Leitweg-ID: What Is It and Where Do I Get One?

Anyone invoicing federal agencies, state authorities, or municipalities in Germany cannot avoid the Leitweg-ID. It is the central addressing field for e-invoices in the public sector — and a missing or incorrect Leitweg-ID inevitably leads to rejection of the invoice.

> Quick answer: The Leitweg-ID is a unique identifier (e.g., 991-12345-67) that routes e-invoices to the correct recipient in the public sector. It is mandatory field BT-10 in XRechnung. For B2B invoices to companies, it is not required.

What exactly is a Leitweg-ID?

The Leitweg-ID is a unique identifier that routes e-invoices to the correct recipient in the public sector. It functions like a postal address — but for electronic invoices to government agencies.

Every federal agency, state authority, and (increasingly) every municipality has its own Leitweg-ID. When you submit an XRechnung to a public sector entity, you must provide the correct Leitweg-ID — otherwise the invoice will be rejected.

The Leitweg-ID is a mandatory field in XRechnung (Business Term BT-10: Buyer Reference). In ZUGFeRD, it is optional.

How is a Leitweg-ID structured?

The Leitweg-ID has a fixed format with three parts, separated by hyphens:

`

[Coarse address]-[Fine address]-[Check digit]

`

Example

`

991-12345-67

`

What coarse address codes exist?

Where do I find my contracting authority's Leitweg-ID?

You usually receive the Leitweg-ID directly from the public sector entity. There are several ways:

1. In the order or contract — Most contracting authorities include the Leitweg-ID in the purchase order, contract, or procurement documents. Look for "Leitweg-ID," "Buyer Reference," or "E-invoice address."

2. Direct inquiry — If the ID is not in the documents, ask the procurement office or accounting department.

3. Online directories — Some German states offer directories: NRW (via the e-invoicing portal), Baden-Württemberg (Service-BW), Bavaria (E-invoicing portal of the Free State).

4. Invoice receipt platforms — The ZRE and OZG-RE display available Leitweg-IDs during registration.

When do I need a Leitweg-ID — and when not?

Important: The Leitweg-ID has nothing to do with the general e-invoice mandate under the Growth Opportunities Act. For B2B invoices to other companies, you do not need a Leitweg-ID.

How do I enter the Leitweg-ID in the XRechnung?

In an XRechnung, the Leitweg-ID is entered in field BT-10 (Buyer Reference). In UBL 2.1 XML:

`xml

991-12345-67

`

This field is mandatory in the XRechnung CIUS (BR-DE-01). If it is missing, the invoice will be rejected by the KoSIT Validator and by the receipt platforms.

What are the most common errors with the Leitweg-ID?

Error 1: Incorrect check digit — The two digits at the end are a checksum. Always copy the Leitweg-ID from the original document.

Error 2: ZUGFeRD instead of XRechnung — The ZRE and OZG-RE only accept XRechnung XML files. A ZUGFeRD PDF with a Leitweg-ID is not sufficient.

Error 3: Outdated Leitweg-ID — Agencies can change IDs during reorganizations. Always use the most current ID.

TaxLayer supports both formats. When creating an XRechnung for a public sector entity: upload your PDF, enter the Leitweg-ID, select XRechnung as the format — and receive a validated UBL 2.1 XML file. You can upload the finished file directly to the ZRE. Check the result beforehand with the Validator.