Yes, in Belgium Peppol is now the standard for invoicing between companies and to government institutions. A simple PDF invoice by email is no longer sufficient or legally acceptable in those situations.
For invoicing government institutions, both at local and national level, Peppol has been legally mandatory for some time. This process is known as B2G (Business-to-Government) invoicing. If you carry out government contracts for a municipality, city, or the Flemish or federal government, the invoice must be sent via the Peppol network.
Since 1 January 2026, it is mandatory to send every invoice to another Belgian VAT-registered company as a structured electronic invoice via the Peppol network. Belgian VAT-registered companies must also be able to receive such invoices.
This obligation provides a standardized, more efficient method of electronic invoicing, reducing the chance of errors and increasing processing speed. There are a few specific exceptions; you can find them in Are there exceptions to mandatory e-invoicing?
For invoicing to individuals (B2C), the obligation does not apply; it remains permitted to send invoices in PDF format via email or by post. However, even for these transactions it can be useful to use electronic invoicing, given the advantages in terms of efficiency and traceability.
Is your company not yet connected to Peppol? Then activate the connection as soon as possible: the obligation already applies. In How do I connect to the Peppol network? you can read how to arrange this in just a few minutes.
