Create XRechnung with Laravel and PHP

The German standard based on EN 16931, mandatory for invoices to federal authorities. With Quittio it is a one-line change.

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What is XRechnung?

XRechnung is the German standard for e-invoices based on EN 16931. It is plain XML in CII or UBL syntax, with additional German rules (BR-DE). Invoices to authorities need the Leitweg-ID as buyer reference.

Who is it for?

Invoices to German federal and many state authorities
Businesses that want plain XML without a PDF
Systems that process invoices automatically

How it works with Quittio

InvoiceService.php

use Quittio\Core\Builder\Party;
use Quittio\Laravel\Facades\Quittio;

$result = Quittio::invoice()
    ->number('RE-2026-0042')
    ->deliveryDate('2026-09-30')
    ->buyer(Party::make('Kunde AG')
        ->vatId('DE987654321')
        ->address('Bahnhofstraße 5', '54321', 'Beispielstadt', 'DE'))
    ->line('Web development', netPrice: '95.00', quantity: 24)
    ->buyerReference('04011000-12345-03')   // Leitweg-ID of the authority
    ->format('xrechnung-cii')
    ->render();

Checked with: KoSIT validator with the official XRechnung configuration

Sample files: RE-2026-0042-xrechnung-cii.xml, RE-2026-0042-xrechnung-ubl.xml, KoSIT validation report

Profiles and variants

xrechnung-ciiCII syntax
xrechnung-ublUBL syntax
ZUGFeRD profile XRECHNUNGXRechnung embedded in a PDF

Version 3.0, BR-DE rules from the German country pack.

Questions about XRechnung

What is a Leitweg-ID?

The routing address of the authority. It goes into the XRechnung as buyer reference (BT-10). If it is missing, Quittio reports rule BR-DE-15.

CII or UBL?

Both are equivalent. Use whatever your recipient or their portal prefers; with Quittio it is just a different format name.

Do I need a PDF as well?

No, the XRechnung is the invoice. An additional visual PDF is possible but should not be mistaken for a second invoice.

When which invoice becomes mandatory is explained in our guide to the German e-invoicing mandate.