What it means
The rule checks that the document-level cac:OrderReference has no cbc:IssueTime, which would be the time of day at which the purchase order was issued. The purchase order number (BT-13) is held in cac:OrderReference/cbc:ID.
Why it matters
EN 16931's UBL rules exclude the order's issue time from the document-level order reference.
How to fix it
Delete cbc:IssueTime inside the document-level cac:OrderReference. Keep cbc:ID with the purchase order number. If your XML export template writes the time, remove that element from the template too. Export again and recheck the file.
Once the file is corrected, check it again for free: Validate an invoice against EN 16931
Or fix the invoice in a form and download the corrected file, for 1 credit: Fix a rejected e-invoice
The rule as published
A UBL invoice should not include the OrderReference IssueTime Where this rule applies
| Rule set | Version |
|---|---|
| EN 16931 (UBL) | 1.3.17 |
| EN 16931 (UBL credit note) | 1.3.17 |
| XRechnung 3.0 (UBL) | 3.0.2 |
| XRechnung 3.0 (UBL credit note) | 3.0.2 |
| Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 (invoice) | 2026.5 |
| Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 (credit note) | 2026.5 |
| SI-UBL 2.0 / NLCIUS (invoice) | 2.0.3.13 |
| SI-UBL 2.0 / NLCIUS (credit note) | 2.0.3.13 |
| France CTC (UBL invoice) | 1.4.0-04 |
| France CTC (UBL credit note) | 1.4.0-04 |
| CIUS-RO UBL Invoice 1.0.9 | 1.0.9 |
| CIUS-RO UBL Credit Note 1.0.9 | 1.0.9 |
Check your file
Drop your e-invoice to see whether UBL-CR-019 still fails, and which other rules do.
Related rules
- UBL-CR-020 The purchase order reference should not have a customer reference
- UBL-CR-021 Do not send an order type code in the order reference
- UBL-CR-022 Do not nest a document reference in the order reference
- UBL-CR-023 Do not send a copy flag in the earlier invoice reference
- UBL-CR-024 Do not send a UUID in the earlier invoice reference
- UBL-CR-025 Do not send a time of day in the earlier invoice reference