Peppol Electronic Invoicing Belgium — 2026 Guide

In brief

Since January 1, 2026, structured electronic invoicing via Peppol is mandatory for all B2B transactions in Belgium between VAT-registered entities. Every company must register on the network through a certified access point, issue invoices in UBL format, and can instantly verify whether its partners are connected using the Company Belgium API.

Electronic invoicing in Belgium

Since January 1, 2026, structured electronic invoicing has been mandatory for B2B transactions in Belgium. This measure aims to modernize commercial exchanges and combat tax fraud.

What is Peppol?

Peppol (Pan-European Public Procurement OnLine) is an international network for exchanging standardized electronic business documents. In Belgium, it's the chosen standard for B2B electronic invoicing.

Advantages of Peppol

Standardization: internationally recognized UBL (Universal Business Language) format

Interoperability: communication between different invoicing software

Security: encrypted exchange via certified access points

Traceability: complete tracking of invoice lifecycle

Legal obligations

Who is affected?

All VAT-registered companies in Belgium must:

Issue electronic invoices in structured format (UBL)

Receive and process electronic invoices from their suppliers

Register on the Peppol network via a certified access point

Timeline

Date	Obligation
01/01/2026	All B2B companies
Already in effect	Federal public procurement

Check Peppol registration

Our API allows you to instantly verify if a company is registered on the Peppol network:

TypeScript

const response = await fetch(class="code-string">'/api/peppol/check?vatNumber=BE0123456789', {
  headers: {
    class="code-string">'X-API-Key': class="code-string">'your_key',
    class="code-string">'X-API-Secret': class="code-string">'your_secret',
  },
});

const result = await response.json();
class="code-comment">// result.registered: true/false
class="code-comment">// result.endpoints: list of AS4 endpoints

How to register on Peppol?

Choose a certified Peppol access point (Access Point)

Sign a service contract

Configure your invoicing software

Test sending and receiving invoices

Conclusion

The transition to electronic invoicing via Peppol is an important step for Belgian companies. Our API helps you verify the compliance of your business partners. Go further with our complete guide on mandatory Peppol in 2026 for Belgian SMEs, our article on VAT in Belgium for businesses, the accounting obligations for Belgian companies, and technical integration details for Peppol Dokapi sending and receiving invoices.

Frequently asked questions

What is Peppol and why is it mandatory in Belgium since 2026 ?

Peppol (Pan-European Public Procurement OnLine) is an international standardised network for exchanging electronic business documents. In Belgium, the SPF Finances chose it as the single standard for mandatory B2B invoicing since 1 January 2026. Every VAT-registered company must issue and receive invoices in UBL format via this network to combat tax fraud and modernise commercial exchanges.

How do you verify if a Belgian business partner is registered on Peppol ?

The Company Belgium API lets you instantly verify whether a company is registered on the Peppol network by passing its BCE or VAT number. The response shows registration status, the active access point, and accepted document types. This check is essential before any electronic invoice submission to avoid rejections.

What information must mandatory appear on a Belgian Peppol invoice ?

A Peppol BIS 3.0 invoice in Belgium must contain the BCE numbers of sender and recipient, issue and due dates, IBAN and OGM-VCS structured communication, detail lines with quantity, unit price, VAT rate, net and gross amounts, totals per VAT rate, and mandatory legal mentions such as intracom reverse charge or article 44 exemption where applicable.

What penalties does a Belgian SME risk for not issuing Peppol invoices in 2026 ?

A 6-month tolerance window applies for initial administrative penalties in 2026, but retroactive audits can cover the entire year. Non-compliant companies risk administrative fines from the SPF Finances. Additionally, non-compliant invoices may be rejected by VAT-registered buyers who are obliged to receive structured invoices.