The UN/CEFACT standard for cross-industry electronic invoicing. International compatibility and comprehensive business processes for global e-invoicing.
CII (Cross Industry Invoice) is an XML-based standard from UN/CEFACT (United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business) for electronic invoicing. The standard is based on the UN/CEFACT D16B schema and offers a flexible, cross-industry solution for international business transactions.
Foundation for ZUGFeRD and Factur-X
CII forms the XML foundation for the hybrid formats ZUGFeRD and Factur-X, enabling Europe-wide compatibility.
UN/CEFACT-based for worldwide acceptance
Applicable in all economic sectors
Continuous development by UN/CEFACT
Seamless integration with existing systems
| Level | Requirements | Fields | Complexity |
|---|---|---|---|
| MINIMUM | Basic invoice data | ~15 mandatory fields | Low |
| BASIC WL | Extended data without line items | ~25 fields | Medium |
| BASIC | Basic line item data | ~40 fields | Medium |
| EN16931 | EU standard compliance | ~100 fields | High |
| EXTENDED | Full CII functionality | 200+ fields | Very high |
Standard invoicing for all industries
Usage: Universal application
Supply chain specific invoice data
Usage: Logistics and manufacturing
Credit notes and correction documents
Usage: Reversals and corrections
Self-receipts and self-billing
Usage: Special business models
| Aspect | Specification | Details |
|---|---|---|
| XML Schema | UN/CEFACT D16B | CrossIndustryInvoice_100pD16B.xsd |
| Character Encoding | UTF-8 | Unicode support for international characters |
| Namespace | urn:un:unece:uncefact:data:standard | Unique XML namespace identification |
| Document Type | 380 (Commercial Invoice) | UN/EDIFACT-compliant document classification |
Convert your invoices to CII-compatible XML documents for international standards compliance.
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