XRechnung validator

Validate XRechnung online – free, with KoSIT rules

Check XRechnung files (UBL and CII) for free against the official KoSIT rules. Error messages in plain German, no account and no file storage.

What is XRechnung?

XRechnung is the German standard for electronic invoices in structured XML, based on the European norm EN 16931. It was developed by the Coordination Office for IT Standards (KoSIT) and has been mandatory for invoices to federal public contracting authorities since 27 November 2020 (B2G).

From 1 January 2025 the e-invoice obligation also applies to B2B in Germany. Businesses must be able to receive e-invoices. For sending, transition periods run until the end of 2026 (businesses with annual turnover above €800,000) and until the end of 2027 (everyone else).

Which XRechnung formats are supported?

XRechnung can be written in two XML syntaxes:

• UBL (Universal Business Language): namespaces such as cac: and cbc:. UBL Invoice is widely used internationally.
• UN/CEFACT CII (Cross Industry Invoice): prefixes such as ram: and rsm:. CII is common in Germany.

Both syntaxes are equivalent and meet EN 16931. This validator checks both against XRechnung 3.0.2.

XRechnung versions

This validator uses:

• KoSIT validator: version 1.6.3
• XRechnung configuration: 3.0.2 (release 2026-08-31, scenarios.xml dated 2026-09-02)
• EN 16931 Schematron: version 1.3.16

XRechnung 3.0 is the current version of the standard and supports extended features such as several delivery addresses and improved allowances.

Which validation rules are checked?

BR-DE rules (German extensions)

• BR-DE-1: payment information is mandatory (BG-16)
• BR-DE-15: Leitweg-ID or buyer reference (BT-10) is mandatory
• BR-DE-21: the specification identifier must contain the XRechnung identifier
• BR-DE-17: allowed invoice type codes (326, 380, 384, 389, 381, 875-877)

All error codes

BR rules (EN 16931 mandatory fields)

These European rules define mandatory fields such as invoice date, seller and buyer address, and tax information.

BR-CO rules (calculation)

These rules check that amounts, totals and taxes add up.

Typical XRechnung errors

• BR-DE-15: missing Leitweg-ID (mandatory for B2G invoices)
• BR-DE-1: missing payment instructions
• BR-08 / BR-10: incomplete seller or buyer address
• BR-CO-15: wrong calculation of the total amount with VAT

Sample XRechnung files

• Valid XRechnung (UBL) – an XRechnung 3.0 without errors
• Invalid XRechnung (UBL) – contains several typical errors

Viewing an XRechnung

XRechnung files are machine-readable XML. To show the invoice content to a person you need an XRechnung viewer or an XSLT transformation. Validation checks technical correctness and rule compliance, not the visual layout.

Questions about XRechnung

Is XRechnung the same as ZUGFeRD?

No, but both are allowed for the e-invoice obligation. XRechnung is XML only. ZUGFeRD is a hybrid (PDF with embedded XML). XRechnung or ZUGFeRD

Do I need a Leitweg-ID?

The Leitweg-ID is mandatory for invoices to public authorities (B2G). It identifies the invoice-receipt office. For B2B it is not required, but Buyer reference (BT-10) still needs some other reference. Leitweg-ID explained

Are my invoices stored?

No. Validation happens in memory. After the check the file is deleted. Invoice contents are not stored.

Can I create an XRechnung myself?

XRechnung files can be written by hand as XML, which is error-prone. In practice you use accounting software or an online tool that produces XRechnung files. This validator only checks validity. It does not create invoices.