Validate EN 16931 invoices for Germany
EN 16931 is required in Germany. Germany has one of the most active e-invoicing mandates in the EU.
Check a EN 16931 invoiceChecking is free. The tool detects the profile itself.
At a glance
FormatEN 16931
StandardEN 16931
MandateB2B mandatory
PeppolConnected
What we validate
EN 16931 semantic model compliance
Business rule validation (BR-xx rules)
VAT category rules (BR-S, BR-Z, BR-E, etc.)
Calculation rules (BR-CO-xx)
Code list validation
Party identification
Cross-border requirements
Common EN 16931 rejections
BR-CO-10Sum of VAT category amounts incorrectBR-S-08Standard rate VAT amount missingBR-E-01Exempt reason requiredBR-CO-11Line amount calculation errorBR-CO-13Invoice total mismatchGermany e-invoicing requirements
| Phase | Status | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| B2G | Live (Nov 2020) | All federal suppliers |
| B2B receiving | Live (Jan 2025) | All German businesses |
| B2B sending | Jan 2027 | >€800K annual revenue |
| B2B sending | Jan 2028 | All businesses |
Validation engineKoSIT (koordinierungsstelle-it-standards.de)
Required CIUSXRechnung 3.0.2
Government portalZRE (Zentraler Rechnungseingang) ↗
Routing identifierLeitweg-ID (mandatory for B2G)
PeppolYes — SMP/SML lookup required for Peppol delivery
The B2B mandate has three sharp edges that affect pipeline design.
EN 16931 FAQ
- What is EN 16931?
- EN 16931 is the European standard for electronic invoicing. It defines a semantic data model and business rules that an e-invoice must follow, regardless of syntax (UBL or CII).
- Is EN 16931 mandatory?
- Public authorities across the EU must accept and process EN 16931 invoices (Directive 2014/55/EU). For B2B it depends on the country. Under the ViDA directive (Directive (EU) 2025/516), e-invoices for intra-EU supplies must follow EN 16931 from 1 July 2030.
- What syntax should I use for EN 16931?
- EN 16931 supports two syntaxes: UBL 2.1 and UN/CEFACT CII. UBL is more common for Peppol; CII is used in ZUGFeRD and Factur-X. Both express the same data.
- What is a CIUS?
- A CIUS (Core Invoice Usage Specification) narrows EN 16931 for a country or network. Examples: XRechnung (Germany), Peppol BIS Billing 3.0, CIUS-RO (Romania).
- How do I prepare for ViDA?
- Make sure your invoicing system can produce EN 16931 invoices in UBL or CII. Checking a real export against the EN 16931 rules shows what is missing.
- Is checking free?
- Checking is free. The first verified download every 30 days is free. After that €1.90 per invoice, or €9 a month for all of them. Checking needs no account. You only pay when a file has passed the check and you download it.
- Do you fix my invoice automatically?
- No. We never change amounts, line items or taxes. Where mandatory details are missing, you supply them, we enter them and check the file again. If the export from your invoicing system is structurally broken, you get the error report for your software support, free of charge.
- Where is my file checked, and is it stored?
- On our servers, not in your browser. Your file is used only to check and fix your invoice and to deliver your result. Results are kept so you can download a verified file again for 90 days; validation logs are deleted after 90 days. You can request deletion at any time.
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