Convert PDF to ZUGFeRD free (Factur-X / EN 16931)

Turn a PDF invoice into a ZUGFeRD hybrid: a human-readable PDF/A-3 with the machine-readable CII XML embedded. AI OCR extracts the seller, buyer, VAT IDs, lines and VAT; you review the data and download a compliant ZUGFeRD 2.x (EN 16931) file — ready for Germany's B2B e-invoicing mandate. ZUGFeRD and Factur-X are the same format, so the file works for German and French recipients alike.

Convert a PDF to ZUGFeRD Validate an existing ZUGFeRD

How PDF to ZUGFeRD 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

Review and pick the ZUGFeRD profile

Check the extracted fields — every value is editable before export. Select ZUGFeRD / Factur-X EN 16931 (PDF) as the output profile. The EN 16931 (COMFORT) profile carries full line items and is the one recommended for the German B2B mandate.

3

Download and send

You get a PDF/A-3 that opens like any invoice PDF but carries the embedded factur-x.xml (CII) — the attachment name ZUGFeRD 2.1+ shares with Factur-X. The XML is validated against EN 16931. Email it to your customer or import it into your accounting software; no portal or account is required.

What you get

A true ZUGFeRD hybrid PDF

PDF/A-3 with the CII invoice embedded as factur-x.xml and the Factur-X XMP metadata set — not just a PDF with an attachment. ZUGFeRD 2.x and Factur-X are the same format, so the file is valid for German and French recipients alike. Humans read the PDF; software reads the XML.

Ready for the German mandate

Since 1 January 2025 every German business must be able to receive structured e-invoices; issuing becomes mandatory for companies above €800,000 turnover on 1 January 2027 and for all businesses on 1 January 2028. ZUGFeRD (and XRechnung) are EN 16931-based and both qualify.

XRechnung too, from the same form

The same invoice data can also be exported as XRechnung (UBL or CII syntax) — the format German public-sector buyers require — plus PEPPOL BIS 3.0 or a plain Factur-X. One form, every output your customers ask for. No PDF? Fill the form manually and generate ZUGFeRD directly.

Works for France as well

Because ZUGFeRD 2.x and Factur-X are byte-for-byte the same specification, the file you produce here is equally valid for France's B2B mandate from September 2026 — one hybrid format covering the two biggest European mandates.

Why convert PDFs to ZUGFeRD?

Germany's B2B e-invoicing mandate arrives in stages under the Wachstumschancengesetz (passed March 2024): since 1 January 2025 every 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. ZUGFeRD is the gentlest way in — your invoice keeps a normal, human-readable PDF face while carrying the structured EN 16931 data the law requires.

ZUGFeRD and XRechnung are the two German e-invoice formats, and both are built on EN 16931. XRechnung is pure XML and is mandatory for invoicing the public sector (B2G); ZUGFeRD is the hybrid PDF favoured in private-sector B2B because a human can still open and read it. aiDoks generates both from the same invoice form, so you are never locked into one.

Good to know

  • Profile — the converter produces the EN 16931 (COMFORT) profile: full line items, fully EN 16931-compliant, the profile recommended for the German mandate.
  • ZUGFeRD = Factur-X — the embedded file is named factur-x.xml, the attachment name unified across ZUGFeRD 2.1+ and Factur-X; the same PDF is accepted in Germany and France.
  • Credit notes supported — the same flow generates ZUGFeRD credit notes (type code 381).
  • Validate before sending — the free validator checks any ZUGFeRD / Factur-X file (yours or a supplier's) against the EN 16931 rules and reports the profile and 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), download the ZUGFeRD, and run it through the free validator if you edited anything by hand. Then send it: by email to your customer, or straight into your accounting or ERP software.

PDF to ZUGFeRD: FAQ

What is ZUGFeRD?

ZUGFeRD is the German hybrid e-invoice format: a PDF/A-3 with a machine-readable CII XML invoice embedded inside it. A person opens it as a normal PDF, while accounting software reads the embedded EN 16931 XML. ZUGFeRD 2.x is technically identical to the French Factur-X format — the same PDF works in both countries.

Is the file aiDoks produces a valid ZUGFeRD?

Yes. aiDoks generates a PDF/A-3 with the CII invoice embedded as factur-x.xml (the attachment name shared by ZUGFeRD 2.1+ and Factur-X) plus the Factur-X XMP metadata, in the EN 16931 (COMFORT) profile. You can confirm it with the free ZUGFeRD / Factur-X validator before sending.

ZUGFeRD or XRechnung — which do I need?

Both are EN 16931-based German e-invoice formats. XRechnung is pure XML and is mandatory for invoicing the public sector (B2G). ZUGFeRD is the hybrid PDF preferred in private-sector B2B because it stays human-readable. aiDoks generates both from the same invoice form, so you are not locked into one.

Do I have to use ZUGFeRD for the German B2B mandate?

Since 1 January 2025 every German business must be able to receive structured e-invoices. Issuing becomes mandatory for companies with previous-year turnover above €800,000 on 1 January 2027, and for all businesses on 1 January 2028. ZUGFeRD is one of the qualifying EN 16931 formats, alongside XRechnung.

Which ZUGFeRD version does it produce?

ZUGFeRD 2.x / Factur-X 1.0 in the EN 16931 (COMFORT) profile — full line items, fully aligned with the European standard and accepted for the German mandate. Credit notes (type code 381) are supported by the same flow.

Is it free? Do I need an account?

The converter is free. The AI OCR extraction that reads your PDF requires a free account with fair-use daily limits; the Pro plan lifts the limits and adds 100 AI document scans per month. You can also fill the invoice form manually and generate ZUGFeRD without uploading a PDF.

Related tools

XRechnung validator

Validate XRechnung 3.x (UBL and CII) against the official KOSIT schematron.

ZUGFeRD / Factur-X validator

Check any ZUGFeRD or Factur-X PDF and its CII XML against EN 16931 — all five profiles.

E-invoicing in Germany

The 2025–2028 B2B mandate, XRechnung, ZUGFeRD and the timeline explained.

Factur-X vs ZUGFeRD

Same format, two names — what German and French businesses need to know.

From PDF to mandate-ready in minutes

AI extraction, a compliant ZUGFeRD 2.x / EN 16931 hybrid PDF — validated and ready to send.

Convert a PDF now ZUGFeRD validator