E-Invoicing Germany
We are currently developing our own efsta PEPPOL access point, which should be available by the end of Q1 2026. Current users of the efsta B2B or B2G solutions will automatically receive the PEPPOL functionality as soon as it has been released.
DDto Fields
| Name | Description | Format | Example for DDto |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leitweg ID (B2G) | The Leitweg ID is an identifier of an electronic invoice for the unique addressing of public contracting authorities in Germany | Regex | "0204:991-33333TEST-33" |
| Email (B2B, B2G) | Email address of the receiver | Regex | "j.doe@efsta.eu" |
- For B2G invoicing, a Leitweg ID and an email must be set as value for
DDto
(e.g.,DDto="0204:991-33333TEST-33;authority@test.eu"). - For B2B invoicing, only the email address is required.
The email notifications mentioned in the following section are not live yet, but the XRechnung can be downloaded from the efsta Portal already. A new update with full functionality will be available soon!
Business-to-Business E-Invoicing (B2B)
B2B E-Invoices must be created in the XRechnung format, just like B2G E-Invoices in Germany. The only difference is that currently there is no regulated method of transmission of B2B E-Invoices.
After receiving the B2B Invoice data via the EFR API, the EFR will create the XRechnung and send it to the buyer’s email address. Alternatively, the XRechnung may be downloaded by the taxpayer directly from the efsta E-Invoicing view in the efsta portal.
Business-to-Government E-Invoicing (B2G)
Up until September 2025, each German state required transmitting B2G XRechnung E-Invoices in different methods (neither of which worked efficiently or correctly).
As of September 2025, the German government has consolidated the different transmission methods into one centralized platform: the OZG-RE portal. B2G invoices must be sent via the OZG-RE portal, where it is then forwarded to the correct government department and processed accordingly.
The only methods of transmission currently are via:
- Manual creation
- XML upload
- Email tool from OZG-RE platform
After receiving the valid B2G Invoice data via the EFR API, the EFR will forward it to our E-Invoicing service which:
- Creates the XRechnung (which is always downloadable in the efsta portal E-Invoicing view)
- Sends the XRechnung XML file to the buyer's and seller’s email address
- Informs the seller that the XRechnung has been created and needs to be uploaded to the OZG-RE portal
Each taxpayer much register in the OZG-RE portal to submit E-Invoices to their government customers. efsta is not allowed to submit E-Invoices via the OZG-RE portal in the name of the taxpayer.
As of October 2025, PEPPOL is now the preferred automated method of B2G E-Invoice transmission to the German government. Using PEPPOL will automate the transmission of B2G E-Invoices to the German government (skipping the registration and uploading in the OZG-RE from the taxpayer).
Registering & uploading to the OZG-RE platform
Each taxpayer that is creating invoices for German government authorities must register with the OZG-RE platform and submit the B2G XRechnung E-Invoices accordingly.
1. Registration
The taxpayer must register at the OZG-RE Login page first.
The tutorial video "1. Registrierung an der OZG-RE" will explain how to register the taxpayer’s OZG-RE account.
2. Uploading the XRechnung
After registering, the B2G XRechnung E-Invoice which the taxpayer has received from efsta needs to be uploaded via their OZG-RE account.
For additional guidance, you can view the video "3. Versenden einer E-Rechnung an der OZG-RE", which will show exactly how to upload the XRechnung E-Invoice file on the OZG-RE account.