NUTS Code Structure

The NUTS code structure is the formatting convention that makes every code in the NUTS classification immediately readable and self-documenting. By understanding the structure, a bidder can decode any NUTS code on sight, identify the country and NUTS level it represents, and understand where it sits within the broader geographic hierarchy.

What is the NUTS code structure?

Every NUTS code is built by appending characters to a root country code. The complete structure is:

• 2 characters: Country code (NUTS Level 0). For example, FR for France, DE for Germany, PL for Poland. These follow the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 standard with minor historical exceptions (Greece uses EL, not GR).
• 3 characters: Country code plus one character (the Level 1 character). For example, FR8 for Mediterranee (southern France), DE2 for Bayern.
• 4 characters: Country code plus two characters (NUTS Level 2). For example, FR83 for Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, DE21 for Oberbayern does not apply here (DE21 is Level 3 in some older tables). The fourth character is always alphanumeric.
• 5 characters: Country code plus three characters (NUTS Level 3). For example, FR831 for Bouches-du-Rhone, DE212 for Dachau in Bavaria.

The hierarchy is strictly nested: every Level 2 code begins with its parent Level 1 code, and every Level 3 code begins with its parent Level 2 code. This means you can always determine a region's parent by simply truncating the code. FR831 is in FR83 (Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur), which is in FR8 (Mediterranee), which is in FR (France). No lookup table is needed to navigate upward through the hierarchy.

The additional characters after the country prefix can be numbers, letters, or a mixture. Eurostat assigns these characters when new codes are created, following patterns that differ by member state. Germany uses numeric sequences, while some other countries mix numbers and letters. The precise character values are assigned by Eurostat in consultation with national statistical offices.

Why the NUTS code structure matters for bidders

Understanding the code structure allows you to make efficient use of procurement databases and TED search tools.

Prefix-based filtering. Because parent codes are prefixes of child codes, a search for all contracts in a given country or Level 1 region can be written as a prefix query. All Bavarian contracts have NUTS codes beginning with DE2. All French contracts begin with FR. This makes wildcard and prefix searches a reliable way to aggregate across multiple Level 2 or Level 3 codes without listing each one individually.

Quick sanity checks. When reading a contract notice, the place of performance NUTS code immediately tells you the country (first two characters) and the approximate scope (total length: 2 = national, 3 = large region, 4 = basic region, 5 = small region). A five-character code signals a locally scoped contract; a two-character code signals a nationwide one.

Avoiding mismatches. Codes sometimes look similar across different countries. PL11 (Lodz region in Poland) and PL22 (Slaskie in Poland) both begin PL, making the country obvious, but PT11 (Norte in Portugal) looks similar enough to cause confusion if you are not alert to the country prefix. Always verify the first two characters when filtering.

Example

A company reviewing a TED notice sees the place-of-performance code ES511. Breaking this down: ES = Spain (NUTS Level 0), ES5 = Este (the eastern Level 1 macro-region), ES51 = Cataluna (NUTS Level 2), ES511 = Barcelona province (NUTS Level 3). The company immediately knows without any lookup that the contract is for performance in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are all NUTS codes exactly 2, 3, 4, or 5 characters?

Yes, within the standard NUTS hierarchy. However, some special territory codes exist for outermost regions and territories (for example, French overseas departments like FR910 for Guadeloupe) and these follow the same five-character maximum structure. There are no NUTS codes longer than five characters.

Can I use a Level 2 NUTS code to search for all Level 3 contracts within it?

In TED and most procurement portals that support prefix-based or hierarchical filtering, yes. A query for ES51 should return all notices whose place-of-performance code begins with ES51, including ES511, ES512, ES513, and ES514 (the four Catalan provinces). Check whether the search tool you are using supports hierarchical roll-up or requires you to list each Level 3 code individually.

Does the NUTS code structure change with each revision?

The structure (the rules for how codes are built) does not change. The specific character sequences assigned to particular regions may change between revisions if boundaries are reorganised. See NUTS 2024 Classification for the current set of assigned codes.