BR-03:Invoice must have an issue date
Every invoice must contain an issue date indicating when the invoice was created.
Engine Classification
Convert various date formats to ISO 8601 (YYYY-MM-DD)
Confidence: 95% · Applied automatically in pipeline
What is BR-03?
BR-03 is a fatal validation rule defined in the EN 16931 specification. It validates the IssueDate element in the UBL invoice XML.
When this rule fires, the invoice is non-compliant and will be rejected by Peppol access points and national validation services. The sending system receives a rejection response and the invoice does not reach the buyer.
Target path: /Invoice/cbc:IssueDate
Why This Error Matters
Invoice rejected. Issue date is required for tax reporting, payment terms calculation, and legal validity.
BR-03 is a hard failure. Invoices that trigger this rule are rejected at the access point and never reach the recipient. In Peppol networks, this means your sending system receives an MLR (Message Level Response) with a rejection status. The invoice must be corrected and re-sent, adding delay to your payment cycle.
Invoice Navigator can automatically correct this error in your pipeline. The fix is applied with full audit evidence, so your compliance trail remains intact.
Validator Behavior
- ·Causes invoice rejection
- ·Error returned: BR-03
- ·Specification: EN 16931
How to Fix It
Determine issue date
This is typically the date the invoice is generated or sent
Format correctly
Use ISO 8601 format: YYYY-MM-DD
Add to invoice
Insert the IssueDate element in the invoice header
Before / After
<cbc:IssueDate></cbc:IssueDate>
<cbc:IssueDate>2026-01-15</cbc:IssueDate>
Technical Reference
/Invoice/cbc:IssueDateCode Example
<cbc:IssueDate>2024-12-19</cbc:IssueDate>Common Causes
- ·Issue date field left empty in source accounting system
- ·Export occurred before invoice date was finalized
- ·Date format incompatible caused field to be skipped
- ·Template mapping pointing to wrong date field
- ·Backdated invoice with date validation failure
Seeing this in production? The API handles BR-03 automatically. See the fix response →
Commonly Seen In
Frequently Asked Questions
Every invoice must contain an issue date indicating when the invoice was created.
Add the issue date in YYYY-MM-DD format. You can also use Invoice Navigator's automatic Fixer tool to correct this instantly.
Yes, BR-03 is a critical error that will cause invoice rejection. It must be fixed before submission to ensure your invoice is accepted by the recipient's system.
Many instances of BR-03 can be automatically corrected using Invoice Navigator's Fixer tool. Upload your invoice and the tool will identify and fix common issues, including invoice must have an issue date.
BR-03 is commonly seen in exports from All invoicing software. These software packages sometimes generate invoices that need adjustment to meet full compliance standards.
See Also
Related Errors
Last updated: 27 February 2026
Handle BR-03 Automatically in Your Pipeline
The compliance engine auto-remediates this error with controlled safety policies and evidence pack generation.