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.

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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 works on one PDF a month without an account; a free account includes 3 AI document scans per month, and the Pro plan raises that to 100 scans per month and lifts the other monthly limits. You can also fill the invoice form manually and generate ZUGFeRD without uploading a PDF.

Related tools

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ZUGFeRD / Factur-X validator

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

PDF to XRechnung

Need pure XML instead of a hybrid PDF? Convert the same invoice to XRechnung 3.x.

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