XRechnung CII XML Generator

Create XRechnung CII XML with the KoSIT CIUS context for German public-sector and B2B e-invoicing workflows.

What this covers

• Pure CII XML output — no PDF wrapper — for platforms that require structured files.
• Buyer reference (Leitweg-ID) enforcement for German public-sector recipients.
• EN 16931 core invoice data validated before download.

Mandatory for

German public-sector B2G

Standard

CIUS of EN 16931

Format

Pure XML — UBL or CII

Where XRechnung is mandatory

XRechnung is Germany's national CIUS (Core Invoice Usage Specification) on top of EN 16931 — a pure-XML invoice in UBL or UN/CEFACT CII syntax. It is the required format for invoicing German federal public-sector bodies, and most states (Länder) apply the same rule to their administrations. Since January 2025 every German business must also be able to receive EN 16931 e-invoices, and XRechnung is the default domestic-B2B choice where the buyer asks for strict structured data.

Compared with hybrid Factur-X, XRechnung trades human readability for strictness: there is no PDF layer, so the XML is the invoice. That removes an entire class of mismatches (PDF saying one thing, XML another) at the cost of requiring software that can render or process the file — which is why public-sector buyers and Peppol-oriented companies prefer it.

The fields that actually get validated

Beyond the EN 16931 core, XRechnung enforces German-specific rules: the buyer reference (BT-10, typically the Leitweg-ID routing address for public bodies) is mandatory; seller contact details and VAT identifiers must follow the CIUS cardinality rules; and the specification identifier in the XML declares exactly which XRechnung version the file claims — validators reject documents that claim the URN without matching its rules.

VAT handling deserves care: XRechnung expects correct category codes (S for standard, Z for zero-rated, AE for reverse charge) consistent with the German VAT situation of the transaction. Reverse-charge invoices to German buyers are the classic failure — the code and the legal note must agree, and the totals must group VAT by rate correctly.

From form data to a valid XRechnung file

The workflow this page supports: enter seller, buyer, and line data once; Eurorix emits CII XML carrying the XRechnung specification identifier, with buyer-reference enforcement so BT-10 cannot silently go missing. The same dataset can produce a Factur-X hybrid for partners who still want a readable PDF — the data model is identical, only the packaging differs.

Before relying on the output for a real mandate flow, validate the generated file against the official XRechnung validator (KoSIT publishes one) and send a test document through your actual delivery channel — a Peppol access point or the buyer's invoice portal. Conformance to the schema is necessary but not sufficient: the channel has its own addressing and size rules.

Last reviewed September 2026 by the Eurorix team.