France e-invoicing
France is rolling out mandatory B2B electronic invoicing and e-reporting in phases from September 2026. Invoices must be exchanged in a structured format — Factur-X (a hybrid PDF/A-3 with embedded EN 16931 XML), UBL, or CII — through certified platforms (PDPs).
- Timeline
- 2026–2027 (phased)
- Scope
- B2B e-invoicing receipt + issuance and e-reporting
- Platform
- PPF (Portail Public de Facturation) + PDPs
The receiving deadline — 1 September 2026
Every VAT-registered business established in France — no size threshold, no phase-in.
This is the obligation most businesses hit first. Issuance phases in by company size over several years; the duty to accept an inbound e-invoice generally lands on everyone at once — and you don't choose the format, the sender does. See how to accept any format.
Mandate timeline
- Sep 2026All businesses must be able to receive structured e-invoices; large & mid-size firms must issue.
- Sep 2027Issuance obligation extends to small and micro businesses.
Formats
How InvoiceHub helps today
InvoiceHub reads all three formats France accepts — UBL 2.1, UN/CEFACT CII, and Factur-X — and returns one normalised JSON shape, so you can accept an inbound invoice without knowing which your supplier picked. It also generates and converts between them, with Factur-X output verified as genuinely PDF/A-3 conformant using veraPDF, all against the official EN 16931 rules.
Frequently asked questions
What format does France require?
France accepts Factur-X, UBL, and UN/CEFACT CII — all built on the EN 16931 European standard. Factur-X is the most common for B2B because it pairs a readable PDF with embedded XML.
When is the French e-invoicing mandate?
Receipt becomes mandatory for all businesses in September 2026, with issuance phased in from September 2026 (large/mid) through September 2027 (small/micro).
Can InvoiceHub validate French invoices?
Yes — InvoiceHub validates, generates, and converts between UBL, CII, and Factur-X, all against the official EN 16931 Schematron.