Convert PDF to XRechnung free (XRechnung 3.x, UBL or CII)

Turn a PDF invoice into a real XRechnung: pure EN 16931 XML in UBL or CII syntax, checked against the official KOSIT schematron before you download it. AI OCR extracts the seller, buyer, VAT IDs, lines and VAT; you add the Leitweg-ID, review the data and get a file German public-sector and B2B buyers accept. Free, no account needed to try it.

Convert a PDF to XRechnung Validate an existing XRechnung

How PDF to XRechnung works

1

Upload your PDF invoice

Drag and drop the PDF — or a scan or phone photo. AI OCR (Azure Document Intelligence with an e-invoicing-tuned post-processing layer) extracts the seller and buyer details, VAT IDs, invoice lines, VAT breakdown and totals into a structured form.

2

Add the Leitweg-ID and payment details

XRechnung asks for two things EN 16931 leaves optional: the Leitweg-ID — the routing identifier your public-sector buyer issues, carried in Buyer reference (BT-10) — and payment instructions. Choosing XRechnung reveals the Leitweg-ID field and checks its format as you type, and the validation step before download catches anything else that is missing.

3

Download validated XRechnung XML

Choose UBL or CII syntax and export. The XML is run through the official KOSIT XRechnung 3.x schematron first, so what you download has already passed the same rules the recipient's portal will apply.

What you get

Both XRechnung syntaxes

XRechnung allows two syntaxes and recipients differ in what they accept: UBL 2.1 (Invoice and CreditNote) and UN/CEFACT CII. aiDoks emits either from the same form, with the correct XRechnung CustomizationID, so you can match whatever the buyer's portal expects instead of rebuilding the invoice.

Validated against KOSIT rules

The file is checked against the EN 16931 core rules plus the German BR-DE-* layer — including BR-DE-15 (Buyer reference / Leitweg-ID must be present) and BR-DE-1 (payment instructions required), the two most common reasons a first XRechnung is rejected.

ZUGFeRD from the same data

Need a hybrid PDF instead of pure XML? The same invoice exports as ZUGFeRD / Factur-X, or as PEPPOL BIS 3.0 for cross-border use. One form, every output your customers ask for. No PDF to start from? Fill the form manually and generate XRechnung directly.

Free, and nothing is stored

The free tier covers everyday conversions with no signup for the basic tool. Uploaded files are processed and discarded — no portal registration, no invoice archive you have to trust us with.

Why convert PDFs to XRechnung?

A PDF invoice is not an e-invoice in the legal sense — it is an image of one. For German public-sector contracts an XRechnung has been mandatory since November 2020, and portals reject PDFs outright. In B2B the same shift is under way under the Wachstumschancengesetz: since 1 January 2025 every German business must be able to receive structured e-invoices, from 1 January 2027 companies with previous-year turnover above €800,000 must issue them, and from 1 January 2028 all remaining businesses follow.

Converting is the practical bridge. Most businesses already produce a PDF from their existing software; extracting that data into XRechnung XML lets you meet the requirement today without replacing your accounting system first.

XRechnung or ZUGFeRD?

Both are German EN 16931 formats and both satisfy the mandate, but they are shaped differently. XRechnung is pure XML — the format German public-sector buyers require, and the safe default when a buyer names a format. ZUGFeRD is a hybrid PDF/A-3 that carries the same data invisibly inside a normal-looking invoice PDF, which is often easier in private-sector B2B because the recipient can still just read it. aiDoks generates both from one form, so the choice is not locked in.

Good to know

  • The Leitweg-ID is not optional — B2G buyers issue it with the order and XRechnung requires it in Buyer reference (BT-10). A missing Leitweg-ID (BR-DE-15) is the classic first-attempt rejection.
  • UBL or CII — both are valid XRechnung; pick whichever the recipient's portal documents. If unsure, UBL is the more widely accepted of the two.
  • Credit notes supported — the same flow generates XRechnung credit notes, not just invoices.
  • Validate before sending — the free validator checks any XRechnung (yours or a supplier's) against the official KOSIT schematron and reports the exact rule IDs.

The recommended workflow

Convert the PDF, review the extracted data (check the VAT IDs and totals — identifier errors are the most common rejection cause), enter the Leitweg-ID, download the XRechnung, and re-run the free validator if you edited anything by hand. Then deliver it: upload to the buyer's portal (ZRE or OZG-RE for federal bodies, a Land portal otherwise), send it over PEPPOL, or hand it to your accounting software.

PDF to XRechnung: FAQ

What is XRechnung?

XRechnung is the German CIUS (Core Invoice Usage Specification) of the European standard EN 16931 — a pure XML invoice, in either UBL 2.1 or UN/CEFACT CII syntax, maintained by KoSIT. It is the format German public-sector buyers require, and it adds a small German rule layer (the BR-DE-* rules) on top of the EN 16931 core.

Can I really convert a PDF invoice into XRechnung?

Yes, but note what conversion means: a PDF has no structured data, so AI OCR reads the invoice and rebuilds it as XRechnung XML. You review the extracted values before export — that review step is the point, because OCR can misread an IBAN or a VAT ID and those are the fields recipients reject on.

Do I need a Leitweg-ID?

For public-sector (B2G) invoices, yes — the buyer issues it with the order and XRechnung carries it in Buyer reference (BT-10). Rule BR-DE-15 makes it mandatory, and a missing one is the most common first-attempt rejection. For B2B invoices you generally do not have a Leitweg-ID; the field still has to be filled, so use the buyer reference your customer gives you.

XRechnung or ZUGFeRD — which do I need?

If a German public-sector body is the buyer, XRechnung. If you are invoicing a private company and no format was specified, ZUGFeRD is often easier because the recipient can still read the PDF. Both are EN 16931-based and both satisfy the German mandate; aiDoks generates either from the same form, so you can send whichever the customer asks for.

UBL or CII — which syntax should I pick?

Both are valid XRechnung and carry the same information. Recipients differ in what they accept, so follow the buyer portal's documentation if it names one. If nothing is specified, UBL is the more widely accepted of the two.

Is the XRechnung validated before I download it?

Yes — the generated XML is run against the official KOSIT XRechnung 3.x schematron, which is the same rule set the recipient's portal applies. You can also re-check any file later with the free XRechnung validator, which reports the exact rule IDs and the XPath location of each problem.

Is it free?

Yes for everyday use. The free tier covers a daily allowance of invoice operations with no signup for the basic tool, and Pro is €4.85/month for unlimited use. Uploaded files are processed and discarded — there is no portal registration and no invoice archive.

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