Which rules is the check based on?

The check runs against the same official artefacts used by the KoSIT validator and the service-bw validator: the XSD schema, the European business rules per EN 16931 and the German XRechnung rules (BR-DE). The results therefore match the official validator.

Is my invoice stored?

No. The uploaded file is checked in memory only and discarded afterwards. It is not stored permanently and not passed on to third parties. The check runs on our servers in Germany.

Which formats can I check?

XRechnung in UBL and CII format (.xml) as well as ZUGFeRD and Factur-X invoices as PDF. For a ZUGFeRD PDF, the embedded XML is extracted and checked automatically.

What is the difference between an error and a warning?

An error makes the invoice invalid — it fails a mandatory rule and is usually rejected by the recipient. A warning points to a recommendation but does not make the invoice invalid.

Official KoSIT rules · no sign-up

Check e-invoice: validate XRechnung & ZUGFeRD

Upload your XRechnung (UBL or CII) or a ZUGFeRD/Factur-X invoice. We check it against the official rules per EN 16931 and XRechnung — the same ones the KoSIT validator uses. Your file is not stored.

Invoices that are guaranteed to pass

With Awerka you create XRechnung and ZUGFeRD directly from your orders — standard-compliant per EN 16931, without hand-crafting XML.

E-invoice with Awerka

How does the e-invoice check work?

In Germany, an e-invoice has to comply with the EN 16931 standard. XRechnung is the German variant of it, while ZUGFeRD and Factur-X combine a PDF with embedded XML. Our checker detects the format automatically, extracts the XML from the PDF for ZUGFeRD and then checks in three stages: the XML schema (XSD), the European business rules per EN 16931 and the German XRechnung rules (BR-DE).

It uses exactly the official validation artefacts from KoSIT — the same ones the well-known service-bw validator uses. The results therefore match the official validator, except that your file is not stored here.

E-invoice obligation: what applies?

Since 2025, businesses in the B2B sector must be able to receive e-invoices; the obligation to send them is being introduced gradually. A plain PDF invoice without structured data no longer counts as an e-invoice. Anyone who wants to be on the safe side creates their invoices in a standard-compliant way straight away — for example with Awerka.

Frequently asked questions

Against the same official artefacts as the KoSIT validator and service-bw: the XSD schema, the EN 16931 business rules and the German XRechnung rules (BR-DE). The results match the official validator.

No. The file is checked in memory only and discarded afterwards. No permanent storage, no sharing. The check runs on our servers in Germany.

XRechnung in UBL and CII format (.xml) as well as ZUGFeRD and Factur-X as PDF. For a ZUGFeRD PDF, the embedded XML is extracted automatically.

An error makes the invoice invalid — a mandatory rule is violated and the recipient usually rejects it. A warning is a recommendation and does not make the invoice invalid.

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