Free Online Converter for XRechnung & ZUGFeRD
Upload your existing PDF invoice. Our AI scanner automatically detects all invoice data – and you generate a standards-compliant XRechnung (XML) or ZUGFeRD PDF at the click of a button. Directly in the browser, no registration required.
Upload your existing PDF invoice. The integrated AI scanner automatically detects all invoice data and prepares it for XRechnung generation.
In addition to pure XRechnung XML, the converter can generate a hybrid ZUGFeRD PDF on request: visual invoice and machine-readable XML in a single file.
The generated XRechnung follows the EN-16931 standard and meets the requirements of the German e-invoicing regulation – ready for use with federal agencies and ZRE.
The conversion of PDF to e-invoice runs entirely in the browser. No software installation, no registration, no file upload to third parties.
Step by Step
Converting PDF to e-invoice is no longer a complex process with this online converter. From PDF upload to the finished XRechnung takes less than a minute – no prior knowledge, no software required.
Drag and drop your existing PDF invoice into the upload area or select the file via the file dialog. All common invoice PDFs are supported – including scanned documents.
The AI-based OCR scanner reads vendor, customer, invoice number, line items, and amounts directly from the PDF. Missing required fields for the XRechnung can be conveniently added in the form.
Choose the target format: XRechnung as standards-compliant XML or ZUGFeRD as a hybrid PDF with embedded XML. The finished document is made available for download immediately.
Background knowledge
A PDF invoice is readable from a human perspective, but difficult for software to process automatically. Authorities and many companies cannot import PDF invoices into their accounting systems without manual data entry. This is exactly why EU Directive 2014/55/EU and the German Growth Opportunities Act mandate the use of structured electronic invoice formats.
The XRechnung is a pure XML document. Every invoice field – issuer, recipient, line items, tax rates, payment terms – is a clearly defined data element. ERP systems, government portals, and accounting software can read, validate, and process the file without manual effort.
A valid XRechnung according to EN 16931 must contain at minimum: invoice number, invoice date, delivery date, complete details of the vendor and buyer (including tax ID or VAT ID), a Leitweg-ID for B2G submissions, all invoice line items with unit price and tax rate, and payment information. Our converter checks which of these fields are missing from your PDF and specifically prompts you to complete them.
When converting a PDF to XRechnung, the file goes through two steps: first, an OCR module extracts all relevant text fields from the PDF document. Second, a rule-based AI maps the recognized values to the standardized XML elements of the UN/CEFACT CII syntax. The result is a valid XRechnung that you can submit directly via ZRE or a government channel.
Format comparison
Both formats comply with the EN-16931 standard. The difference lies in usage: XRechnung for government agencies, ZUGFeRD for flexible use in the B2B sector.
Pure XML document without visual representation. The mandatory format for invoices to the federal government, state governments, and many municipalities. Submitted via the Central Invoice Receipt Portal (ZRE) or agency-specific portals. Ideal when your client explicitly requests XRechnung.
Hybrid format consisting of a readable PDF and an embedded XML dataset. Recipients open the invoice as usual in their PDF viewer, while accounting software automatically reads the XML. Optimal for the B2B sector and cross-border invoices where readability and automation are equally important.
Every generated XRechnung complies with the European standard EN 16931 and the German core profile requirements (CIUS DE).
Your PDF invoice data is used exclusively for the conversion and is not permanently stored or shared with third parties.
From PDF invoice to finished XRechnung typically takes less than 30 seconds – including automatic data recognition.
Legal background
Since April 2020, federal suppliers must submit their invoices as XRechnung. Most German states and many municipalities have set up their own portals. Anyone still sending PDF invoices to government agencies risks payment delays or rejection. Converting PDF to XRechnung is therefore already mandatory for many companies today.
The Growth Opportunities Act requires all domestic companies to be able to receive e-invoices from January 2025. The obligation to send structured e-invoices will become mandatory in phases until 2028 – depending on company revenue and size. Those who start converting PDF invoices to XRechnung or ZUGFeRD now will be well prepared.
FAQ
With this free online converter, it takes three steps: upload the PDF invoice, check the automatically recognized invoice data and complete any missing required information, then download the XRechnung as an XML file or ZUGFeRD as a PDF. No registration is required.
XRechnung is a pure XML format for electronic invoices in Germany – it contains exclusively machine-readable data and no visual representation. ZUGFeRD is a hybrid format: it combines a readable PDF invoice with an embedded XML dataset in a single file. Both formats are based on the EN-16931 standard. XRechnung is required for invoices to public sector clients.
Yes. The public demo version of this converter is completely free and usable without registration. You can convert your PDF invoice directly in the browser into a standards-compliant XRechnung (XML) or ZUGFeRD document (PDF).
The converter accepts all common PDF invoices – digitally created PDFs from accounting software as well as scanned paper documents. The integrated OCR scanner reliably recognizes invoice data even from scanned pages. For optimal recognition quality, we recommend digitally created PDF invoices.
XRechnung is legally required for invoices to public sector clients of the federal government and many German states. The document must comply with the standard EN 16931 – core profile CIUS DE – and is submitted via the Central Invoice Receipt Portal (ZRE) or OZG-compliant channels of the authority.
When converting a PDF to XML for XRechnung, all invoice data – sender, recipient, line items, tax amounts – are extracted from the visual PDF and transferred into a structured XML document. This XML follows the UN/CEFACT CII data model and contains all mandatory fields according to EN 16931, so ERP systems and government portals can automatically process it.
In the B2G sector (invoices to government agencies), the XRechnung obligation has been in place since 2020. In the B2B sector, the phased e-invoicing obligation from the Growth Opportunities Act applies: From January 2025, all domestic companies must be able to receive e-invoices; sending obligations follow depending on company size until 2028.
Yes. ZUGFeRD is ideal for the B2B sector between companies, as the file is simultaneously human-readable (as PDF) and machine-readable (as embedded XML). Your accounting software can automatically read the XML, while the recipient opens the invoice as usual as a PDF.
Get started now
Upload your first PDF invoice and generate a standards-compliant XRechnung or ZUGFeRD document in just a few seconds. No registration required.