BR-04: The document type is missing. How to fix it
The invoice does not say what kind of document it is (BT-3): an invoice, a credit note or a partial invoice.
Error: the invoice is refusedFrom the European norm EN 16931
The rule, in its own words
An Invoice shall have an Invoice type code (BT-3).
Fields involved: BT-3
What the rule checks
The rule checks that the document type code is present and not empty. The code tells the receiving software how to post the document. An ordinary invoice carries code 380.
Why files fail it
- The field is there but blank because the software did not set the code on export.
- A readable word such as "Invoice" was entered instead of the number.
- It is a credit note and the software left the code out rather than setting 381.
How to fix it
- Enter the right code. An ordinary invoice is 380, a credit note 381, a partial invoice 326 and a corrected invoice 384.
- The field is "Invoice type code" (BT-3) in the standard. It expects a number from the UNTDID 1001 code list, not text.
- See also BR-DE-17: XRechnung narrows the permitted codes to a short list.
Check your file
Upload your invoice. It runs through the same official validator that applies this rule, and you see immediately whether it passes now.
Check an invoice
or drop it here
XRechnung XML, or a ZUGFeRD / Factur-X PDF. Up to 10 MB.
- Run against the official EN 16931 and XRechnung rules
- Your file is deleted the moment the result appears
- No sign-up, and a result in seconds
What to do next
An invoice with errors will be rejected. Build a compliant one from the PDF you already have, or enter the details yourself. Either way you get a file that passes.