How to get an ISBN, country by country
Each country has its own ISBN agency, and you buy numbers, or get them free, from the agency of the country where you publish. Here is who issues them and what they cost.
Agencies and prices
| Country | Agency | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Bowker (myidentifiers.com) | From $125 for one |
| United Kingdom | Nielsen ISBN Store | From £93 for one |
| Ireland | Nielsen ISBN Store | From £93 for one |
| Canada | ISBN Canada (Library and Archives Canada) | Free |
| Poland | e-isbn.pl, the National Library of Poland | Free |
| Germany | German ISBN Agency (MVB) | Fees on its site |
| France | AFNIL | See its site |
| Spain | Agencia del ISBN | Fees on its site |
| Italy | Agenzia ISBN (EDISER) | Fees on its site |
| Austria | Your national agency: see the international directory | See its site |
| Switzerland | Your national agency: see the international directory | See its site |
| Netherlands | Your national agency: see the international directory | See its site |
| Belgium | Your national agency: see the international directory | See its site |
| Portugal | Your national agency: see the international directory | See its site |
| Sweden | Your national agency: see the international directory | See its site |
| Ukraine | Your national agency: see the international directory | See its site |
| Australia | Your national agency: see the international directory | See its site |
| Japan | Your national agency: see the international directory | See its site |
| Brazil | Your national agency: see the international directory | See its site |
| Mexico | Your national agency: see the international directory | See its site |
| India | Your national agency: see the international directory | See its site |
Which formats need one
- Ebook: Optional on KDP, Apple Books, Kobo and Google Play, which give ebooks their own IDs. Your own ISBN names you as the publisher and is the same in every store.
- Paperback: Every print book needs one: your own, or KDP's free ISBN, which is only for publishing through KDP, on Amazon and through Expanded Distribution, and shows "Independently published" as the imprint.
- Hardcover: A hardcover needs its own ISBN, separate from the paperback's: your own, or KDP's free one, for Amazon only.
Every format of every language edition is a separate product with its own ISBN: a novel published as an ebook, a paperback and a hardcover in two languages can use six.
Need the barcode for the back cover? The free ISBN barcode generator makes it from the number.
PenStranding keeps your ISBNs in one ledger, says how many each book needs, and fills the agency's form for you to paste. It never buys or registers numbers for you.
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Checked on 12 October 2026 against International ISBN Agency directory. Stores, agencies and laws change their rules: their own pages have the final word.