The short answer
To check whether a Belgian company can receive e-invoices on Peppol, look up its enterprise number in the Peppol lookup tool that FPS Finance points to, using the format 0208: followed by the ten-digit KBO number, for example 0208:0308357159. That is also the company's Peppol ID: scheme 0208 (the Belgian enterprise number) is the mandatory baseline in Belgium, and scheme 9925 (the VAT number) is an optional extra. A company missing from the public Peppol Directory can still be reachable, because appearing in the Directory is optional. Since 1 January 2026, structured e-invoicing is compulsory for nearly all invoices between Belgian VAT-registered businesses; after a three-month tolerance period, not having the means to send and receive them can cost 1,500, 3,000 and then 5,000 euros per offence.
What a Belgian Peppol ID looks like
Scheme | Based on | Example format | Status in Belgium |
|---|---|---|---|
0208 | Enterprise number from the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (KBO/CBE) | 0208:0123456789 | Mandatory baseline: at least this one must be registered |
9925 | Belgian VAT number | 9925: followed by the VAT number | Optional, if parties agree |
FPS Finance: "In Belgium, at least one company must be registered with a company number (from the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises, scheme-ID 0208)." For most Belgian companies the digits of the enterprise number and the VAT number are the same; the scheme prefix is what differs. If you do not know a company's enterprise number, the Belgian company register guide shows how to find it.
Three ways to check
Peppol lookup (recommended). The FPS Finance FAQ refers to "Lookup Peppol", where you search by name or by company number in the format 0208:[enterprise number]. It queries the registry that actually routes invoices. One limit, in FPS Finance's words: the tool "does not indicate whether the organisation can also send documents via the Peppol network". It confirms receiving only.
Peppol Directory at directory.peppol.eu. Searchable by name or identifier, but publication there is voluntary. A "not found" does not mean the company cannot receive e-invoices; it means its provider did not publish a listing.
Ask for the Peppol ID. Your customer's accounting software or invoicing provider shows it. For most companies it is simply 0208 plus their enterprise number.
Several free third-party checkers also exist, such as peppolcheck.be, poppel.app and e-invoice.be. They are run by private companies on top of the same public Peppol infrastructure, not by the government.
What changed on 1 January 2026
Scope. "As from 1 January 2026, structured electronic invoicing will be compulsory for nearly all transactions between Belgian enterprises liable to VAT." Invoices to consumers are out of scope, and so are VAT-registered businesses without an establishment in Belgium.
Public sector. Electronic invoicing to public administrations has been compulsory for contracts published after 1 March 2024.
Tolerance. FPS Finance did not apply penalties during the first three months of 2026 for companies that could show they had taken steps in time, and stated that there would be no general postponement. For companies whose software provider was still building the functionality, it announced flexibility until 30 June 2026.
Fines. On top of the existing invoicing fines, the Royal Decree of 8 July 2025 sets fines for not having the technical means to issue and receive structured e-invoices: 1,500 euros for a first offence, 3,000 for a second and 5,000 for each following one.
Next step. According to tax advisers citing the 2025 federal coalition agreement, Belgium plans near real-time e-reporting of invoice data to the tax authority from 2028.
How a company gets on Peppol
"Companies cannot register directly on Peppol." Registration goes through a certified Peppol service provider, called an access point, usually built into invoicing or accounting software; FPS Finance publishes a list of certified providers. The free government bridge Hermes, which turned Peppol invoices into PDFs for companies without software, was retired at the end of 2025 according to several e-invoicing providers, with read-only access to archived invoices until 31 March 2026. For very small businesses, non-profit and low-cost access points exist, such as Let's Peppol, run by the Belgian non-profit BARGE.
Common problems
Registered under the VAT number only. A customer who looks you up under 0208 may not find a registration made only under 9925. Ask your provider to register the enterprise number, and the VAT number too if partners use it.
"Not found" in the Directory. Check with the lookup tool before concluding a company is not on Peppol.
A customer who is not on Peppol. There is no automatic government bridge any more. Point them to their accounting software or a certified provider, and meanwhile meet your invoicing obligation in another format.
How many Belgian companies are on Peppol?
There is no official count on the FPS Finance pages we read. Counts published by private providers put Belgian registrations at about 940,000 at the end of December 2025 and above 2 million by mid-2026. Those figures count registrations, not companies: many businesses are registered under both 0208 and 9925, so the number of unique companies is lower.
What the obligation itself requires, from scope to fines: Peppol in Belgium explained.
Frequently asked questions
What is my Peppol ID in Belgium? For most companies it is 0208 followed by the ten-digit enterprise number, for example 0208:0123456789. A second ID with scheme 9925 and the VAT number can be added if trading partners use it.
How do I check if a company is on Peppol? Search its enterprise number in the Peppol lookup tool (format 0208:number). The Peppol Directory also works, but a company can be reachable without being listed there.
Is Peppol mandatory in Belgium? Structured e-invoicing has been mandatory for nearly all invoices between Belgian VAT-registered businesses since 1 January 2026, and Peppol is the network used for it. Invoices to consumers are not covered.
What are the fines for not being on Peppol? For not having the means to send and receive structured e-invoices: 1,500 euros for a first offence, 3,000 euros for a second and 5,000 euros for each following offence, after the tolerance period of the first three months of 2026.
Photo: the North Galaxy towers in Schaerbeek, home of FPS Finance, Varech, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons