Belgium PEPPOL Technical Requirements: BIS Billing 3.0, Access Points & SMP

Belgium's PEPPOL e-invoicing mandate requires businesses to exchange structured electronic invoices in PEPPOL BIS Billing 3.0 format via certified Access Points. This technical standard, based on OASIS UBL 2.1 and compliant with EN 16931, defines the XML structure, mandatory data fields, validation rules, and network protocols that Belgian businesses must implement. Understanding these requirements is essential for IT teams and software vendors connecting to the PEPPOL network.

What Is PEPPOL BIS Billing 3.0?

PEPPOL BIS (Business Interoperability Specification) Billing 3. 0 is the document specification for invoices and credit notes on the PEPPOL network.

PEPPOL BIS (Business Interoperability Specification) Billing 3.0 is the document specification for invoices and credit notes on the PEPPOL network. It defines:

• Document types: Invoice (UBL Invoice 2.1) and Credit Note (UBL CreditNote 2.1).
• Customization ID: urn:cen.eu:en16931:2017#compliant#urn:fdc:peppol.eu:2017:poacc:billing:3.0
• Profile ID: urn:fdc:peppol.eu:2017:poacc:billing:01:1.0

What Mandatory Fields Must Belgian E-Invoices Include?

Beyond the EN 16931 core requirements, Belgian PEPPOL invoices must include:

Beyond the EN 16931 core requirements, Belgian PEPPOL invoices must include:

How Do PEPPOL Access Points Work?

PEPPOL Access Points (APs) are certified service providers that connect businesses to the PEPPOL network.

PEPPOL Access Points (APs) are certified service providers that connect businesses to the PEPPOL network. They operate in a four-corner model:

1. C1 (Sender): Your business creates the invoice in BIS Billing 3.0 format.
2. C2 (Sender AP): Your Access Point validates the invoice, looks up the recipient's AP via the SMP, and transmits the document using the AS4 protocol.
3. C3 (Receiver AP): The recipient's Access Point receives the invoice and delivers it to the buyer.
4. C4 (Receiver): The buyer's system processes the received invoice.

What Is the SMP (Service Metadata Publisher)?

The SMP is PEPPOL's decentralized directory system that maps participant identifiers to their Access Points.

The SMP is PEPPOL's decentralized directory system that maps participant identifiers to their Access Points. When sending an invoice:

• The sender's AP looks up the buyer's PEPPOL participant ID (typically their KBO/BCE or VAT number) in the SML (Service Metadata Locator).
• The SML returns the URL of the buyer's SMP registration.
• The SMP provides the buyer's AP endpoint URL and supported document types.
• The sender's AP transmits the invoice to the correct AP using AS4.

What Validation Rules Apply to Belgian PEPPOL Invoices?

PEPPOL invoices undergo multi-layer validation:

PEPPOL invoices undergo multi-layer validation:

• Schema validation: XML must conform to UBL 2.1 Invoice or CreditNote schema.
• EN 16931 business rules: ~170 rules verifying data consistency (e.g., tax calculations, mandatory fields).
• PEPPOL business rules: Additional network-specific rules (e.g., valid participant identifiers, document type compatibility).
• Belgian-specific rules: KBO/BCE format validation, Belgian VAT number check digit verification.

Invoices failing validation are rejected by the Access Point and not transmitted. Invoicemonk performs all validation checks before transmission, ensuring invoices pass on the first attempt.