warningDEUxrechnung

`BR-DE-07`:German postal code format

German postal codes should be 5 digits.

Severity

Warning

Rule set

xrechnung

Country

DEU

Fix type

INPUT REQUIRED

Engine Classification

Business data required · Explicit input workflow · No assumptions made

Required input: German Postal Code (PLZ)

What is BR-DE-07?

BR-DE-07 is a warning validation rule defined in the xrechnung specification (DEU national rules). It validates the PostalZone element under PostalAddress[cac:Country > IdentificationCode="DE"] in the UBL invoice XML.

This is a soft validation failure. The invoice may pass initial transmission, but non-compliant values in this field can cause problems during tax audits, buyer-side processing, or downstream VAT reconciliation.

Target path: XPath: //cac:PostalAddress[cac:Country/cbc:IdentificationCode="DE"]/cbc:PostalZone

Get API Access

Why This Error Matters

German postal codes have leading zeros.

BR-DE-07 is a soft failure. The invoice may pass initial validation, but the non-compliant field can cause issues at the receiving end — tax authorities may flag it during audits, buyer ERP systems may fail to process it, or VAT reconciliation may produce mismatches. Fixing warnings before they accumulate prevents larger compliance gaps.

Validator Behavior

·Generates validation warning
·Rejected by XRechnung endpoints
·Error returned: BR-DE-07
·Specification: xrechnung

How to Fix It

Check postal codes

German PostalZone values

Pad with zeros

01234, not 1234

XML Example

Generic example based on the rule's target XPath. Your actual XML structure may differ.

Before

<!-- Incorrect value -->
<cbc:PostalZone>INVALID</cbc:PostalZone>

After

<!-- Corrected value -->
<cbc:PostalZone>VALID_VALUE</cbc:PostalZone>

Technical Reference

XPathXPath: //cac:PostalAddress[cac:Country/cbc:IdentificationCode="DE"]/cbc:PostalZone

Specxrechnung

Common Causes

·Missing leading zero
·Wrong length

Seeing this in production? The API handles BR-DE-07 automatically. See the fix response →

Frequently Asked Questions

German postal codes should be 5 digits.

Use 5-digit format with leading zeros (e.g., 01234). You can also use Invoice Navigator's automatic Fixer tool to correct this instantly.

BR-DE-07 is a warning that may not always cause rejection, but it indicates a potential compliance issue that should be addressed to ensure full compatibility.

Many instances of BR-DE-07 can be automatically corrected using Invoice Navigator's Fixer tool. Upload your invoice and the tool will identify and fix common issues, including german postal code format.

Handle BR-DE-07 Automatically in Your Pipeline

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

Get API Access View API Documentation

BR-DE-07:German postal code format