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XRechnung: Format, Validation, and Routing

XRechnung applies EN 16931 in Germany. Check the XML format, validation rules, buyer reference, and recipient channel before sending.

What is XRechnung?

XRechnung is a German implementation of EN 16931 for electronic invoices. Supplier obligations for federal public recipients have applied since November 27, 2020. Rules and delivery channels for states and municipalities can differ, so confirm the recipient requirements.

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
  • Recipient-specific buyer reference and routing data
  • Peppol network compatibility
  • Structured address data
  • Tax and currency fields defined by the profile
  • Machine-readable data fields

XRechnung Requirements

  • Buyer reference and routing data required by the recipient
  • Structured invoice data in XML
  • Complete company and address information
  • Correct tax and currency details
  • Validation against XRechnung schema
  • Recipient-specific routing and reference data

Interactive pipeline

Click a stage to see what it checks, or type a rule ID to light up the stage that reports it.

Try:

Stage 1 · What it checks

  • The file is well-formed XML. If it cannot be parsed, no rule can run.
  • Root element, namespaces, element order and data types follow the UBL 2.1 or CII D16B schema.

Example codes

Typical fix

Correct the generator: a misplaced element, a wrong namespace or a value in the wrong data type.

A validator checks an e-invoice in stages. First the file must be well-formed XML that matches the UBL or CII schema (XSD). Then the EN 16931 business rules run: BR core rules, BR-CO calculations, BR-CL code lists, BR-DEC decimals and VAT-category rules such as BR-S. Next come the national or network rules that BT-24 selects: BR-DE for XRechnung, PEPPOL-EN16931 for Peppol BIS Billing. The report lists every failed rule: one error means reject, warnings alone still mean accept. Rule sets: KoSIT validator 1.6.3 with the XRechnung configuration of 31 Aug 2026 (EN 16931 artefacts 1.3.16), Peppol BIS Billing 3.0.21.

XRechnung Versions

VersionRelease DateStatus
XRechnung 3.0.22026-08-31Current
XRechnung 3.0.12024-02Legacy
XRechnung 2.3.12022-07Deprecated
XRechnung 2.2.02021-07Deprecated

First compliant XRechnung checklist

  1. Confirm buyer routing (Leitweg-ID or Peppol endpoint) and invoice type code.
  2. Map mandatory BT fields for your profile: parties, line totals, tax breakdown, payment means.
  3. Validate with KoSIT rules and fix BR-DE findings before submission to the portal or access point.

Quick actions

Convert invoiceValidate XMLDeveloper API

Resources & Links

Official XRechnung Website
XRechnung Downloads
XRechnung Field Reference
XRechnung Validator
ZUGFeRD Format
Leitweg-ID Validation
DIN EN 16931-1 Standard

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