BR-3: invoice issue date missing
The invoice does not contain an issue date (BT-2), or the date is present but in a format the validator does not accept. The issue date is mandatory in every EN 16931-compliant format.
Last updated: 2026-07-07
Affected field
BT-2 Invoice issue date / cbc:IssueDate (UBL) / rsm:ExchangedDocument/ram:IssueDateTime/udt:DateTimeString (CII)
Cause
In UBL the date must be formatted YYYY-MM-DD. In CII (Factur-X, ZUGFeRD) it must sit in udt:DateTimeString with format="102" and the value YYYYMMDD. A date in the wrong format or wrong element triggers BR-3.
Fix
UBL: <cbc:IssueDate>2026-03-15</cbc:IssueDate>. CII: <udt:DateTimeString format="102">20260315</udt:DateTimeString> inside ram:IssueDateTime. Also check the element is not empty.
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Frequently asked questions
My PDF shows a date — why the error?▼
For Factur-X only the date in the embedded XML counts, not what is printed on the PDF. If your software fills the PDF but not the XML, the file is non-compliant.
Which date format does Factur-X use?▼
The CII XML inside Factur-X uses udt:DateTimeString with format="102": the date is written YYYYMMDD without separators (e.g. 20260315 for 15 March 2026).