Supported Electronic Document Formats
There are various options available for sending electronic documents with Continia Document Output, depending on the type of electronic documents and files you're dealing with:
Through CDN – the Continia Delivery Network (CDN) facilitates the sending of files and connects to Peppol or NemHandel in Denmark, supporting the following electronic document formats:
- Peppol – Peppol BIS 3.0 and Peppol orders, as well as related responses.
- NemHandel – OIOUBL and OIOUBL orders, as well as related responses in Denmark.
Through email – you can send electronic documents via email, which is then monitored by Document Output.
The table below displays a list of supported formats for each country when files are sent:
| Country | Format | Delivery | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | PINT A-NZ | CDN, email/file | PINT A-NZ is the official e-invoice format in Australia. |
| Austria | Peppol BIS3, ebInterface1 | CDN, email/file | All Austrian suppliers to the Austrian federal government must use e-invoices according to the Austrian ICT Consolidation Act. |
| Belgium | Peppol BIS3 | CDN, email/file | All Belgian companies are registered as Peppol recipients in the BOSA registry. However, it's important to note that they can be re-routed through the Continia Delivery Network, if necessary. Also supported is Factur-X, a hybrid electronic invoice standard that combines a PDF/A-3 layer with an embedded cross-industry XML layer into a single file. Factur-X invoices must be sent via email to ensure proper transmission and receipt. |
| Canada | UBL1 | Email/file | No country standard, but custom formats can be configured. |
| Denmark | Peppol BIS3, OIOUBL (UBL2.1) | CDN, email/file | Traditionally, the NemHandel network transmits OIOUBL in Denmark. This can be onboarded separately in the Continia Delivery Network, enabling support of both document types in one solution. OIOUTS: This is a cross-industry format used mainly by the supply chain and telecom industry. It can only be attached to an OIOUBL invoice and sent internally to companies connected to the Danish NemHandel network. Document Output can connect to the NemHandel network through Delivery Network, but Document Output can’t create the OIOUTS specification XML. |
| Finland | Peppol BIS3 | CDN, email/file | There are currently three distinct electronic invoicing standards used in Finland. However, Document Output exclusively supports the Peppol format. To receive Peppol XML files through Document Output, the recipient must also be connected to a Peppol Access Point. While other electronic invoicing formats are available, such as Finvoice and TEAPPSXML, these formats are incompatible with Document Output. As a result, files in these formats can't be processed or managed through the Delivery Network. |
| France | Factur-X, UBL FR, UBL EXTENDED-CTC, CII FR, CII EXTENDED-CTC, Peppol BIS3 | CDN, email/file | As of September 1, 2026, France will enforce its own electronic invoicing framework based on standard UBL and CII formats (UBL FR, UBL EXTENDED-CTC, CII FR, and CII EXTENDED-CTC). Continia is working on support for these formats. The EXTENDED-CTC versions of UBL and CII extend the standard formats with France-specific elements to support all French business scenarios. Also supported are:
|
| Germany | Peppol BIS3, XRechnung | CDN, email/file | Also supported is ZUGFeRD, a hybrid electronic invoice standard that combines a PDF/A-3 layer with an embedded cross-industry XML layer into a single file. ZUGFeRD invoices must be sent via email to ensure proper transmission and receipt. |
| Ireland | Peppol BIS3 | CDN, email/file | Ireland has decided to use Peppol as a document delivery method, but this isn't enforced at the moment. |
| Netherlands | SI-UBL 2.0, Peppol BIS3 | CDN, email/file | SI-UBL 2.0 is the official standard for domestic and public sector invoicing in the Netherlands. Peppol BIS3 is primarily used for international transactions. |
| New Zealand | PINT A-NZ | CDN, email/file | PINT A-NZ is the official e-invoicing format in New Zealand. |
| Norway | Peppol BIS3, EHF 3.01 | CDN, email/file | EHF is the Norwegian adaptation of the Peppol standard and the primary format used for domestic transactions in Norway. Peppol BIS3 is mainly used for international transactions. Document Output supports Peppol BIS3 but not yet EHF 3.0. In Norway, B2B and B2G transactions must use the EHF format for electronic invoicing. When registering in Peppol, it's necessary to update the ELMA network, which Continia efficiently handles during the registration process for the Delivery Network. Please note that the legacy EHF 2.0 formats are no longer in use and are considered obsolete. Additionally, Norway has an eFaktura XML format specifically designed for B2C customer invoicing. However, Document Output doesn't support this format. |
| Poland | FA32, Peppol BIS3 | CDN, email/file | FA3 is the primary electronic invoicing format used for domestic transactions. Continia currently doesn't provide integration with the KSeF platform used to process FA3 documents. However, it's possible to import FA3 files and process them in Document Capture (but not Document Output), which supports the import part of the FA3 format. For international transactions, Peppol BIS3 can be used and is supported via CDN and email. |
| Portugal | CIUS-PT1, SAF-T PT1, Peppol BIS3 | CDN, email/file | CIUS-PT is the country standard supported by all public government entities and in the process of being adopted by businesses. Peppol BIS3 is primarily used for international transactions. For CIUS-PT, Peppol BIS3 can be used via CDN and email. SAF-T PT is not yet supported. |
| Spain | UBL, FacturaE1, CII, EDIFACT1 | Email/file | FacturaE is the country standard being adopted by businesses and public authorities. It's not yet supported by Document Output. UBL is supported via Peppol BIS3 through CDN and email, while CII is export only and currently only supported via email. Peppol BIS3 is primarily used for international transactions. |
| Sweden | Peppol BIS3, Svefaktura1 | CDN, email/file | Peppol BIS3, which is the main format, is supported by Document Output. Svefaktura is a legacy format that's now being deprecated. Document Output doesn't support this format. |
| United Kingdom | Peppol BIS3 | CDN, email/file | While the UK doesn't have a mandatory requirement for Peppol, it is worth mentioning that the National Health Service (NHS) has proactively implemented the capability to receive Peppol files. |
| United States | Peppol BIS3 | Email/file | Although Peppol is not a mandatory requirement in the United States, an increasing number of companies are recognizing the benefits and adopting the Peppol format. |
| Other countries | Peppol BIS3 | CDN, email/file | Even in countries without specific regulations regarding Peppol, companies can still send Peppol BIS3 billing to recipients connected to a Peppol Access Point. As of 2026, the prevailing standard format remains Peppol BIS3 billing; however, it's important to note that the Peppol PINT variant will soon replace this. |
- This format isn't supported by Document Output.
- This format isn't supported by Document Output, but the import part of it is supported by Document Capture.
Supported document types by format
The table below provides you with an overview of the document types that are supported by each e-invoice format mentioned in the above table.
| Format | Document types |
|---|---|
| Peppol BIS3 | |
| XRechnung | |
| ZUGFeRD | |
| OIOUBL |
Support for custom formats
If a required format isn't officially supported, you can create a custom one to suit your needs. For example, if you have an XSD file for an unsupported format, simply ask Continia to generate an XML structure based on that XSD file, and then map the XML structure in accordance with your specific organizational requirements.
For more information, see To create an XML structure.