Across Europe, electronic invoicing (e-invoicing) is progressively becoming mandatory for business-to-business (B2B) transactions as part of the EU's VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA) initiative. This article explains whether you need to take action in your Brevo account.
What is e-invoicing?
E-invoicing means that invoices are exchanged between businesses in a structured electronic format (XML), instead of only as a PDF or paper document. This allows invoices to be sent, received, and processed automatically by accounting systems.
The shift to e-invoicing is driven by the EU's efforts to reduce VAT fraud and modernize financial processes. While each country has its own rules and timeline, all national systems share a common technical foundation: the EN 16931 European standard and, in most countries, the Peppol network for exchanging invoices between businesses. For more information, visit the European Commission's official ViDA page.
What does this mean for your Brevo invoices?
The impact depends on the Brevo entity that issues your invoices and the country where your company is based. Here is what is changing for each situation:
| Your situation | What's changing | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice issued by Sendinblue SAS, company based in France (metropolitan France, Guadeloupe, Martinique, or La Réunion), and VAT-registered | French regulations require invoices to be transmitted in XML format via an approved platform from September 1, 2026. |
You need to update your billing information in Brevo before this date. ➡️ To learn more, check our dedicated article Update your billing information to comply with the French e-invoicing reform (French only). |
| Invoice issued by Sendinblue GmbH or Brevo GmbH, company based in Germany | As of January 2025, German regulations require businesses to be able to receive invoices in XML format for transactions above €250. |
No action required. You can continue downloading your invoices directly from your Brevo account. Invoices above €250 are available in both PDF and XML, while invoices below €250 remain available in PDF only. |
| All other cases, including non-VAT-registered organizations | Nothing changes. |
No action required. You can continue to download your invoices in PDF format from your Brevo account as usual. |
FAQs
Expand the following questions to learn more about e-invoicing and how it may affect your situation:
Check the legal details shown on your invoice:
- Sendinblue SAS, our French entity: look for SAS, an address in Paris, France, or an invoice ID starting with SIB.
- Sendinblue GmbH or Brevo GmbH, our German entity: look for GmbH, an address in Berlin, Germany, or an invoice ID containing GMBH.
No. Although your invoice is issued by Sendinblue GmbH, the XML e-invoice format is not available for companies based in Austria or Switzerland. You will continue to receive your Brevo invoices in PDF format from your Brevo account as usual.
No. Non-VAT-registered organizations, including non-profit associations, are treated as B2C customers and are excluded from the e-invoicing requirements. You will continue to receive your Brevo invoices as usual, in PDF format from your Brevo account.
If you are unsure whether your organization is VAT-registered, contact your accountant or finance team.
Yes. Even if your organization already uses Chorus Pro, you still need to update your billing information in your Brevo account. From September 1, 2026, Brevo will automatically transmit your invoices to Chorus Pro on your behalf, but this requires your SIREN number, SIRET number, and electronic invoicing address to be correctly filled in your account.
If your organization uses purchase order numbers or any other reference required on invoices, make sure to provide this information to Brevo before the invoice is issued.
➡️ To learn more, check our dedicated article Update your billing information to comply with the French e-invoicing reform.
⏭️ What's next?
- Update your billing information to comply with the French e-invoicing reform
- View and download your invoices
- VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA) — European Commission
🤔 Have a question?
If you have a question, feel free to contact our support team by creating a ticket from your account. If you don't have an account yet, you can contact us here.
If you’re looking for help with a project using Brevo, we can match you with the right certified Brevo Agency partner.