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eInvoicing Documentation

Registry of supporting artefacts to implement the European standard on eInvoicing

Directive 2014/55/EU led to the definition of the European standard on eInvoicing (EN 16931). The Directive promotes the uptake of eInvoicing in public procurement.

This registry provides you with direct access to different technical resources (validation artefacts, code lists, etc.) that are used in eInvoicing implementations when using the eInvoicing standard.


On this page:


Request for change

Via this page, eInvoicing stakeholders are invited to submit requests for change or make their own contributions - depending on the nature of the artefacts. 

Such change requests can be submitted by anybody interested and/or working with eInvoicing and having eInvoicing basic knowledge. These contributions are essential to ensure these technical artefacts evolve to suit market needs.

As an eInvoicing stakeholder, you can register on the dedicated page of the eInvoicing User Community to receive email notifications for each update. And to see the status of eInvoicing in each EU Member State, you can browse the eInvoicing Country Factsheets to see national policy frameworks, eInvoicing platforms (if existing), approaches for receiving and processing electronic invoices, digital reporting requirements, etc.


CEN/TC 434 EN16931

You can get a copy of the European standard itself via the European Standardization Committee, CEN.


Code lists

The European standard on eInvoicing defines which code lists may be used for each business term that has the data type "code", such as electronic address, VAT number, currency, etc.

The Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) is the managing authority for two code lists that are used in the EN 16931, the EAS code list and the VATEX code list. For details, please refer to the page about code lists. You can download the code lists in Excel format or in machine readable genericode format. You can submit a Request for Change (RfC) directly through the Service Desk.

EAS code list

VATEX code list

By request of CEN/TC434, DIGITAL has taken on the responsibility of monitoring updates to all other code lists that are used in EN 16931 and, at certain intervals, to provide lists of the code values that are allowed in invoices that comply with the standard as specified in Annex A to the standard.

As of version 7 of the codes are distributed in a computer-readable genericode format, in addition to the normative Excel file.



Technical Guidance document on Tax Codes for eInvoicing

The Technical Guidance document on Tax Codes for Electronic Invoicing describes how codes that are defined in the European electronic invoicing standard (EN 16931) should be used in specific use cases concerning tax. The purpose is to support aligned use of the standard. The first version has been published in July 2024, and it undergoes revisions as required. This document is the result of the discussions among stakeholders within the Technical Advisory Group on Electronic Invoicing led by Georg Birgisson, an external expert on eInvoicing working for the European Commission. Users of the document can propose additional use cases through the DIGITAL Service Desk.


CIUS (Core invoice Usage Specifications) and Extensions

The European standard takes into consideration that buyers who must support specific processes or legal requirements may need to restrict, or extend the European standard's core data model. The European standard provides for this by defining Core Invoice Usage Specification (CIUS) and Extensions.

In order to foster sharing of implementation specifications, The Digital Europe Programme has published a registry with CIUS and Extensions that have been created based on the EN 16931. Listing of such specifications is open to all parties and is encouraged.


Validation artefacts

The European standard on eInvoicing defines rules that allow people that are using the standard to check that an invoice complies with the standard. These rules are expressed in technical validation artefacts. These technical artefacts make it possible to automatically validate whether an invoice complies with those rules.

Validation artefacts are implemented by software developers and network specialists as components in eInvoicing services to validate if electronic invoices comply with EN 16931. By using the same validation artefacts, these different eInvoicing services will be aligned across Europe.

DIGITAL has by request from CEN/TC434, taken on the responsibility of maintaining and publishing these validation artefacts at regular intervals. The maintenance of the eInvoicing Registry to support artefacts to implement the European standard on eInvoicing continues under the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) after the closure of the CEF Programme. For further details on the transition from CEF to the Digital Europe Programme, feel free to contact our Service Desk.


Regular release schedule

Code lists

The change requests for the EAS and/or VATEX code lists can be submitted to the DIGITAL Service desk at all times. They will be processed and released according to the bi-annual maintenance schedule of EAS and VATEX code lists (i.e., in spring and in autumn, with set dates as the deadline for change requests and publication dates).

Validation artefacts

The validation artefacts are maintained by DIGITAL. Requests for changes are received through the DIGITAL Service desk or via a GitHub Issue.

Processing time is dependent on complexity and agreement on changes. Simple error corrections may be approved and implemented within a short lead time, but complex requests may take longer and include consultation with CEN TC434 Working Group 1. Consequently, there is not a specific deadline for each release, in the way that change requests submitted before a certain date will be adopted in that release. DIGITAL seeks to resolve all requests as quickly as possible and develop them once approved and update the relevant artefacts. DIGITAL applies a code freeze date for each version. Change requests that have been approved and developed before that date are included in this version.



 Code lists  Validation artefacts  
Process stepsDeadline for change requestsPublication dateEffective date (1)Code freeze date (2)Publication dateEffective date (1)
Autumn releaseFriday of 3rd week of August
— next 25/08/2023		Friday of 1st week of September
— next 08/09/2023		15th November, end of day.
If weekend, then end of following Monday
— next 15/11/2023

Friday of 3rd week of September
— next 22/09/2023

Friday of 1st week of October
— next 06/10/2023		15th November, end of day.
If weekend, then end of following Monday
— next 15/11/2023
Spring releaseFriday of 3rd week of February
— next 23/02/2024		Friday of 1st week of March
— next 08/03/2024		15th of May, end of day.
If weekend, then end of following Monday
— next 15/05/2024

Friday of 3rd week of March
— next 23/03/2024

Friday of 1st week of April
— next 05/04/2024		15th of May, end of day.
If weekend, then end of following Monday
— next 15/05/2024

(1) Effective date: the date when compliant implementations of EN 16931 shall have the new version in operation.

(2) Code freeze date: the last day when the code may be modified before it is moved to testing and quality assurance. 
What change requests are included depends on their complexity. Complex changes may require extended decision and development time and correcting simple errors that may be made at the last moment.


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