Factur-X & ZUGFeRD
Validator

Factur-X is the Franco-German e-invoicing standard based on the Cross-Industry Invoice (CII) XML format. It embeds a structured CII XML file inside a PDF/A-3, making invoices both human-readable and machine-processable. Factur-X is fully compliant with the European EN16931 standard.

They are the same standard. ZUGFeRD 2.x (Germany) and Factur-X (France) merged into a single specification. ZUGFeRD 2.0 and later are technically identical to Factur-X. Both use CII XML inside PDF/A-3 and comply with EN16931.

CII is a UN/CEFACT XML format for electronic invoices, defined under the CrossIndustryInvoice schema. It is one of two syntaxes supported by EN16931 (the other being UBL 2.1). CII uses a different XML namespace and element structure than UBL. For example, seller information is in ram:SellerTradeParty instead of cac:AccountingSupplierParty.

CII invoices are validated against the EN16931 CII binding, the same European business rules (BR-*) as UBL, but with CII-specific syntax rules (CII-SR-*) and CII data bindings. There is no Peppol BIS layer for CII since Peppol uses UBL exclusively. The business rules are equivalent; only the XML paths differ.

Factur-X defines five profiles in increasing order of data richness: Minimum, Basic WL (without lines), Basic, Comfort (EN16931), and Extended. The Comfort profile corresponds exactly to the EN16931 semantic model. This validator checks against the full EN16931 rule set, which covers all profiles from Comfort upward.

Yes. Extract the CII XML file from the PDF/A-3 (typically named factur-x.xml) and upload it here. The validator checks the XML structure and business rules. It does not process PDF files directly; upload the XML.

France is rolling out mandatory B2B e-invoicing in phases starting September 2026 for large enterprises, with full coverage by 2027. Factur-X is one of the accepted formats alongside UBL and the national Chorus Pro platform.

Germany made structured e-invoicing mandatory for B2B transactions from January 2025 (receiving) with sending obligations phased in through 2028. ZUGFeRD 2.x and XRechnung (UBL-based) are both accepted formats.

XRechnung is Germany's national e-invoicing standard built on EN16931. It supports both UBL 2.1 and CII syntaxes. XRechnung adds German-specific business rules (BR-DE-*) on top of the base EN16931 rules. A CII invoice conforming to XRechnung will pass the EN16931 CII validation here.