What EN 16931 is
EN 16931 is the European standard for electronic invoicing. It defines a structured format (XML) that invoices must follow to be machine-readable across the EU. Many European countries now require EN 16931 e-invoices for B2B and public-sector transactions.
What Dotio does
Dotio’s invoices are EN 16931 compliant. When you issue an invoice to an EU business, Dotio generates:
- A human-readable PDF.
- A structured XML file.
Both are attached to the invoice.
Required fields
For EN 16931 compliance, certain fields must be filled in. Dotio prompts you when anything’s missing:
- Your full legal company name and address.
- Your tax ID (VAT number in the EU).
- The buyer’s legal name, address, and VAT number.
- Structured line items with quantities, unit prices, and tax codes.
If any of these is empty, the invoice can still be issued as a draft — but you’ll see a warning until you complete it.
Country-specific variations
Some EU countries have their own extensions of EN 16931 (Italian FatturaPA, French Factur-X, German ZUGFeRD). Dotio supports the most common ones and adds more over time. You don’t need to pick the variant — Dotio uses the right one based on your country and your buyer’s country.
Non-EU invoicing
For invoices outside the EU, Dotio still generates the structured XML but it’s optional. Most non-EU buyers just want the PDF.