To send or receive e-invoices through the Peppol network, you need a Peppol ID. It is the address under which your organisation is known on the network. This page explains what a Peppol ID is, what it consists of, how to find your own Peppol ID and how registration works.
What is a Peppol ID?
A Peppol ID is a unique address that makes an organisation reachable on the Peppol network for sending and receiving e-invoices and other business documents, such as orders and credit notes. You can compare it to an email address, but for structured business documents rather than free-form messages.
A Peppol ID has two parts, separated by a colon: the scheme identifier (a code indicating which type of identification number is used) and the value (the identification number itself). Example notation: 0208:1234567890. Here 0208 indicates the type of number and 1234567890 is the organisation’s number. Together they form one unique address on the network. Learn more about the network itself in What is Peppol.
Common scheme identifiers
Every participant on the Peppol network has a Peppol ID. It consists of a scheme ID from the ISO 6523 list, followed by the identification number within that scheme, for example 0106:12345678. The scheme ID tells you what kind of number it is: a business register number, a VAT number or a global identifier. These are common examples; OpenPeppol’s own list is more extensive.
Note: VAT schemes are country-specific and come from a different register than the other scheme IDs in this table: the country codes (such as 0106, 0190, 0208, 0009) come from the ISO 6523 ICD list, while the VAT scheme IDs (9925, 9930, 9944, 9957) come from the separate Peppol EAS list (Electronic Address Scheme). There is no general European VAT scheme; each country has its own scheme ID for its national VAT number.
| Country/scope | Scheme ID | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global | 0088 | GLN (Global Location Number) | 0088:8712345678906 |
| Global | 0060 | D-U-N-S number | 0060:123456789 |
| Global | 0199 | LEI (Legal Entity Identifier) | 0199:[20-character LEI] |
| Netherlands | 0106 | Chamber of Commerce (KvK) number | 0106:12345678 |
| Netherlands | 9944 | VAT number | 9944:NL123456789B01 |
| Netherlands | 0190 | OIN (government organisation identification number) | 0190:12345678900001 |
| Belgium | 0208 | Enterprise number (KBO/BCE) | 0208:0123456789 |
| Belgium | 9925 | VAT number (EAS scheme) | 9925:BE0123456789 |
| France | 0009 | SIRET number | 0009:12345678900001 |
| France | 9957 | VAT number (EAS scheme) | 9957:FR12345678901 |
| Germany | 9930 | VAT number (EAS scheme) | 9930:DE123456789 |
| Germany | 0204 | Leitweg-ID (public sector recipients) | 0204:[Leitweg-ID] |
| Norway | 0192 | Organisasjonsnummer | 0192:123456789 |
| Switzerland | 0183 | UID | 0183:CHE123456789 |
| Australia | 0151 | ABN (Australian Business Number) | 0151:12345678901 |
| Singapore | 0195 | UEN (Unique Entity Number) | 0195:201933408W |
To see which scheme identifiers are common or required in a given country, read What is a Peppol authority.
How do you find your own Peppol ID?
Through your Peppol Serviceprovider. Are you already connected to the Peppol network through a Peppol Serviceprovider? Then your Peppol Serviceprovider knows your Peppol ID and can look it up or confirm it for you.
Look it up yourself in the Peppol Address Book. On peppol.nu you’ll find a Peppol Address Book where you can check whether an organisation already has a registered Peppol ID, by name or by national identification number. Not every participant is listed with full details; if in doubt, ask your Peppol Serviceprovider.
You do not need to invent anything. Your Peppol ID is usually based on a number you already have, such as a company registration number, OIN or VAT number. It follows from your existing registration once you are connected.
How do you register a Peppol ID?
What this means for business owners
In practice, your Peppol Serviceprovider arranges your Peppol ID. A few checks help you avoid duplicate registrations and delays.
Peppol ID checklist
- Check whether you already have a Peppol ID: search the Peppol Address Book on peppol.nu by organisation name or identification number
- Find out which identification number serves as the basis in your country
- Ask your intended Peppol Serviceprovider how registration works and which document types are supported
For software vendors
Build Peppol ID validation into your onboarding flow. When a customer is set up, check that the scheme identifier matches the stated country and number type, that the number format is correct, and whether the Peppol ID already exists on the network, using an SMP lookup. This prevents duplicate registrations and incorrect addressing.
For integrators
A correct scheme identifier is essential for correct routing. A sending party looks up the recipient through SML and SMP using the full combination of scheme identifier and value. The same number under a different scheme identifier is a different address as far as the network is concerned. A wrong or inconsistent code therefore results in undeliverable documents, even when the number itself is correct.
In conclusion
Ready to have your Peppol ID registered? On peppol.nu you can compare Peppol Serviceproviders and choose the connection that suits your organisation.
