Procedure descriptions

Submit e-invoices to the State’s Central Invoice Processing Office

If your company carries out public contracts for state authorities or other participating public contracting authorities, you can submit electronic invoices to the Baden-Württemberg Central Invoice Processing Centre (ZRE).

You can use the following transmission channels to submit electronic invoices:

  • Upload
  • Email
  • Peppol

Your electronic invoices are automatically checked for formal correctness and completeness. They are then made available to the invoice recipient using the routing ID.
You will receive the routing ID from your client; it must be included in the electronic invoice.

In order to submit your electronic invoices, they must meet certain requirements.

They must

  • be machine-readable and
  • be in a structured electronic format (as an XML document; image files are not acceptable; PDF documents are only acceptable if they comply with the ZUGFeRD specification).

Since 1 January 2022, you have been obliged to issue electronic invoices if you provide services to public authorities at regional level. Exempt from this requirement are invoices that

  • do not exceed a net amount of 1,000 euros (and were issued by 31 December 2026) or
  • contain invoice data subject to confidentiality.

This obligation does not apply to invoices issued to public authorities at local government level.

Note: Please bear in mind that, as the issuer of the invoice, you must store electronic invoices electronically in their original format.

Responsible department

Central invoice receipt of the country

Details

Prerequisite

  • They provide services for
    • state authorities or
    • other public contracting authorities participating in the ZRE (for example, universities or local authorities)
  • The electronic invoice must be in a structured electronic format (as an XML document) that enables automatic and electronic processing; an image file is not sufficient, and a PDF document is only acceptable if it complies with the ZUGFeRD specification.
  • The electronic invoice must also meet the following requirements:
    • Requirements of the European Standard for electronic invoicing (EN 16931)
    • Requirements of the Baden-Württemberg E-Invoicing Regulation and
    • Requirements of the currently valid Terms of Use for the Baden-Württemberg Central Invoice Receipt System

Procedure

You can send your electronic invoices

  • send by email,
  • upload them directly, or
  • submit them to the Baden-Württemberg Central Invoice Processing Centre via Peppol from 14 March 2022.
    The Peppol eDelivery Network is a European transport network for the exchange of documents with public authorities.

The process for submitting your electronic invoice via the Baden-Württemberg Central Invoice Reception Centre is as follows:

  • Your submitted electronic invoice is automatically checked for formal correctness and completeness.
  • Your verified electronic invoice is then made available to the invoice recipient for retrieval.
  • Always quote the routing ID provided to you by your client.
  • Your invoice is deemed to have been delivered to the invoice recipient as soon as it has been successfully submitted to the Baden-Württemberg Central Invoice Reception Centre.

The following formats are permitted for supporting documents:

  • PDF documents
  • Images (PNG, JPG)
  • Text files (CSV)
  • Excel spreadsheets (XLSX)
  • OpenDocument spreadsheet files (ODS)

Please agree on other formats with the relevant invoice recipient before using them. Invoices, including the supporting documents, must not exceed a maximum size of 15 megabytes (MB) and must not contain more than 100 supporting documents.

Deadlines

The invoice deadlines agreed with your client apply.

Required documents

You can embed supporting documents in the invoice as an attachment or reference them from the invoice.
The HTTP and HTTPS protocols are supported for the references to documents supporting the invoice.

Costs

None

Note: If you choose a service provider to send invoices on your behalf, this service provider may charge a fee.

Processing time

  • Receipt, formal verification and provision of an electronic invoice for the addressed authority: usually a few seconds.
  • Processing and technical verification: depending on the invoice recipient

Miscellaneous

The Central Invoice Receiving Office Baden-Württemberg accepts electronic invoices in the XInvoice standard and in other formats that meet the requirements of the European Standard for Electronic Invoicing (EN 16931).
The XInvoice standard was issued by the Coordination Office for IT Standards (KoSIT). XInvoice is a concretisation ("Core Invoice Usage Specification" or "CIUS") of the European standard for electronic invoicing (EN 16931) and does not compete with the European standard.

Release note

11.03.2025 Innenministerium Baden-Württemberg