Is a VAT number always a Peppol ID?

No. It can form the identifier part of a VAT-based scheme, but that exact participant ID must also be registered.

Do BR-62 and BR-63 prove that an address is registered?

No. These rules require scheme identifiers for the seller and buyer electronic addresses. They do not perform a live receiving lookup.

Does a valid format guarantee delivery?

No. Format checks, including relevant country-specific rules such as PEPPOL-COMMON-R040, do not replace registration and document-type checks.

Peppol participant ID not found: find the right receiver

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A Peppol participant ID is a scheme:identifier pair, not just a company number. A participant not found or unknown receiver message can mean the scheme is wrong, the identifier contains a typo, or that exact address is not registered.

Match the scheme to the identifier

A scheme tells Peppol what kind of identifier follows it. Do not infer the receiving address from a VAT number alone: the receiver may use a business register number, a public-sector identifier or a GLN instead.

Belgium: 0208 enterprise number; 9925 Belgian VAT number.
Netherlands: 0106 KvK number; 0190 OIN; 9944 Dutch VAT number.
Germany: 9930 German VAT number; 0204 Leitweg-ID.
France: 0009 SIRET; 0002 SIREN; 9957 French VAT number.
0088 identifies a GLN, used internationally.

Check formatting without changing the number

Compare the ID with the receiver’s confirmed address. Keep leading zeros and any required country prefix. Remove accidental spaces or display punctuation only where the scheme requires an unformatted value; do not strip meaningful characters from identifiers such as a Leitweg-ID.

In UBL XML, the endpoint’s schemeID is a separate attribute from its value. Do not place the full scheme:identifier string inside the value unless your software explicitly asks for that combined input.

Confirm registration and invoice support

Use the free Peppol ID lookup on this site to check the exact address and supported document types. A correctly formatted number can still be unregistered or unavailable for Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 invoices.

Ask the receiver for their exact registered ID and update the customer’s endpoint in your software. If the lookup still fails, ask their provider to check registration before retrying delivery.

Frequently asked questions

Is a VAT number always a Peppol ID?: No. It can form the identifier part of a VAT-based scheme, but that exact participant ID must also be registered.
Do BR-62 and BR-63 prove that an address is registered?: No. These rules require scheme identifiers for the seller and buyer electronic addresses. They do not perform a live receiving lookup.
Does a valid format guarantee delivery?: No. Format checks, including relevant country-specific rules such as PEPPOL-COMMON-R040, do not replace registration and document-type checks.