# DIN EN 16931-1

The European standard for electronic invoicing. Foundation for cross-border e-invoice compliance in the EU.

## About DIN EN 16931-1

DIN EN 16931-1 is the European standard for electronic invoicing, published in April 2017. It defines a semantic data model for electronic invoices and creates the foundation for unified e-invoicing across the European Union.

> **EU-wide Mandate from 2025**: The ViDA regulation makes the use of EN 16931-1 standard mandatory for all B2B transactions in the EU from 2025.

## Core Requirements

- Unique invoice identification
- Invoice date and due date
- Seller and buyer information
- Complete address data
- Tax information and VAT
- Currency codes per ISO 4217
- Invoice line item details
- Payment information

## Benefits of Standardization

### Cross-border Trade
Unified standard for EU-wide business transactions

### Cost Reduction
Automated processing reduces manual effort by up to 80%

### Legal Certainty
Compliance with European and national legislation

### Future-proofing
Preparation for EU-wide e-invoicing mandate from 2025

## Compliance Checklist

- Validation against EN 16931-1 schema
- Structured data format (XML/UBL/CII)
- Complete business partner information
- Correct tax calculations
- Unique document references
- Compliance with local tax laws
- Digital signature (if required)
- Long-term archiving requirements

## National Implementations

| Compliance Guides | Adoption | DIN EN 16931-1 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| XRechnung | 95% | Germany |
| Factur-X/ZUGFeRD | 85% | Germany/France |
| FatturaPA | 100% | Italy |
| UBL | 70% | EU-wide |
| PEPPOL BIS | 60% | EU-wide |

## Important Dates

### 2017
EN 16931-1 publication

### 2020
Mandatory acceptance B2G

### 2030
EU-wide B2B mandate (ViDA)

## Related Resources

- [EU eInvoicing Portal](https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/finance-funding/invoicing/e-invoicing/index_en.htm)
- [Official Standard](https://standards.cen.eu/dyn/www/f?p=204:110:0::::FSP_PROJECT:60602&cs=1B61B766636F9FB34B7DBD72CE9026C72)
- [XRechnung Standard](/resources/compliance/xrechnung-standard)
- [PEPPOL Network](/resources/compliance/peppol-network-guide)