Peppol BIS 3.0: The Standard Behind Belgium’s eInvoicing Mandate

“It’s the backbone of the Belgian model,” says Danielle van der Meulen-Idema, Senior VAT & Tax Technology Specialist at Pincvision. “Peppol BIS 3.0 ensures that invoices are not only machine-readable, but also consistent across systems, industries, and borders. It’s what makes true interoperability possible.”

Why Peppol BIS 3.0?

Belgium’s choice for Peppol is part of a broader European push for standardisation. The BIS 3.0 specification is built on EN 16931, the European standard, and defines exactly how key data elements, such as VAT amounts, payment terms, or product details should be structured and validated.

The goal? To remove ambiguity. When both parties use Peppol BIS 3.0, every invoice field carries the same meaning, regardless of the accounting or ERP system behind it.

“This harmonisation is key,” Danielle explains. “It prevents translation errors, simplifies audit trails, and makes it easier for tax authorities to interpret data consistently across countries.”

Can companies use another format?

Only under one condition: both trading partners must agree to use an alternative format that still complies with EN 16931. In practice, however, Peppol BIS 3.0 will be the standard for almost all transactions.

“For most companies, it’s not worth maintaining two formats,” Danielle advises.
“Instead, focus on implementing one clean, future-proof setup that aligns with Peppol BIS 3.0. That way, you’re not only compliant in Belgium, but also prepared for other Peppol-based countries like the Netherlands, Norway or France.”

How to prepare

To meet the Peppol BIS 3.0 standard, companies should:

• Review the structure of their invoice data and VAT codes
• Map key fields to Peppol’s schema
• Validate their XML output against Peppol BIS 3.0 rules
• Connect through a certified Peppol Access Point (PAP)
  
  “These steps sound technical,” Danielle says, “but they become straightforward when you centralise the setup. With NORA, for example, we map your data once, and make it compatible across multiple countries and standards.”

The bigger picture

Peppol BIS 3.0 isn’t just a compliance box to tick. It’s the foundation for real-time, data-driven VAT control — in Belgium and beyond. Companies that get it right today will be ready to scale tomorrow.

👉 Learn more: eInvoicing in Belgium with NORA