Finvoice — the Finnish e-invoice

Finvoice is Finland's national XML e-invoice format. Its distinctive trait: it is carried by the banks, which act as invoicing operators. Maintained by Finance Finland, Finvoice 3.0 is aligned with EN 16931.

What is Finvoice?

Finvoice is a Finnish national format, comparable in status to FatturaPA (Italy) or Facturae (Spain): each country has its historical syntax. Finland's specificity lies mainly in its infrastructure, built on the banking network.

A bank-driven model

In Finland, the banks have historically served as e-invoicing operators: a Finvoice invoice is routed from one intermediator (the issuer's bank, identified by its BIC) to the recipient's, much as a credit transfer would be. Detail: banks & operators.

Anatomy of a file

<Finvoice Version="3.0">
  <MessageTransmissionDetails>
    <MessageSenderDetails>
      <FromIdentifier>FI1234567</FromIdentifier>
      <FromIntermediator>OKOYFIHH</FromIntermediator>
    </MessageSenderDetails>
    <MessageReceiverDetails>
      <ToIdentifier>FI7654321</ToIdentifier>
      <ToIntermediator>NDEAFIHH</ToIntermediator>
    </MessageReceiverDetails>
  </MessageTransmissionDetails>

  <SellerPartyDetails><!-- seller --></SellerPartyDetails>
  <BuyerPartyDetails><!-- buyer --></BuyerPartyDetails>

  <InvoiceDetails>
    <InvoiceTypeCode>INV01</InvoiceTypeCode>
    <InvoiceDate Format="CCYYMMDD">20260623</InvoiceDate>
    <InvoiceTotalVatIncludedAmount AmountCurrencyIdentifier="EUR">2222.00</InvoiceTotalVatIncludedAmount>
  </InvoiceDetails>
</Finvoice>

The MessageTransmissionDetails block carries the routing (sender, recipient and their intermediators); the parties and invoice detail follow.

Finvoice 3.0 and EN 16931

The Finvoice 3.0 version was aligned with the European EN 16931 norm: it carries the same core information (BT-*) as a CII or UBL invoice, which eases interoperability and conversion.

Uses: B2B, B2G and consumer

Finvoice covers business-to-business exchanges, the public sector, and even invoices addressed to consumers (an e-invoice received in the individual's online bank) — a consumer-facing use that is uncommon elsewhere. Detail: Finvoice in Finland.

Finvoice, PEPPOL and Europe

• vs PEPPOL: Finvoice stays strong on the Finnish banking network; PEPPOL adds the cross-border channel, the two coexisting.
• vs EN 16931: Finvoice 3.0 is compliant, letting it serve both the national market and European obligations.
• TEAPPSXML: another historical Finnish format, often cited alongside Finvoice.

Further reading

• Finance Finland — Finvoice.
• The Finnish context: Finvoice.
• The target norm: CII / UBL (EN 16931).