How do I fix BR-CL-15?

Invoice Navigator automatically fixes this Invoice compliance issue by updating the relevant XML elements (BR-CL-15). You can also use Invoice Navigator's compliance engine to correct this automatically in your pipeline.

Is BR-CL-15 a critical error?

Yes, BR-CL-15 is a critical error that will cause invoice rejection. It must be fixed before submission.

Can BR-CL-15 be automatically fixed?

Many instances of BR-CL-15 can be automatically corrected using Invoice Navigator's compliance engine. The fix is applied in your pipeline with full audit evidence.

errorEN 16931

`BR-CL-15`:Country codes in an invoice MUST be coded using ISO code list 3166-1

A country code in the invoice is not a valid ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code. All country fields must use 2-letter codes.

Severity

Fatal

Rule set

EN 16931

Country

All EU

Fix type

AUTO-FIX

Confidence

90%

Engine Classification

Normalize country codes to valid ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 codes

Confidence: 90% · Applied automatically in pipeline

What is BR-CL-15?

BR-CL-15 is a fatal validation rule defined in the EN 16931 specification. It validates the IdentificationCode 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: //cbc:IdentificationCode

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Why This Error Matters

Invoice rejected. Proper country codes are required for compliance and routing.

BR-CL-15 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-CL-15
·Specification: EN 16931

Before / After

Failing XML

<Invoice>
  <!-- Issue: Item origin country codes MUST be coded using ISO code list  -->
</Invoice>

Corrected XML

<Invoice>
  <!-- Issue resolved per EN 16931 -->
</Invoice>

Technical Reference

XPath//cbc:IdentificationCode

SpecEN 16931

Operationnormalize

StrategyNormalize country codes to valid ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 codes

Common Causes

·Country code not from ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 list
·Full country name used instead of 2-letter code
·Invalid or obsolete country code in address
·Country code lowercase instead of uppercase
·3-letter ISO code used instead of 2-letter

Seeing this in production? The API handles BR-CL-15 automatically. See the fix response →

Handle BR-CL-15 Automatically in Your Pipeline

The compliance engine auto-remediates this error with controlled safety policies and evidence pack generation.

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BR-CL-15:Country codes in an invoice MUST be coded using ISO code list 3166-1