E-INVOICING API UNITED KINGDOM

The UK e-invoicing mandate is coming. Is your software ready?

From 1 April 2029, every VAT-registered business in the UK must issue and receive VAT invoices as structured e-invoices over Peppol. Dokapi, a certified Peppol Access Point since 2019, connects your ERP, accounting or invoicing software to the UK network, without replacing the software you already use and trust.

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The API engine behind 70+ million documents per year

UNDERSTANDING THE MANDATE

WHAT THE UK MANDATE MEANS

HMRC and the Department for Business & Trade will make e-invoicing mandatory for VAT invoices, as confirmed in the Roadmap for e-invoicing implementation published on 28 October 2026.

E-invoicing

VAT invoices between VAT-registered parties must be exchanged as structured data between systems. PDFs, Word files, images, HTML or email invoices and faxes no longer count as e-invoices.

Peppol network

The UK has adopted Peppol as its core interoperability framework. Businesses connect through a certified Access Point, usually via their software provider, and can exchange e-invoices with anyone on the network.

Who is affected

All VAT-registered persons: companies, sole traders, partnerships, charities and public bodies, plus non-established taxable persons with a UK VAT number. Everyone must be able to receive from day one; only narrow exemptions apply.

UK mandate timeline

One go-live date for everyone, with at least 12 months between the final rules and the mandate. Here is what happens, and when.

SPRING 2027

Consultation & law

Public technical consultation on UK e-invoicing standards and Access Point certification. Primary legislation (Finance Bill 2026) expected to become law. Decision on the long-term home of the UK Peppol Authority.

OCT 2027 – APR 2028

Rules published

Final scope, exemptions, data standards, business identifiers, software provider requirements and updated VAT guidance. EDI guidance follows in autumn 2027.

SUMMER – WINTER 2028

Readiness

Readiness testing with software providers in summer, then infrastructure and governance go live in winter so providers can complete onboarding and accreditation.

1 APRIL 2029 · GO-LIVE

Mandatory for all

Every VAT-registered person must issue VAT invoices as e-invoices and be able to receive them, unless a specific exemption applies.

In scope

Taxable supplies between two VAT-registered persons in the UK where a VAT invoice is required, in both the private and public sector (B2B and B2G). The rules on when a VAT invoice is needed and what it contains stay the same.

Out of scope

Sales to consumers, cross-border transactions and invoices from non-VAT-registered businesses. Digitally excluded persons can apply for an exemption. E-invoicing remains available voluntarily for all of these.

Based on the HMRC and DBT Roadmap for e-invoicing implementation (28 October 2026). Dates remain subject to change by the UK government.

E-invoicing tailored for the UK market

Full compliance

From B2G invoicing to the 2029 B2B mandate, Dokapi automates your inbound and outbound UK e-invoicing flows over Peppol, without changing your software.

Send, receive & validate

Dokapi handles the complete invoice flow: sending, receiving and validating against Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 and the UK standards once they are finalised.

API-first integration

Built for software vendors and ERP providers. Embed UK-compliant e-invoicing directly in your product, including the accounting and MTD for VAT software your customers already use.

Format conversion

Send and receive in UBL, CII, PDF or JSON. Dokapi converts your documents to the UK specification, so your systems keep working in their native structure.

EDI alongside Peppol

Keep your existing EDI connections with large trading partners while becoming reachable on Peppol for everyone else, as the UK framework requires.

Document routing

Incoming documents are routed to the right system, department or workflow without manual intervention.

UK ESSENTIALS

01 – IDENTIFIERS

Peppol registration

We register your business identifier (such as your VAT number) in our SMP, making you discoverable on the network. We will support every identifier the UK confirms by April 2028.

02 – NETWORK

Recipient lookup

Before sending, we resolve whether your customer is on Peppol and which formats they accept, so every invoice reaches the right Access Point.

03 – CONVERSION

Incoming documents to UBL

Inbound documents are normalised into one clean UBL your systems already understand. One format to integrate, whatever your partners send.

04 – ONBOARDING

KYC via API

Verify and onboard your customers programmatically. Identity and eligibility checks run through the same API, with no manual paperwork.

05 – UK REQUIREMENTS

Ready for UK-specific rules

We follow the UK Peppol Authority Specific Requirements as they are set, covering security, reporting, service levels and accreditation, and update the platform for you.

06 – CROSS-BORDER

One connection, every country

Cross-border e-invoices are voluntary in the UK, but the same integration reaches Belgium, France, Germany and the rest of the Peppol network.

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API-FIRST BY DESIGN

You are not locked into someone else’s interface. You get a solid API foundation that fits into your architecture.

Compliance without code changes

UK standards are still being finalised through 2027 and 2028. Dokapi tracks every change and updates the platform, so your integration stays compliant.

One API, every flow

Sending, receiving, converting and validating all run through one unified API, for every document type, format and country.

Up and running in days

Full documentation, a sandbox connected to the Peppol test network and webhooks for real-time status updates. Be live well before the 2029 deadline.

Secure, certified and audit-ready

As a certified Peppol Access Point, Dokapi operates within the technical and security frameworks of OpenPeppol and will meet the requirements set by the UK Peppol Authority.

All exchanges are encrypted and every transaction is logged, but Dokapi does not store your documents, keeping your data footprint small.

CERTIFICATIONS

ISO 27001

Dokapi is ISO 27001 certified via Proks Certification in January 2025, covering our technology, internal processes, and people.

All teams operate according to strictly enforced, periodically audited procedures.

Peppol

Dokapi is a Certified Peppol Access Point and SMP since 2019.

One of the longest-standing certified providers in Belgium. A single Dokapi integration gives you access to the full international Peppol network, across all supported countries and formats.

Plateforme Agréée

Dokapi was granted its Approved Platform (Plateforme Agréée) registration number by the DGFiP in July 2026, part of France's official framework for e-invoicing and e-reporting.
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A single Dokapi integration connects you to the full French system.

Discover what Dokapi can do for you

Our experts are ready to help - get in touch today and you'll be up and running in no time.

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