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E-Invoicing

Frihet generates structured electronic invoices compliant with the European EN16931 standard. Unlike a standard PDF, an e-invoice is an XML file that the recipient's accounting software can process automatically without manual data entry.

Available on Premium+ plans.

Generation vs. Submission

Frihet generates and validates the structured XML for every e-invoice. Generating the XML is not filing it: Frihet does not submit invoices to the SDI, Chorus Pro or KSeF, and the XML for FACe is ready for manual upload. The only flow recorded automatically in production is VeriFactu hash chaining (Spain). Check the status by channel below.

Status by Channel​

What happens today with each channel when you save or issue an invoice. XML generation is automatic across all of them; submission is not.

ChannelCountryXML GenerationTransmission (Current Live Status)
VeriFactuSpainAutomaticLive production hash chain, automatic. AEAT submission only when autoSubmit + production certificate are enabled. Included on all plans, including Free (see VeriFactu)
FACe (B2G)SpainAutomaticXML ready for manual upload to the FACe portal
XRechnungGermanyAutomaticXML download ready for delivery to the public authority portal
Fattura PA / SDIItalyAutomaticDownload only. Frihet does not submit invoices to the SDI (see below)
Factur-X / Chorus ProFranceAutomaticDownload only of the Factur-X XML (CII). Frihet does not submit invoices to Chorus Pro (see Factur-X)

Do not assume automatic transmission to an official network unless the table above explicitly states so.

Supported Formats​

FormatStandardPrimary Use
UBL 2.1OASIS UBLInternational, PEPPOL, Spain
CIIUN/CEFACT Cross Industry InvoiceGermany, France, Central Europe
Factur-XCII XML, EN16931 profileFrance, Germany (ZUGFeRD)

All three formats comply with EN16931 and are interoperable across the European ecosystem.

Country Adaptations​

Frihet automatically generates the right variant based on the recipient's country or your company configuration:

CountryFormat / Standard
SpainUBL 2.1 + VeriFactu
GermanyXRechnung (UBL or CII)
ItalyFattura PA (dedicated XML)
FranceFactur-X (CII XML, EN16931 profile)
PolandUBL 2.1
PEPPOL NetworkUBL 2.1 via PEPPOL BIS
Other EU marketsEN16931 UBL or CII according to preference

Export and settings​

Frihet has no e-invoice settings page. The format is chosen when you export each invoice:

  1. Open the invoice and click Export e-invoice.
  2. In the Export electronic invoice dialog, choose the Format.
  3. To sign the XML, turn on Sign XML (XAdES-EPES) (Facturae format only). It requires a certificate uploaded in Finance → Taxes → Compliance.
  4. Click Download.

For invoices to German public administration, the Leitweg-ID is stored on the client record.

Generating an E-Invoice​

Automatically When Saving or Sending​

Frihet generates the structured XML automatically every time you save or send an invoice. No extra step is required to produce the file: it is attached to the invoice record and can be downloaded at any time. Transmission to official networks follows the rules in status by channel — generating the XML does not mean submitting it to the government portal.

Download the XML​

  1. Open the invoice.
  2. Click Export e-invoice.
  3. Choose the format and click Download.

If the invoice already has a generated e-invoice, Download e-invoice downloads that XML directly. To choose another format, use Export e-invoice.

Via API​

GET /v1/invoices/{invoiceId}/xml
Authorization: Bearer {API_KEY}
Accept: application/xml

Returns the invoice's Facturae 3.2.2 XML, generated when the invoice is saved or sent; it responds 404 if it does not exist yet. To get other formats (XRechnung, Factur-X, FatturaPA, PEPPOL BIS, UBL 2.1, CII) use POST /v1/invoices/{invoiceId}/einvoice/export, which requires the owner role or an API key with the einvoice:* scope.

See the full reference in REST API.

Factur-X​

Factur-X (ZUGFeRD in Germany) combines a human-readable PDF/A-3 with an embedded EN16931 (CII) XML. Frihet generates and downloads the Factur-X XML in the EN16931 profile (CII). Frihet does not generate the hybrid PDF/A-3.

Chorus Pro (France)

Frihet does not submit invoices to Chorus Pro: download the XML and submit it via the Chorus Pro portal or through your PDP. More details in France Compliance.

VeriFactu (Spain)​

For Spanish companies, every issued invoice is automatically incorporated into the VeriFactu hash chain. Frihet computes a real chained SHA-256 hash, compliant with the AEAT specification (Ministerial Order HAC/1177/2024), at the moment the invoice is issued. The UBL e-invoice includes the mandatory VeriFactu fields:

  • Chained SHA-256 hash (Huella = fingerprint linked to the previous record's hash)
  • Issuer identification data and invoice series number
  • First-record-in-chain marker when applicable

Hash chaining is automatic and runs in production without any manual action required: it triggers whenever an invoice is issued.

AEAT Submission — Not Automatic by Default

Computing the hash chain is not the same as submitting the invoice to the AEAT. Automatic remittance to the AEAT only takes place when all four conditions are met:

  1. You have autoSubmit enabled in your VeriFactu configuration
  2. You are using a production certificate (not the sandbox certificate, which is the default)
  3. Your account has a server-recognized plan (Free, Pro, Premium, or Enterprise). VeriFactu is a legal obligation (current statutory deadlines: January 1 and July 1, 2027; postponement to October 2028 announced and pending official BOE publication) and is included for free on all plans since July 6, 2026 — this check acts as a data-integrity guard against a missing or corrupted plan field, not a paywall.
  4. Your fiscal zone is not the Canary Islands. VeriFactu also applies to taxpayers with their tax domicile in the Canary Islands: the AEAT includes them in the scope of RD 1007/2023 and reads references to VAT as references to IGIC (AEAT FAQ). With the Canary Islands fiscal zone, submitting the records to the AEAT is not available in Frihet.

The AEAT sandbox environment is available on every plan for testing. Without these conditions, Frihet maintains the cryptographic hash chain locally without transmitting to the AEAT.

For further details, see VeriFactu.

XRechnung (Germany)​

XRechnung is the mandatory standard for invoicing German public administrations. Frihet generates XRechnung in either UBL 2.1 or CII format depending on the recipient's preference.

Additional required fields beyond core EN16931:

FieldDescription
Leitweg-IDRouting identifier of the public-sector recipient
Buyer referenceInternal buyer reference
Purchase order #Mandatory for many public-sector agencies

Enter the Leitweg-ID on the client record.

Fattura PA (Italy)​

For invoices addressed to Italian public administrations or B2B/B2C transactions in Italy, Frihet generates the dedicated XML format required by the SDI (Sistema di Interscambio). The XML downloads ready for manual upload to the SDI through your accredited intermediary (accountant, transmission software, or the Fatture e Corrispettivi portal).

Submission to the SDI

Frihet does not submit invoices to the SDI: download the FatturaPA XML and upload it to the SDI through your accredited intermediary. More details in Italy Compliance.

Additional required fields:

FieldDescription
Codice SDIRecipient destination code
Codice FiscaleItalian tax identification code
Regime fiscaleIssuer tax regime (e.g., RF01 ordinary regime)

PEPPOL​

PEPPOL is the European network for electronic document exchange (invoices, orders, despatch advices). Frihet generates UBL 2.1 compliant with the PEPPOL BIS profile, ready to circulate across the network.

PEPPOL — UBL Generation, Delivery via External Access Point

Frihet produces PEPPOL BIS-compliant UBL. Delivery to the PEPPOL network is handled by a certified Access Point: Frihet does not act as a PEPPOL Access Point or route documents onto the network directly. The supported workflow today is:

  1. Export the invoice in PEPPOL BIS format
  2. Deliver that UBL file through your certified Access Point for network routing

Do not assume direct PEPPOL transmission from Frihet without a connected Access Point.

Validation​

Frihet validates the generated XML against the EN16931 schema before outputting it. If mandatory fields are missing (recipient Tax ID, bank details, etc.), a warning lists the fields that must be completed before the e-invoice can be generated.

Plan Requirements​

Electronic invoice generation is available starting on the Premium+ plan. On lower plans, you can download standard PDFs, but structured XML generation and PEPPOL formats require Premium+.

See the full plan comparison at frihet.io/pricing.

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