FR-R-008:Invalid French VAT number format
Fix: Use format FR + 2 letters/digits + 9 digits (SIREN). Provide the required value in the free validator.
French TVA intracommunautaire must be FR + 11 characters.
Engine Classification
Business data required · Explicit input workflow · No assumptions made
Required input: French VAT Number (TVA intracommunautaire)
What is FR-R-008?
FR-R-008 is a fatal validation rule defined in the factur-x specification (FRA national rules). It validates the CompanyID element under PartyTaxScheme 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: //cac:PartyTaxScheme/cbc:CompanyID
Why This Error Matters
Invalid VAT format prevents EU VIES validation.
FR-R-008 is a hard failure — the invoice must be corrected and re-sent before it can reach the recipient.
Validator Behavior
- ·Causes invoice rejection
- ·Rejected by Chorus Pro
- ·Error returned: FR-R-008
- ·Specification: factur-x
How to Fix It
Check format
FR followed by 11 characters
Validate
Key is MOD 97 of SIREN + 12
XML Example
Generic example based on the rule's target XPath. Your actual XML structure may differ.
<!-- Missing or empty element triggers cbc:CompanyID error --> <cbc:CompanyID></cbc:CompanyID>
<!-- Provide the required value --> <cbc:CompanyID>VALID_VALUE</cbc:CompanyID>
Technical Reference
XPath: //cac:PartyTaxScheme/cbc:CompanyIDCommon Causes
- ·Wrong prefix
- ·Wrong length
- ·Invalid check digits
Seeing this in production? The API handles FR-R-008 automatically. See the fix response →
Frequently Asked Questions
French TVA intracommunautaire must be FR + 11 characters.
Use format FR + 2 letters/digits + 9 digits (SIREN). Invoice Navigator detects this error and prompts for the required business data before applying a safe fix.
Yes, FR-R-008 is a critical error that will cause invoice rejection. It must be fixed before submission.
Related Content
Last updated: 3 March 2026
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