errorbusinessEN 16931

BR-10:Buyer must have postal address

Fix: This requires user input to resolve. Provide the correct value for `cbc:IdentificationCode` (BR-10). Provide the required value in the free validator.

An Invoice shall contain the Buyer postal address (BG-8). At minimum, the country code is required.

Severity
Fatal
Rule set
EN 16931
Country
All EU
Fix type
INPUT REQUIRED

Engine Classification

Business data required · Explicit input workflow · No assumptions made

Required input: Buyer Country Code

What is BR-10?

BR-10 is a fatal validation rule defined in the EN 16931 specification. It validates the IdentificationCode element under PostalAddress > Country in the UBL invoice XML.

When this rule fires, the invoice is rejected by Peppol access points and never reaches the buyer.

Target path: XPath: /Invoice/cac:AccountingCustomerParty/cac:Party/cac:PostalAddress/cac:Country/cbc:IdentificationCode

Why This Error Matters

Invoice rejected. Buyer address is required for delivery confirmation, tax compliance, and legal validity.

BR-10 is a hard failure — the invoice must be corrected and re-sent before it can reach the recipient.

Validator Behavior

  • ·Causes invoice rejection
  • ·Error returned: BR-10
  • ·Specification: EN 16931

How to Fix It

1.

Get buyer country

From customer master data or order

2.

Use correct code

ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 format (e.g., FR, DE, IT)

3.

Add to address

Place in Country/IdentificationCode element

Before / After

Failing XML
<cac:Country>
  <cbc:IdentificationCode><!-- invalid or missing value --></cbc:IdentificationCode>
</cac:Country>
Corrected XML
<cac:Country>
  <cbc:IdentificationCode>correct-value</cbc:IdentificationCode>
</cac:Country>

Technical Reference

XPathXPath: /Invoice/cac:AccountingCustomerParty/cac:Party/cac:PostalAddress/cac:Country/cbc:IdentificationCode
SpecEN 16931
StrategyRequires user input: Complete buyer address. Cannot auto-derive as this is customer-specific information from the order/transaction.

Code Example

<cac:Country>
  <cbc:IdentificationCode>FR</cbc:IdentificationCode>
</cac:Country>

Common Causes

  • ·Customer record created without full address
  • ·Buyer address not mapped in export template
  • ·Order placed with minimal customer details
  • ·Shipping address present but billing address missing
  • ·Address fields partially filled causing validation failure

Seeing this in production? The API handles BR-10 automatically. See the fix response →

Commonly Seen In

All invoicing software

Frequently Asked Questions

The buyer postal address must include a country identification code.

This requires user input to resolve. Provide the correct value for `cbc:IdentificationCode` (BR-10). Invoice Navigator detects this error and prompts for the required business data before applying a safe fix.

Yes, BR-10 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.

BR-10 requires specific business data to resolve. Invoice Navigator detects the error and guides you through providing the needed information, then applies the fix with full audit documentation.

BR-10 is commonly seen in exports from All invoicing software. These software packages sometimes generate invoices that need adjustment to meet full compliance standards.

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Related Content

Last updated: 24 April 2026

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