How to Create a CII Invoice Online
CII (Cross Industry Invoice) is the UN/CEFACT XML syntax at the heart of European e-invoicing. It is one of the two syntaxes the EN 16931 standard accepts, and the exact structured payload that lives inside every Factur-X and ZUGFeRD file. The generator above builds a standalone CII document for you: fill in the form once and download valid XML, no PDF wrapper and no software to install.
What is a CII XML invoice?
A CII invoice is a machine-readable XML file that follows the UN/CEFACT Cross Industry Invoice schema (version D16B). Unlike a hybrid Factur-X PDF, there is no visible page: the whole invoice is structured data that an accounting system, ERP, or e-invoicing platform reads directly. It carries the same EN 16931 business terms as any compliant invoice, seller and buyer, line items, VAT breakdown, totals, and payment details, expressed in the CII syntax rather than UBL.
When would you generate CII rather than Factur-X?
Reach for standalone CII whenever a system asks for the raw XML instead of a PDF. Common cases: a trading partner or platform that ingests CII directly, an archive that stores the structured file next to your own PDF, or the first step before embedding the XML into a hybrid document. If you need the human-readable hybrid instead, the Factur-X generator produces the same CII wrapped in a PDF/A-3b.
Mandatory fields for an EN 16931 compliant CII
The standard defines a core set of fields every invoice must carry. The wizard validates each one as you type, but it helps to have these ready:
- Seller name, address, and a tax identifier (SIREN, SIRET, or VAT number)
- Buyer name and full postal address
- A unique invoice number and the issue date
- At least one line item with quantity, net unit price, and VAT rate
- A VAT breakdown grouped by tax category and rate
- Payment details including the IBAN for credit transfers
CII, Factur-X, and ZUGFeRD: how they relate
Factur-X (France) and ZUGFeRD (Germany) are not separate XML formats: each is a PDF/A-3b container wrapped around a CII payload. The CII you create here is exactly what those hybrids embed. Create the XML once, then embed it into a PDF whenever you need the hybrid version, or send the CII on its own to a system that reads UN/CEFACT.
Generate, then validate before you send
Generating a file is not the same as generating a valid file. Every CII you create here is checked against the UN/CEFACT D16B schema and the official EN 16931 Schematron before download, so it is ready to send the moment you have it.
Related CII tools
Once you have your CII XML, these tools take it further: