e-invoicing in the Netherlands

The Netherlands has a well-developed e-invoicing landscape, driven by EU alignment and strong government support for digital invoicing. E-invoicing has been mandatory for public sector suppliers since 2019, in line with EU Directive 2014/55/EU. While B2B e-invoicing is not yet legally mandated, the Dutch government strongly encourages all businesses to adopt it. The Peppol network is the primary channel for exchanging structured invoices, and the national SI-UBL 2.0 format (NLCIUS) is widely used alongside Peppol BIS Billing 3.0. The Netherlands continues to expand its digital invoicing infrastructure and is aligning with the EU ViDA (VAT in the Digital Age) initiative.

Dutch company account registration

When registering a new Dutch company via the API, the organisation number (KVK/CoC) must be used as the company identifier. Visma Sign supports Dutch customer authentication using iDIN.

Identifier	Description	Format	Validation
KVK number	Kamer van Koophandel (Dutch Chamber of Commerce) number	`12345678`	Structural validation

Sending in Netherlands

Supported delivery channels in Netherlands

For B2B and B2G, sending in Netherlands is currently supported in the following priority order: through Maventa’s internal network, and through the Peppol network. Email and print delivery are also available as fallback options.

Recipient identifiers and address resolution

For the most reliable delivery, include the full Peppol endpoint ID (scheme prefix and identifier) in the invoice XML. If only a plain identifier is provided, Maventa automatically resolves the recipient by trying all applicable scheme prefix combinations against the Peppol network.

The Netherlands uses several identifier types, each mapped to one or more Peppol scheme prefixes:

Identifier type	Peppol scheme	Example endpoint ID	Notes
KVK number (Chamber of Commerce)	`0106`	`0106:12345678`	Most common for Dutch businesses
VAT number	`9944`	`9944:NL123456789B01`	Preferred when the company has a VAT number
OIN (government identifier)	`0190`	`0190:00000001234567890000`	Government institutions
GLN (Global Location Number)	`0088`	`0088:1234567890128`	EAN location number

Automatic address resolution

When an invoice contains only a plain identifier without a scheme prefix, Maventa determines the identifier type and tries multiple prefix combinations in a Peppol SMP lookup:

KVK number (for example 12345678) — looked up as both 0106:12345678 and 9944:12345678
VAT number (for example NL123456789B01) — looked up as 9944:NL123456789B01
OIN — looked up with both 0190: and 9954: prefixes

The first successful match determines the delivery endpoint.

Providing the full endpoint ID with the correct scheme prefix removes any ambiguity and ensures the invoice is routed directly to the correct recipient.

Invoice XML as email attachment

You can attach a structured invoice XML file to email invoices sent to Dutch recipients. This allows the recipient to receive structured data alongside the PDF, making it easier to import the invoice directly into their invoicing system.

This feature was originally developed for the Netherlands, where Peppol does not support departmental divisions due to the lack of separate Peppol IDs per department. By attaching the XML to the email, departments can still receive structured invoice data and import it manually.

To enable XML attachment, use the email_settings[xml_format] parameter in the POST /v1/invoices request and specify the desired XML format.

When the email_settings[xml_format] parameter is provided, the invoice is sent only via email. The email route is forced, and no other delivery channels are attempted even if the email sending fails.

For full details on email delivery options, language detection, header image customisation, and tracking, see the email invoicing guide.

Receiving in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, companies can receive invoices through different channels. If a company has activated e-invoice receiving, they can receive invoices via Maventa’s internal network. Additionally, if the company is registered with Peppol, Peppol receiving is available.

Receiving addresses for Dutch companies

Address Type	Description	Example address	Activation Requirement
Peppol address (KVK)	Identifier based on the KvK number. Most commonly used for Dutch companies.	0106:12345678	Created when the company registers to receive from Peppol
Peppol address (VAT)	Identifier based on the VAT number.	9944:NL123456789B01	Created when the company registers to receive from Peppol

The identifier scheme used depends on which identifier was provided when registering the company in Maventa. Most Dutch companies use the KVK number (prefix 0106).

Scanning

Both Scan Network and AutoScan are supported scanning solutions in the Netherlands.

For Scan Network, invoices can be sent to the company’s scan email address in the format KvKnumber@autoinvoice.nl or VATnumber@autoinvoice.nl, depending on the registration identifier.

Fraud detection

Maventa’s Detect service is available in the Netherlands. Detect automatically checks received invoices for potential fraud, including VAT register verification and warning list cross-referencing.

For step-by-step instructions on enabling receiving, registering for Peppol, and setting up scanning or fraud detection, see the invoice receiving integration guide.

e-invoicing formats used in the Netherlands

Format	Standard	Notes
Peppol BIS Billing 3.0	EN16931	Recommended for cross-border and Peppol delivery
SI-UBL 2.0 (NLCIUS)	EN16931	Dutch national format, required for government invoicing. UBL implementation of the NLCIUS specification