Belgium e-Invoicing Guide

Belgium has joined the growing wave of European countries mandating structured e-invoicing. From 1 January 2026, all VAT-registered businesses must send and receive electronic invoices for domestic B2B transactions through the Peppol network using the Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 standard.

This follows Belgium's earlier success with B2G e-invoicing via the Mercurius platform, which has been mandatory for federal government suppliers since 2017. The B2B mandate extends this digital infrastructure to the broader economy, aligning Belgium with the European EN 16931 standard.

Belgium's rollout combines a firm January 2026 start date with a practical grace period. All businesses must be capable of receiving structured e-invoices from day one, but a transitional Q1 2026 window allows those still completing their technical setup to finalize without facing penalties.

The mandate applies to all VAT-registered businesses conducting domestic B2B transactions. Both the sender and receiver must connect to the Peppol network through a certified Access Point to exchange invoices in the Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 format.

Non-resident businesses without a fixed Belgian establishment are excluded, as are B2C transactions. Cross-border B2B invoicing follows the EU ViDA timeline rather than the Belgian domestic mandate. The Q1 2026 grace period provides transitional flexibility for businesses completing their technical setup.

Belgium uses the standard 4-corner Peppol model. Each business connects to the network through a certified Access Point — a service provider that handles the technical aspects of sending, receiving, and validating invoices. Invoices must conform to the EN 16931 European standard.

For B2G transactions, invoices continue to flow through the Mercurius platform. B2B invoices bypass any central government system and are exchanged directly between Access Points on the Peppol network, with no pre-clearance or real-time reporting required.

Belgium enforces an escalating penalty structure designed to discourage repeat non-compliance. Fines increase sharply for businesses that fail to comply within three months of their first offence, though no penalties apply during the Q1 2026 grace period for good-faith efforts.