An e-invoice is not a PDF emailed to your customer. A PDF is a picture of an invoice; an e-invoice is a structured, machine-readable data file, typically XML, that the recipient's accounting system can read and book without anyone retyping it. That distinction is the whole point, and it's about to become law across the EU under ViDA. Nexport Logistics issues your freight and customs invoices through the Nexportal platform, built toward this standard.
PDF vs. structured e-invoice
| PDF / paper | Structured e-invoice | |
|---|---|---|
| Readable by a human | Yes | Yes (rendered) |
| Readable by a machine | No (needs OCR) | Yes, natively |
| Booked automatically | No | Yes |
| Valid under ViDA cross-border B2B (2030) | No | Yes |
EN 16931, the European standard
EN 16931 is the European standard for the semantic data model of an invoice. It defines what data an invoice must contain (supplier, buyer, line items, VAT, totals), not a file format. It was published by CEN under Directive 2014/55/EU, which required public authorities to accept and process compliant e-invoices in procurement (B2G). EN 16931 is now the default standard for the e-invoicing mandates under ViDA.
The formats: UBL and CII
EN 16931 is expressed in two XML syntaxes:
- UBL 2.1 (OASIS Universal Business Language), used by Peppol BIS Billing.
- UN/CEFACT CII (Cross Industry Invoice), which underpins the hybrid PDF+XML Factur-X / ZUGFeRD; Germany's XRechnung accepts both UBL and CII.
National refinements are published as a CIUS (Core Invoice Usage Specification). In practice: pick a route that produces EN 16931-compliant XML, and the cross-border invoice will be accepted.
Where the Netherlands stands
- B2G: central government has required e-invoices on new contracts since 2017, with Peppol as the most common route; decentralised government must be able to receive them.
- B2B: the Netherlands has not imposed a domestic B2B mandate (unlike Italy, or France in progress). But the ViDA cross-border B2B obligation from 1 July 2030 applies regardless of national choices.
How it connects
E-invoicing is one corner of a bigger picture: your TMS/WMS, your accounting system, your e-invoicing route and the tax authority. Link those up and the same shipment data flows from booking through to a compliant, reported invoice. Leave a gap and someone is retyping invoices, the very thing the mandate is designed to end.
How Nexport Logistics handles it
Your invoices for freight, Customs and warehousing run through Nexportal, engineered to issue EN 16931-compliant structured invoices and deliver them over Peppol as the mandates take effect. You receive a clean, bookable e-invoice, not a PDF to re-key.
Want to align e-invoicing on your account? Email info@nexportlogistics.nl.
Official sources: Directive 2014/55/EU (EUR-Lex) · European Commission — eInvoicing · Logius — E-factureren. Related: Vida · Peppol