An e-invoice is an invoice provided in a structured electronic format that enables electronic processing. In Germany, commonly used formats are XRechnung and ZUGFeRD (Zentraler User Guide des Forums elektronische Rechnung Deutschland). A PDF invoice does not qualify as an e-invoice due to the lack of a structured data format.
Bundesanzeiger Verlag will issue e-invoices for transactions made on or after January 1, 2026. In areas where your invoices are available for download, e-invoices will only be provided there. No additional invoices will be sent by e-mail.
For transactions from January 1, 2026 onwards, the Bundesanzeiger Verlag will issue e-invoices in the hybrid ZUGFeRD format. This format has the advantage that the invoice is both machine-readable and human-readable. To view the visual representation of a ZUGFeRD e-invoice, you only need a standard PDF reader such as Adobe Acrobat Reader. To also process the embedded XML file electronically, you need ZUGFeRD-compatible software, such as accounting software that supports ZUGFeRD, or a dedicated viewer/validator tool.
Should you require further assistance, please feel free to contact our service hotline at 0800 1234 202 or +49 (0) 221 97 668 772 (Mon–Fri from 08:00 to 18:30) or by e-mail at vertrieb@bundesanzeiger.de
Detailed information can be found in the FAQ (German only) provided by the Federal Ministry of Finance
Click here
