German EN 16931 CIUS · active

XRechnung

Germany’s structured e-invoice standard for public-sector invoicing and a major format for domestic B2B preparation.

UBL Invoice/CreditNote XMLCII XML

Current version and implementation status

Version noteXRechnung 3.0.2 bundle; Winter 2025/26 bugfix artefacts
Statusactive
Reviewed2026-08-02
FamilyGerman EN 16931 CIUS
Open official technical source

How to recognize the profile

Do not rely on the file extension alone. Inspect the root namespace, customization/profile identifiers, version values and authority-specific envelope.

  • urn:xeinkauf.de:kosit:xrechnung
  • Leitweg-ID buyer reference
  • XRechnung customization identifiers

Production validation stack

  1. 1
    UBL or CII schema

    Confirm that the document is well formed and structurally compatible with the intended XRechnung syntax.

  2. 2
    EN 16931 rules

    Apply semantic and business-rule checks rather than accepting a file merely because it parses.

  3. 3
    XRechnung Schematron

    Validate currencies, countries, tax categories, units, payment means and other controlled values against the correct release.

  4. 4
    German code lists and recipient rules

    Apply the national, network or authority restrictions that narrow the base syntax.

EInvoiceLab’s browser tools provide detection, inspection and technical preflight. A profile is only production-valid after applying the correct official artefacts and obtaining the required network or authority outcome.

Common errors and corrective action

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Missing Leitweg-ID

Locate the relevant field and rule, correct the source mapping, rerun every validation layer, then preserve the final response.

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Invalid buyer reference

Locate the relevant field and rule, correct the source mapping, rerun every validation layer, then preserve the final response.

!
Unsupported payment data

Locate the relevant field and rule, correct the source mapping, rerun every validation layer, then preserve the final response.

!
Outdated validation bundle

Locate the relevant field and rule, correct the source mapping, rerun every validation layer, then preserve the final response.

Countries using or referencing this profile

Questions people ask

What is XRechnung?

Germany’s structured e-invoice standard for public-sector invoicing and a major format for domestic B2B preparation.

How is XRechnung validated?

A production check normally applies UBL or CII schema, EN 16931 rules, XRechnung Schematron, German code lists and recipient rules. Local browser preflight cannot replace the official validation artefacts or authority outcome.

Which version should I use?

The current research note is: XRechnung 3.0.2 bundle; Winter 2025/26 bugfix artefacts. Confirm release notes at the official source before production deployment.

Practical tools

Inspect and prepare XRechnung files