E-invoices. For everyone.

Create German e-invoices for free Good work.
A finished invoice.

Add your details, check the invoice and download it. Free. No sign-up. No ads.

From Invoice issuer Add your details Name, address and contact Add
Tax details Tax number or VAT ID

Tax number or VAT ID – at least one of the two.

Required for supplies to other EU countries and for exports.

More details Position, landline, mobile, GLN, D-U-N-S
The GLN (Global Location Number) is a worldwide unique, 13-digit number for companies and locations from the system of the standards organisation GS1 – used in electronic business, in logistics and for e-invoices. In Germany it is issued by GS1 Germany. GLN at GS1 Germany (in German)
The D-U-N-S number is a nine-digit company number used internationally, issued and managed by the business information company Dun & Bradstreet. You can look up your own number there and usually apply for it free of charge. D-U-N-S number at Dun & Bradstreet (in German)

Stores your sender details, including bank details, in this browser only, so they are already filled in next time. Switching it off deletes them. Learn more

To Invoice recipient Add the recipient Name, address and contact Add

The e-invoice requires an electronic address of the recipient. X-Factura sends nothing.

Tax details & contact person VAT ID, register, GLN

Commercial or association register number, e.g. HRB 12345. Is enough instead of the VAT ID for a domestic reverse charge.

The GLN (Global Location Number) is a worldwide unique, 13-digit number for companies and locations from the system of the standards organisation GS1 – used in electronic business, in logistics and for e-invoices. In Germany it is issued by GS1 Germany. GLN at GS1 Germany (in German)
The D-U-N-S number is a nine-digit company number used internationally, issued and managed by the business information company Dun & Bradstreet. You can look up your own number there and usually apply for it free of charge. D-U-N-S number at Dun & Bradstreet (in German)
References & more details e.g. buyer reference

Public authority: the Leitweg-ID, e.g. 991-12345-67. Company: order number, cost centre or another agreed reference. Required for the XRechnung (XML).

Your customer number for this recipient.

What you delivered

Your items

  1. –

Subtotal
–
Total
–

Preview. X-Factura calculates all amounts bindingly when the invoice is created.

The last details

Payment & output

Almost done.

Service date

When was the work done?

Payment

How and when would you like to be paid?

Your account the amount should be transferred to.

More payment details BIC, payment terms

Only needed for accounts outside the EEA, e.g. in Switzerland or the United Kingdom.

Free text, e.g. on cash discounts. The payment term is already in the field next to it.

File format

The invoice to download.

Message & closing text Message, closing text, management, registers

Appears in the PDF above the items.

Appears in the PDF at the end of the invoice, after the payment details – e.g. a closing greeting (the PDF is in German).

Printed before the names, e.g. “Managing director: Max Muster” – choose one of the German titles offered or write your own. Without one, the PDF prints the German term for “authorised representative”.

Everything in one place. Ready to check.

XRechnung and ZUGFeRD from one form

X-Factura creates e-invoices to the European standard EN 16931 in the two formats used in Germany. The invoice itself is in German, as German recipients expect.

  • XRechnung (XML)

    A plain XML file for software – for example for the invoice portal of a German public authority, which usually gives a Leitweg-ID as the buyer reference.

  • ZUGFeRD / Factur-X (PDF)

    A readable PDF with the e-invoice embedded: people open it like any PDF, accounting software reads the data from its XML part. Factur-X is the technically identical format from France.

  • No account needed

    Without signing in, your draft stays in this browser and X-Factura does not keep the invoice. A free account stores invoices, contacts and company details if you want it to.

Frequently asked questions

What is an e-invoice in Germany?

An invoice as a structured file to the European standard EN 16931 that software can process without retyping – an XRechnung or a ZUGFeRD PDF, for example. A plain PDF or a scan is not an e-invoice.

When does Germany require e-invoices?

Since 2025, every business in Germany must be able to receive e-invoices. Issuing them for invoices to other businesses in Germany is required from 2027 for businesses with a prior-year turnover above €800,000, and from 2028 for all. There are exceptions, for example for invoices up to €250 and for small businesses under § 19 UStG. The Federal Ministry of Finance explains the rules in its FAQ on the e-invoice (in German).

Is X-Factura really free?

Yes. There is no subscription, no paid tier and no advertising. You create invoices without signing up; the account is optional and free as well.

What is a buyer reference?

An identifier the recipient uses to assign the invoice – business term BT-10 in EN 16931. German public authorities give their Leitweg-ID for it. An XRechnung requires a buyer reference; in a ZUGFeRD PDF it is optional.

Does X-Factura send my invoices?

No. X-Factura creates the files for you to download; you send them yourself – by e-mail, for example, or through the recipient’s invoice portal.

What data does X-Factura keep?

Without an account, X-Factura keeps no invoice: the files are only held for the download, and the draft stays in your browser. With an account, X-Factura stores your invoices and whatever you add there yourself. Its own usage statistics are anonymous and contain no invoice contents; there are no cookies for advertising or tracking. Details are in the privacy notice.

Document preview

Ihr Name

Rechnungsempfänger

Rechnung

Pos.BeschreibungMengeEinheitEinzelpreisUSt.Betrag
Nettobetrag
–
Gesamtbetrag
–

Zahlung

Preview from your details – not an issued invoice. The amounts X-Factura calculates when creating the invoice are binding; the PDF sets the same details more finely, with page numbers and fold marks. The invoice itself is issued in German.
Total–

View invoice

What does it say?

Open an existing e-invoice. X-Factura shows in readable form what it contains.

X-Factura shows what the file contains and does not check whether the invoice follows the rules of XRechnung or ZUGFeRD. The file is only read, not saved.