XRechnung & Peppol BIS 3.0 Validator for German Companies
Germany mandates XRechnung (UBL-based) for B2G since 2020 and structured e-invoicing for B2B from 2027. Validate your XRechnung or Peppol BIS 3.0 invoices for EN 16931 compliance - free, no upload.
Open XRechnung ValidatorXRechnung and UBL in Germany: B2G and B2B obligations
XRechnung is Germany's national e-invoicing standard for public procurement (B2G), defined by KoSIT. It is based on two syntaxes: UBL 2.1 (CIUS DE) and UN/CEFACT CII. All federal suppliers must submit XRechnung invoices via the ZRE (Zentrale Rechnungseingangsplattform) or OZG-RE platforms since November 2020.
For B2B transactions, the Wachstumschancengesetz establishes mandatory structured e-invoicing from 2027. XRechnung and Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 are both accepted formats. Companies must be able to receive structured e-invoices since January 2025. ValidateFin validates the UBL syntax of XRechnung invoices against EN 16931 and Peppol BIS 3.0 rules.
Compliance timeline
B2G (federal): XRechnung mandatory for all federal public procurement. Submission via ZRE or OZG-RE platforms.
B2B: all German VAT-registered companies must be technically capable of RECEIVING structured e-invoices (EN 16931).
B2B: mandatory EMISSION of structured e-invoices for companies with annual turnover >800,000€.
B2B: mandatory emission extended to all German VAT-registered companies including micro-enterprises.
What ValidateFin checks in your XRechnung / UBL invoice
Before submitting to ZRE or a buyer system, verify your XRechnung / UBL invoice passes these checks:
- UBL 2.1 schema validation against XRechnung CIUS DE and Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 specification
- EN 16931 mandatory fields: seller/buyer VAT (USt-IdNr. DE format), invoice number, delivery date, tax breakdown
- Leitweg-ID (BT-10): buyer reference mandatory for all B2G XRechnung invoices submitted to ZRE
- German VAT number format: DE + 9 digits (Umsatzsteuer-Identifikationsnummer)
- XRechnung profile identifier: CIUS-DE conformance level in cbc:CustomizationID
Common XRechnung errors causing ZRE rejection
Missing or invalid Leitweg-ID (BT-10)
The Leitweg-ID is the routing identifier of the German public entity. It must appear in cbc:BuyerReference. Without it, ZRE cannot route the invoice to the correct recipient - immediate rejection.
Wrong cbc:CustomizationID for XRechnung
XRechnung invoices must declare the CIUS-DE profile in cbc:CustomizationID (e.g. urn:cen.eu:en16931:2017#compliant#urn:xoev-de:kosit:standard:xrechnung_2.3). Mismatches fail ZRE validation.
Invalid German VAT number format
German Umsatzsteuer-Identifikationsnummer must follow the format DE + 9 digits (e.g. DE123456789). Missing DE prefix or wrong digit count causes EN 16931 rule failure BR-DE-01.
Frequently asked questions
Is XRechnung the same as Peppol BIS 3.0?
XRechnung and Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 are both UBL 2.1-based formats implementing EN 16931, but they are different CIUS (Core Invoice Usage Specifications). XRechnung (CIUS-DE) adds German-specific mandatory fields (Leitweg-ID, specific VAT rules). Peppol BIS 3.0 is the pan-European standard used on the Peppol network. Both are accepted for German B2B e-invoicing from 2027.
Can ValidateFin validate XRechnung invoices?
ValidateFin validates the UBL 2.1 structure and EN 16931 / Peppol BIS 3.0 business rules of your invoice. For XRechnung-specific CIUS-DE rules, the core validation (Leitweg-ID presence, German VAT format, mandatory fields) is included. Full KoSIT XRechnung rule set support is being extended progressively.
My company must receive e-invoices since January 2025 - what does that mean technically?
Since January 2025, your accounting system or ERP must be able to import and process structured e-invoices in at least one EN 16931-compliant format (XRechnung UBL, XRechnung CII, ZUGFeRD 2.x, or Peppol BIS 3.0). ValidateFin helps you inspect and validate any received UBL invoice to ensure it is correctly structured.
E-invoicing guides by country
E-invoicing rules in Germany
Status: Receiving since 2025, issuing from 2027. See who must issue and receive e-invoices, deadlines and accepted formats.
Validate your XRechnung or Peppol invoice before submission
Check UBL 2.1 structure, EN 16931 rules, and XRechnung compliance instantly. No file uploaded.