Electronic invoicing

An electronic invoice is an invoice that has been submitted, transmitted and received in a structured digital form that allows automatic, electronic processing.

Please note: invoices sent in other formats (pdf, xls, xml, etc.), by email or via standard invoicing software, are not considered electronic invoices.

Electronic invoicing is now mandatoryExternal link for:

• Any public contract awarded with a regional administration of the Brussels Capital Region
• Public contracts over €30,000 awarded with local administrations in the Brussels Capital region. 

From March 2024, it will also become mandatory for all public contracts between €3,000 and €30,000 awarded with local administrations.

Electronic invoicing offers many advantages for both administrations and businesses: 

1. The structured electronic form guarantees a secure framework: the dematerialised document is sent from the supplier to the administration via a traceable and protected platform.
2. This fully automated system not only avoids any human error in encoding or addressing, but also ensures that your invoices are monitored.
3. Electronic invoicing is accessible for everyone, from the self-employed to SMEs and large companies. 

Europe has defined a standard format for structured invoices, the UBL-XML format, and set up a secure network, called PEPPOL, which facilitates the circulation of invoices in the European Union. The combination of these two elements enables the use of electronic invoicing on a large scale.

As a company, your invoices must be sent via the European Peppol network. 

Different access points allow connection to this network: via the company's ERP system, its accounting software or by using the Mercurius portal. 

As an administration, you receive invoices via the Mercurius portal, using the Fidus interface.