What is an e-invoice, and why can I not open it?

Since January 2025 businesses in Germany must be able to receive invoices as structured data rather than as a picture of a page. The file is XML — precise for accounting software, unreadable for a person. This lays it out the way the invoice would look on paper.

Which formats does it read?

XRechnung and Peppol BIS, which are UBL, and ZUGFeRD and Factur-X, which are CII. It also opens the hybrid PDFs those standards use, where the XML is carried inside the PDF file.

My PDF invoice will not open here.

Then it is an ordinary PDF rather than a hybrid e-invoice: it looks like an invoice but carries no structured data inside it. Only invoices created as ZUGFeRD or Factur-X have the XML attached.

Is my invoice uploaded?

No. It is read in your browser and never sent anywhere — which matters here more than almost anywhere, because an invoice carries your bank details and your customers’ names.

Can I use this to send e-invoices?

Not yet — this reads them. To produce an ordinary PDF invoice, use the Invoice Generator.

E-Invoice Viewer

European businesses now send invoices as structured XML, which is unreadable without software. This turns one back into something a person can read — in your browser, so an invoice carrying bank details is never uploaded.

Runs in your browser — nothing uploadednew

Report a problem

How to e-invoice viewer

Choose the invoice — an XML file, or a PDF with the invoice data attached.
Read it as an ordinary invoice: who sent it, the lines, the VAT and the total.
Print it, save it as a PDF, or look at the raw XML underneath.

Questions

What is an e-invoice, and why can I not open it?: Since January 2025 businesses in Germany must be able to receive invoices as structured data rather than as a picture of a page. The file is XML — precise for accounting software, unreadable for a person. This lays it out the way the invoice would look on paper.
Which formats does it read?: XRechnung and Peppol BIS, which are UBL, and ZUGFeRD and Factur-X, which are CII. It also opens the hybrid PDFs those standards use, where the XML is carried inside the PDF file.
My PDF invoice will not open here.: Then it is an ordinary PDF rather than a hybrid e-invoice: it looks like an invoice but carries no structured data inside it. Only invoices created as ZUGFeRD or Factur-X have the XML attached.
Is my invoice uploaded?: No. It is read in your browser and never sent anywhere — which matters here more than almost anywhere, because an invoice carries your bank details and your customers’ names.
Can I use this to send e-invoices?: Not yet — this reads them. To produce an ordinary PDF invoice, use the Invoice Generator.

Auf Deutsch: E-Rechnung anzeigen