Mappli / Invoicing Abroad: What Freelancers Need to Know Per Country
Invoicing Abroad: What Freelancers Need to Know Per Country
Stand: 29.03.2026
Different countries, different rules. VAT rates, mandatory fields and reverse charge requirements vary by destination. This guide shows you the key differences at a glance.
5 Mandatory Fields on Every International Invoice
Regardless of the destination country, every invoice must include:
- Full name and address of both you and your client
- Unique invoice number and invoice date
- Detailed description of the service provided and service period
- Invoice amount with currency and VAT shown separately (if applicable)
- VAT numbers of both parties (if registered) and reverse charge notice (if applicable)
Why international invoicing is complicated
The rules depend not only on the destination country, but also on where you are based. EU to EU, non-EU to EU, EU to non-EU: different VAT and reverse charge rules apply in each case. Add country-specific mandatory fields, e-invoicing systems and payment references on top.
Mappli automatically detects which country you are invoicing from and where the invoice is going. From this, it derives the correct tax rules, mandatory fields and payment references.
What Mappli Handles Automatically
Mappli detects your client's country and adjusts the invoice automatically:
- Correct payment reference per country (Swiss QR, SCOR or KID)
- Reverse charge notice automatically added for EU B2B invoices
- IBAN and BIC correctly formatted for the destination country's banking system
- Invoice in your client's language (DE, EN, FR, IT)
Overview Per Country
The table shows VAT rates, reverse charge rules and country-specific requirements. Click a country for the full guide.
| Country | VAT | Reverse Charge | Special Requirements | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland (CH) | 8.1% | No | Swiss QR payment slip | Full guide |
| Norway (NO) | 25% | No | KID number (MOD10) | Full guide |
| Germany (DE) | 19% | Yes (EU B2B) | — | Full guide |
| Austria (AT) | 20% | Yes (EU B2B) | — | Full guide |
| France (FR) | 20% | Yes (EU B2B) | E-invoicing (Factur-X) from 2027 | Full guide |
| Italy (IT) | 22% | Yes (EU B2B) | Mandatory e-invoicing (SDI) | Full guide |
| Belgium (BE) | 21% | Yes (EU B2B) | OGM/VCS reference | Full guide |
| United Kingdom (GB) | 20% | No | No EU reverse charge since Brexit | Full guide |
| United States (US) | — | No | No VAT, W-8BEN required | Full guide |
| Netherlands (NL) | 21% | Yes (EU B2B) | — | Basic |
| Finland (FI) | 25.5% | Yes (EU B2B) | — | Basic |
| Sweden (SE) | 25% | Yes (EU B2B) | — | Basic |
| Denmark (DK) | 25% | Yes (EU B2B) | — | Basic |
| Spain (ES) | 21% | Yes (EU B2B) | — | Basic |
| Portugal (PT) | 23% | Yes (EU B2B) | — | Basic |
| Ireland (IE) | 23% | Yes (EU B2B) | — | Basic |
| Luxembourg (LU) | 17% | Yes (EU B2B) | — | Basic |
| Poland (PL) | 23% | Yes (EU B2B) | — | Basic |
| Czech Republic (CZ) | 21% | Yes (EU B2B) | — | Basic |
| Slovakia (SK) | 23% | Yes (EU B2B) | — | Basic |
| Hungary (HU) | 27% | Yes (EU B2B) | — | Basic |
| Croatia (HR) | 25% | Yes (EU B2B) | — | Basic |
| Slovenia (SI) | 22% | Yes (EU B2B) | — | Basic |
| Estonia (EE) | 22% | Yes (EU B2B) | — | Basic |
| Latvia (LV) | 21% | Yes (EU B2B) | — | Basic |
| Lithuania (LT) | 21% | Yes (EU B2B) | — | Basic |
| Romania (RO) | 19% | Yes (EU B2B) | Mandatory e-invoicing (RO e-Factura) | Basic |
| Bulgaria (BG) | 20% | Yes (EU B2B) | — | Basic |
| Greece (GR) | 24% | Yes (EU B2B) | — | Basic |
| Cyprus (CY) | 19% | Yes (EU B2B) | — | Basic |
| Malta (MT) | 18% | Yes (EU B2B) | — | Basic |
Sources & Legal Basis
The information on this page is based on the following official sources:
- EU VAT Directive — EU VAT Directive 2006/112/EC. Art. 196 governs the reverse charge mechanism for cross-border B2B services. EUR-Lex ↗
- Swiss QR-Bill — Technical specification of the Swiss QR payment slip per SIX standard. SIX IG v2.3 (PDF) ↗
- EU VAT Rates — Official overview by the European Commission with current VAT rates of all EU member states. EC DG TAXUD ↗
Invoices for All of Europe, Automatically Correct
Mappli detects your client's country and automatically adjusts VAT, payment reference and mandatory fields. Try it free for 30 days.