What's Often Claimed – And What Actually Applies
| Often claimed | What actually applies |
|---|---|
| “ViDA makes SEPA QR codes mandatory on invoices EU-wide” | ViDA mandates structured e-invoices (XML per EN 16931) for cross-border B2B transactions from 1 July 2030. A payment QR code is nowhere mentioned in the regulation. |
| “Slovenia has required SEPA QR codes since 2024” | Slovenia’s actual law, ZDavPR, has been in effect since 2016 and governs tax reporting (fiscalization) of invoices – not a payment QR code requirement. |
| “Germany and France will require SEPA QR codes by 2026-2028” | No legal basis for a payment QR code mandate is known to us. Germany and France do have a real but different obligation: Germany requires an e-invoicing mandate for the invoice format (XRechnung/ZUGFeRD, 2025-2028, German-language guide). France will require all businesses to be able to receive e-invoices from September 2026, with an issuing mandate for large and medium-sized companies (Factur-X, UBL 2.1, or CII format, EN 16931-compliant) – extending to SMEs and micro-businesses from September 2027 (Art. 153 Finance Act 2020, DGFiP). |
| “All EU countries must adopt SEPA QR codes by 2030” | ViDA’s 2030 deadline concerns the e-invoicing format (XML), not payment QR codes. |
Even without a legal mandate, SEPA QR codes (GiroCodes) save time: recipients scan the code with their banking app instead of typing IBAN and amount by hand. That's why more and more invoice issuers adopt them voluntarily – regardless of any legal requirement.