ZRE and OZG-RE: sending XRechnung to the federal government
Today, you submit XRechnungen to the German federal government exclusively via the OZG-RE, the OZG-compliant invoice receipt platform at xrechnung-bdr.de. The former central invoice receipt portal (Zentrales Rechnungseingangsportal, ZRE) was shut down on 19.09.2025 and merged with the OZG-RE. After registering free of charge, you send your invoice via web entry, upload, email or Peppol. What determines delivery is the recipient's Leitweg-ID in field BT-10.
ZRE: the former portal of the direct federal administration
Until 2025, there were two federal invoice portals. The ZRE (xrechnung.bund.de) was responsible for the direct federal administration, i.e. federal ministries and federal authorities. The OZG-RE, operated by the Bundesdruckerei (Federal Printing Office), served the institutions of the indirect federal administration.
The Beschaffungsamt des Bundesministeriums des Innern (Procurement Office of the Federal Ministry of the Interior) merged the two platforms in 2025. After a pilot phase in the spring, the authorities switched over in two waves, the last of which ended on 19.09.2025. Since 20.09.2025, the OZG-RE has been the sole federal receipt platform, and operation of the ZRE was discontinued in the fourth quarter of 2025.
What this means for you:
- Peppol senders: All Peppol IDs registered with the ZRE by 19.09.2025 have been transferred to the OZG-RE. You do not need to do anything.
- Upload, web entry and email: You use these channels via a company account on the OZG-RE at xrechnung-bdr.de.
- Leitweg-IDs: Your clients' Leitweg-IDs remain the basis for addressing. Continue to use the ID you were given when the order was placed.
OZG-RE: the federal government's central invoice platform
The OZG-RE, often also called the OZG invoice platform, is operated by the Bundesdruckerei and can be reached at xrechnung-bdr.de. Today, invoices to the entire direct federal administration, to more than 170 institutions of the indirect federal administration and to five cooperating federal states run via the OZG-RE. According to the Procurement Office, that amounts to around 290,000 e-invoices per month. The portal e-rechnung-bund.de publishes a list of connected invoice recipients.
The platform performs three tasks: it accepts e-invoices via various channels, checks them technically (mandatory information, invoice size, number and type of attachments, virus scan) and forwards them to the right recipient based on the Leitweg-ID.
Registering with the OZG-RE
Registration and use are free of charge for invoice issuers. There are two ways to register:
- Directly at xrechnung-bdr.de: You create a company account with company name, country, VAT ID and tax number, plus a user account with name, email address and password. Once you click the activation link, the account is activated.
- Via "Mein Unternehmenskonto" (the government's company account) based on ELSTER: You log in with your ELSTER organisation certificate, and the company data is imported automatically.
Whoever registers first becomes the administrator of the company account and can create additional users. Registration should therefore be handled by a responsible person in the company.
The four transmission channels of the OZG-RE
| Channel | Suitable for | Important |
|---|---|---|
| Web entry | individual invoices without your own software | invoice is entered in the portal, Leitweg-ID can be selected from a directory |
| Upload | finished XRechnung as a file | file is validated before submission, you see the validation report |
| regular sending from your own software | individual submission address, exactly one XRechnung per email, maximum 10 MB | |
| Peppol | high volumes, automated sending | access via a Peppol service provider, Leitweg-ID as recipient ID |
Upload and web entry
If your invoice already exists as an XRechnung, upload it under "Extern erstellte XRechnung einreichen (Upload)" (submit an externally created XRechnung). The platform checks the file and displays the processing report. You only submit once the check has been passed. Without your own software, you enter the invoice directly in the portal using web entry.
Every OZG-RE account receives an individual, fixed email address used only for submissions. Exactly one XRechnung file is allowed per email, with a maximum size of 10 MB. The subject and body of the email are not evaluated. Additional files as attachments are not permitted: attachments must be embedded in the XRechnung.
Peppol
For Peppol, you need access via a Peppol service provider or your own access point. The recipient ID of an authority on the OZG-RE consists of the prefix 0204 and the Leitweg-ID, for example 0204:991-33333TEST-33. In addition, the Leitweg-ID must appear in BT-10 of the invoice itself, otherwise the OZG-RE rejects the invoice. You choose your own sender ID yourself; the recommended options are your VAT ID with prefix 9930 or your GLN with prefix 0088.
If you want to track Peppol invoices in the portal under "Status eingereichter Rechnungen" (status of submitted invoices), link your Peppol sender ID to your OZG-RE account. To do this, you generate a token in the company account administration and send it as an attachment to an e-invoice via Peppol. You can find background information on the network on our page on sending invoices via Peppol.
Which Leitweg-ID goes where?
The first three digits of the Leitweg-ID show how a federal recipient accepts invoices:
- 991: direct federal administration or constitutional body, receipt via the OZG-RE
- 992: indirect federal administration, receipt via the OZG-RE
- 993: indirect federal administration with its own solution outside the OZG-RE; the transmission channel is specified by the recipient
The Leitweg-ID from your order is always what counts. Invoice issuers themselves do not need their own Leitweg-ID. One exception to the rule of thumb is Deutsche Bahn: it uses the Leitweg-ID 992-90009-96, but as a sector contracting entity it is not connected to the OZG-RE and accepts invoices by email or Peppol. Details can be found in the article XRechnung to Deutsche Bahn. The article Leitweg-ID: structure, example and where to find it explains the structure, check digits and typical errors.
Format, mandatory information and attachments
For invoices to the federal government, the XRechnung standard in its current version must generally be used. Other formats are possible if they comply with EN 16931, the federal E-Rechnungsverordnung (E-RechV, Federal E-Invoicing Ordinance) and the platform's terms of use, for example ZUGFeRD 2.2.0 in the XRECHNUNG profile as a pure XML file. A PDF file is not an e-invoice.
In addition to the information required under § 14 UStG (German VAT Act), § 5 E-RechV requires, among other things:
- Leitweg-ID in BT-10
- Bank details in BG-17 for bank transfers
- Payment terms in BT-9 or BT-20
- Email address of the invoice issuer in BT-43
- Supplier number in BT-29 and purchase order number in BT-13, if communicated when the order was placed
Collective invoices covering several orders are not possible. Exempt from the e-invoicing obligation are, among others, invoices following direct awards with an order value of up to €1,000 excluding VAT. The obligation to invoice the federal government electronically has applied since 27.11.2020.
Supporting attachments are embedded in the XRechnung in Base64 encoding, up to 15 MB (under 100 MB via Peppol). Larger attachments of up to 200 MB in total are uploaded in the OZG-RE attachment management and referenced via a link in BT-124. Permitted formats are PDF, PNG, JPEG, XLSX, ODS and CSV.
Tracking status and spotting rejections
Under "Status eingereichter Rechnungen", you can see whether an invoice is being processed, has been made available to the recipient or has been delivered. Important: if the recipient rejects an invoice, you will not receive a separate notification. So check the status regularly. A submitted invoice cannot be recalled. In the event of an error, contact the recipient and issue a correction if necessary.
What about the federal states and municipalities?
The federal states regulate e-invoicing under their own authority. Some states also use the OZG-RE, others operate their own portals, and obligations and deadlines differ as well. KoSIT summarises the current status of the states. If in doubt, ask your client which channel they require.
XRechnungen to the federal government with faktoora
faktoora creates the XRechnung in accordance with EN 16931 and asks for mandatory information such as the Leitweg-ID during creation. You send the finished invoice directly from faktoora by email or via the Peppol network, or you upload the file to the OZG-RE. Find out more on the page on outgoing invoices.
Frequently asked questions
Does the ZRE still exist?
No. The ZRE was shut down on 19.09.2025 and merged with the OZG-RE. Since then, all invoices to the federal government have gone via the OZG-RE.
What does it cost to use the OZG-RE?
Registration and use are free of charge for invoice issuers. Costs arise at most for your own software or a Peppol service provider.
Can I send XRechnungen to the OZG-RE by email?
Yes. After registering, you receive an individual submission address. Exactly one XRechnung of up to 10 MB is allowed per email.
What is the Peppol ID of an authority on the OZG-RE?
Prefix 0204 plus the Leitweg-ID, for example 0204:991-33333TEST-33. The Leitweg-ID must also be entered in BT-10 of the invoice.
Do I need my own Leitweg-ID as a supplier?
No. The Leitweg-ID only addresses the invoice recipient in the public administration. You receive it from the contracting authority together with the order.