E-invoicing mandate
E-invoicing in Germany
A sourced summary of the structured e-invoicing program in Germany. It is a starting point, not a compliance certificate or proof of delivery.
At a glance
- Scope
- Business-to-business
- Status
- Phasing in
- First receiving phase
- 2025-01-01
- First issuing phase
- 2027-01-01
- Network or channel
- Direct exchange (no central platform yet)
- Format
- XRechnung / ZUGFeRD (EN 16931 CII or UBL)
What this means for you
Every German business has had to be able to RECEIVE EN 16931 e-invoices since 1 January 2025. Issuing becomes mandatory from 2027 (turnover over 800,000 euro) and 2028 (all).
What FreeBillGen can verify
For eligible saved invoices, FreeBillGen can prepare generic OASIS UBL and UN/CEFACT CII mappings and run its named internal checks. These mappings are not EN 16931, Factur-X, Peppol, national-CIUS or clearance-platform validation. FreeBillGen does not transmit them through a provider network.
Check this route in Invoice PassportThe free Inbox can manually parse selected UBL/CII supplier files for review. Syntax recognition is not profile validation; manual upload is not a Peppol or government-network receiving endpoint and does not by itself satisfy a receive obligation. Open manual upload
Official sources used
- German Federal Ministry of Finance - mandatory e-invoice FAQ (opens in a new tab) Source reviewed 2026-08-17
General information only; not legal, tax, accounting, conformance, or delivery-provider advice. Confirm the current scope, technical profile, and channel with the official source or a qualified adviser.