How EN 16931 Works
EN 16931 works on two levels:
1. Semantic Model (What)
The standard defines 162 business terms that an invoice can contain, organized into groups:
- Invoice identification (number, date, type)
- Seller and buyer information
- Payment details
- Tax information
- Line items
- Totals
2. Technical Syntaxes (How)
The semantic model can be expressed in two XML syntaxes:
- UBL 2.1: Used by Peppol, XRechnung (UBL variant)
- UN/CEFACT CII: Used by ZUGFeRD, Factur-X, XRechnung (CII variant)
CIUS: Country Extensions
Countries can create "Core Invoice Usage Specifications" (CIUS) that add rules without breaking EU compatibility. Examples:
- XRechnung: German CIUS with Leitweg-ID requirement
- Peppol BIS: Peppol's CIUS with network-specific rules
Why EN 16931 Matters
Legal Requirement
EU Directive 2014/55/EU mandates EN 16931 for public procurement. All EU governments must accept EN 16931-compliant invoices.
Cross-Border Interoperability
An EN 16931 invoice from Germany works in France, Italy, or any EU country. The standard ensures data can be understood regardless of the sender's software.
Future Mandate
ViDA (VAT in the Digital Age) will make EN 16931-based e-invoicing mandatory for all EU B2B transactions by 2030. Starting now puts you ahead.
How to Get Started
Step 1: Understand Your Requirements
Check which CIUS applies to your situation. Germany uses XRechnung, Belgium uses Peppol BIS, France uses Factur-X.
Step 2: Choose Your Syntax
UBL for Peppol/international; CII for ZUGFeRD/Factur-X. Both are equally compliant.
Step 3: Validate Compliance
Use validation tools to check both EN 16931 base rules and any CIUS-specific rules.
How Invoice Navigator handles EN 16931
Invoice Navigator's validation engine covers the complete EN 16931 specification including all business rules (BR, BR-CO, BR-CL). Auto-remediation handles structural errors while blocking changes to financial fields like amounts, VAT rates, and bank details.
Browse EN 16931 error referenceValidate EN 16931 Compliance
Check if your invoice meets the European standard.
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What is Factur-X?
Factur-X is the Franco-German hybrid e-invoice format (identical to ZUGFeRD 2.0+) that embeds structured XML data inside a PDF/A-3 document, compliant with EN 16931.
What is Peppol?
Peppol is a secure pan-European network for exchanging standardized electronic business documents, governed by OpenPeppol and connecting over 300,000 organizations across 40+ countries.
Read moreWhat is XRechnung?
XRechnung is Germany's national implementation (CIUS) of the EN 16931 European e-invoicing standard, mandatory for all public sector invoicing in Germany.
Read moreWhat is ZUGFeRD?
ZUGFeRD is a German hybrid e-invoice format that embeds machine-readable XML data inside a human-readable PDF, enabling both automated processing and visual review.
Read more