normally marked with UPC barcodes.

In the US, when a company licenses its UPC Company Prefix, they are issued a certificate that conveys BOTH the UPC Company Prefix and the corresponding GS1 Company Prefix, which is an added zero to the left.

One of the visual differences between UPCs and EANs ❮link difference page❮ is that UPCs display 12 digits (GTIN-12) and EANs display 13 digits (GTIN-13). UPCs actually contain a padded zero as part of their prefix so they essentially are scannable worldwide. The 2 barcodes illustrated below actually would scan the same depending on the location of the scanner.

Here is the current list of barcode country codes used worldwide.

• 000 – 019 United States and Canada
• 020 – 029 Restricted distribution
• 030 – 039 United States drugs (National Drug Code)
• 030 – 039 Used to issue restricted circulation numbers within a geographic region
• 050 – 059 Reserved for future use
• 060 – 099 United States and Canada

• 100 – 139 United States
• 200 – 299 Restricted distribution
• 300 – 379 France and Monaco
• 380 Bulgaria
• 383 Slovenia
• 385 Croatia
• 387 Bosnia and Herzegovina
• 389 Montenegro
• 400 – 440 Germany
• 450 – 459 Japan
• 460 – 469 Russia
• 470 Kyrgyzstan
• 471 Taiwan
• 474 Estonia
• 475 Latvia
• 476 Azerbaijan
• 477 Lithuania
• 478 Uzbekistan
• 479 Sri Lanka
• 480 Philippines
• 481 Belarus
• 482 Ukraine
• 484 Moldova
• 485 Armenia
• 486 Georgia
• 487 Kazakhstan
• 488 Tajikistan
• 489 Hong Kong
• 490 – 499 Japan
• 500 – 509 United Kingdom
• 520 – 521 Greece
• 528 Lebanon
• 529 Cyprus
• 530 Albania
• 531 Macedonia
• 535 Malta
• 539 Ireland
• 540 – 549 Belgium and Luxembourg
• 560 Portugal
• 569 Iceland
• 570 – 579 Denmark, Faroe Islands and Greenland
• 590 Poland
• 594 Romania
• 599 Hungary
• 600 – 601 South Africa
• 603 Ghana
• 604 Senegal
• 608 Bahrain
• 609 Mauritius
• 611 Morocco
• 613 Algeria
• 615 Nigeria
• 616 Kenya
• 618 Côte d’Ivoire
• 619 Tunisia
• 621 Syria
• 622 Egypt
• 624 Libya
• 625 Jordan
• 626 Iran
• 627 Kuwait
• 628 Saudi Arabia
• 629 United Arab Emirates
• 640 – 649 Finland
• 690 – 695 China
• 700 – 709 Norway
• 729 Israel
• 730 – 739 Sweden
• 740 Guatemala
• 741 El Salvador
• 742 Honduras
• 743 Nicaragua
• 744 Costa Rica
• 745 Panama
• 746 Dominican Republic
• 750 Mexico
• 754 – 755 Canada
• 759 Venezuela
• 760 – 769 Switzerland and Liechtenstein
• 770– 771 Colombia
• 773 Uruguay
• 775 Peru
• 777 Bolivia
• 779 Argentina
• 780 Chile
• 784 Paraguay
• 785 Peru
• 786 Ecuador
• 789 – 790 Brazil
• 800 – 839 Italy, San Marino and Vatican City