Guide
XRechnung Standard
The German standard for electronic invoicing in the public sector. Complete guide for XRechnung-compliant e-invoices with validation and compliance requirements.
What is XRechnung?
XRechnung is the German standard for electronic invoicing, based on the European standard DIN EN 16931-1. Since November 27, 2020, all public contractors in Germany are required to receive and process electronic invoices in XRechnung format.
Important:
XRechnung is a structured XML format that is machine-readable and enables automated invoice processing.
Key Features
- XML format according to DIN EN 16931-1
- Automatic Leitweg-ID validation
- PEPPOL network compatibility
- Structured address data
- Tax law compliance
- Machine-readable data fields
XRechnung Requirements
- Valid Leitweg-ID for public contractors
- Structured invoice data in XML
- Complete company and address information
- Correct tax and currency details
- Validation against XRechnung schema
- Digital signature (optional)
XRechnung Versions
| Version | Release Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| XRechnung 3.0.2 | 2026-01-31 | Current |
| XRechnung 3.0.1 | 2024-02 | Legacy |
| XRechnung 2.3.1 | 2022-07 | Deprecated |
| XRechnung 2.2.0 | 2021-07 | Deprecated |