XRechnung · ZUGFeRD · EN 16931
E-invoicing in Germany: XRechnung and ZUGFeRD
Since 1 January 2025 every business in Germany must be able to receive e-invoices, and issuing them becomes mandatory for supplies from 2027 and 2028. aktenadler's free tools create, check, view and convert XRechnung and ZUGFeRD in your browser, without upload. Their interface is German; this page explains them in English.
Two formats, one standard
An e-invoice in the German sense is structured data that software can process, not a PDF attached to an email. Germany uses two formats of the European standard EN 16931: XRechnung, a pure XML file, and ZUGFeRD, a PDF with the XML embedded. Both are valid between businesses; public authorities usually ask for XRechnung with a Leitweg-ID.
How the two differ, and which one to send, is explained in XRechnung or ZUGFeRD?. Who has to issue e-invoices and from when is in Germany's e-invoicing mandate.
The tools (interface in German)
Free, without sign-up, and entirely in your browser: invoice files are read and written on your device and never uploaded.
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Create an e-invoice
Fill in an invoice and download it as XRechnung 3.0.2 (UBL) or as ZUGFeRD 2.5.2 / Factur-X 1.09.2 XML (CII, EN 16931 profile), checked against the rules of EN 16931 while you type.
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Check an e-invoice
Validate an XRechnung (1.2 to 3.0) or a ZUGFeRD file from 1.0 upwards: mandatory fields, code lists and arithmetic, with every finding linked to its field. A damaged file is read as far as it is readable and the broken spot is named.
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View an e-invoice
Open an XRechnung or a ZUGFeRD PDF, from version 1.0 upwards, and read it as an invoice: parties, lines, VAT, totals and payment details.
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Convert an e-invoice
Turn an XRechnung (UBL) into ZUGFeRD XML (CII) and back; what is not carried over is listed.
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Create a ZUGFeRD PDF
Embed the CII XML into the PDF of the invoice, with Factur-X metadata, or take it out of a ZUGFeRD PDF.
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Check a Leitweg-ID
Check the structure and check digits of the routing ID that German public authorities require on XRechnung.
German terms in the tools
The words you will meet in the e-invoicing app, with their meaning and, where it helps, the EN 16931 term.
| Deutsch | English |
|---|---|
| Rechnung erstellen | create invoice |
| Rechnungssteller | seller (the party issuing the invoice) |
| Rechnungsempfänger | buyer (the party receiving it) |
| Käuferreferenz (Leitweg-ID) | buyer reference, BT-10; for public authorities their Leitweg-ID |
| Positionen | invoice lines |
| Menge, Einheit, Einzelpreis netto | quantity, unit, net unit price |
| Umsatzsteuer (USt), Steuersatz | VAT, VAT rate |
| USt-IdNr. | VAT identification number |
| Zahlungsziel, Verwendungszweck | payment terms in days, remittance information |
| Prüfung, Befunde | validation, findings |
| Vorschau | preview |
| herunterladen, speichern | download, save |
Frequently asked questions
Do foreign companies have to send e-invoices to German customers?
Not under the German B2B mandate. It applies when both the supplier and the business customer are established in Germany, meaning a seat, management or a fixed establishment involved in the supply there. Customers may still ask for an e-invoice, and invoices to German public authorities follow their own rules.
What is XRechnung?
XRechnung is the German specification of the European e-invoicing standard EN 16931: an XML file in the UBL or CII syntax. It is the format German federal authorities expect, and it is also valid between businesses.
What is ZUGFeRD?
ZUGFeRD is a PDF invoice with the same structured data embedded as XML in the CII syntax. People read the PDF, software reads the XML. Its French twin is Factur-X. From version 2.0.1 it counts as an e-invoice, except the profiles MINIMUM and BASIC WL.
Are my invoices uploaded?
No. Every aktenadler tool reads and writes files in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server, and there is no account.
Why is the interface in German?
The tools are built for German invoices and German public-sector portals. This page and the glossary below explain the German terms you meet in them.