BR-63:Buyer electronic address is missing its scheme identifier
Fix: This requires user input to resolve. Provide the correct value for `cbc:ElectronicMail` (BT-49). Provide the required value in the free validator.
Your invoice includes a buyer electronic address (EndpointID), but it does not specify what type of identifier it is. The scheme identifier tells the receiving system whether the address is a GLN number, a VAT number, a chamber of commerce number, or another type. Without it, the Peppol network cannot route the invoice to the correct recipient.
Engine Classification
Business data required · Explicit input workflow · No assumptions made
Required input: Buyer Electronic Address (EndpointID), Scheme ID
What is BR-63?
BR-63 is a fatal validation rule defined in the EN 16931 specification. It validates the @schemeID element under Party > EndpointID in the UBL invoice XML.
When this rule fires, the invoice is rejected by Peppol access points and never reaches the buyer.
Target path: cac:AccountingCustomerParty/cac:Party/cbc:EndpointID/@schemeID
Why This Error Matters
Invoice rejected. The scheme is required for electronic delivery routing.
BR-63 is a hard failure — the invoice must be corrected and re-sent before it can reach the recipient.
Without a scheme identifier on the buyer's electronic address, the Peppol Access Point cannot determine what type of identifier you are using. The invoice will be rejected because the network cannot verify and route it to the correct recipient. This blocks delivery and delays payment.
Validator Behavior
- ·Causes invoice rejection
- ·Error returned: BR-63
- ·Specification: EN 16931
How to Fix It
Identify the address type
Look at the buyer's electronic address value. Is it a VAT number (starts with country code like DE, NL), a GLN (13 digits), a chamber of commerce number (8 digits in NL), or something else?
Find the correct scheme code
Common scheme codes: 0088 (GLN), 0106 (Dutch KvK), 9930 (German VAT), 9944 (Dutch VAT/BTW), 0007 (Swedish org number), 0009 (French SIRET). The full list is the CEF EAS code list.
Add the schemeID attribute
Add schemeID="XXXX" to the EndpointID element in the buyer section of your invoice. For example: <cbc:EndpointID schemeID="9930">DE123456789</cbc:EndpointID>
Before / After
<cac:Contact> <!-- cbc:ElectronicMail is missing --> </cac:Contact>
<cac:Contact> <cbc:ElectronicMail>valid-value</cbc:ElectronicMail> </cac:Contact>
Technical Reference
cac:AccountingCustomerParty/cac:Party/cbc:EndpointID/@schemeIDCommon Causes
- ·Invoicing software does not add schemeID when exporting the buyer EndpointID
- ·EndpointID was manually entered without the scheme attribute
- ·Template or mapping in ERP does not include the @schemeID attribute
- ·Buyer address was copied from a different system that does not use scheme identifiers
Seeing this in production? The API handles BR-63 automatically. See the fix response →
Commonly Seen In
Frequently Asked Questions
Your invoice includes a buyer electronic address (EndpointID), but it does not specify what type of identifier it is. The scheme identifier tells the receiving system whether the address is a GLN number, a VAT number, a chamber of commerce number, or another type. Without it, the Peppol network cannot route the invoice to the correct recipient.
This requires user input to resolve. Provide the correct value for `cbc:ElectronicMail` (BT-49). You can also use Invoice Navigator's compliance engine to correct this automatically in your pipeline.
Yes, BR-63 is a critical error that will cause invoice rejection. It must be fixed before submission.
Many instances of BR-63 can be automatically corrected using Invoice Navigator's compliance engine. The fix is applied in your pipeline with full audit evidence.
BR-63 is commonly seen in exports from All invoicing software sending e-invoices via Peppol or using EN16931 format. These packages sometimes generate invoices that need adjustment.
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Last updated: 22 April 2026
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