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E-invoicing guides for developers
What the EU e-invoice formats are, which one a customer in Germany, France or Belgium needs, and how to get a file through validation. Every regulatory date links to its official source.
Updated 19 October 2026
Formats
- ZUGFeRDThe German hybrid format: a PDF/A-3 with CII XML inside. Profiles, versions, what German VAT law accepts.
- Factur-XThe French name for the same hybrid format as ZUGFeRD, and one of the three formats of the French reform.
- XRechnungThe German CIUS of EN 16931, pure XML in UBL or CII, required by German public authorities.
- Peppol BIS Billing 3.0The UBL invoice of the Peppol network: Belgium's default since 2026, used across Europe.
- EN 16931The European core invoice behind every format here, and the business rules (BR-CO-15 and friends) that fail most.
Comparison
- ZUGFeRD vs XRechnung vs Factur-X vs Peppol BISThe four formats side by side, and which one to pick for German, French and Belgian customers.
Mandates
- Germany e-invoicing mandateReceive since 2025, issue from 2027 or 2028 depending on turnover. Exceptions, accepted formats, sources.
- France e-invoicing reformReceive from September 2026, issue in 2026 or 2027 by company size, through an approved platform.
- Belgium e-invoicing mandateStructured e-invoices over Peppol between Belgian businesses since 1 January 2026; e-reporting planned for 2028.
Validation
- Validate an XRechnungCheck an XRechnung with the official KoSIT rules and fix BR-DE-15, BR-DE-2, BR-CO-15 and the rest.
- Validate ZUGFeRD / Factur-XCheck the PDF/A-3, the metadata and the embedded XML, and fix the errors hybrid invoices typically have.
Check a file in your browser, or over the API. The free validator runs the official rules (KoSIT, CEN and Peppol Schematron, Mustang, veraPDF) and lists every error with its rule ID. Nothing is stored. The same check is one HTTP call with a free API key: 25 documents a month, no credit card.