You can send your invoices to any body in the public sector in Catalonia through the invoice delivery box , whether from the municipal, supra-municipal, public universities or the Generalitat de Catalunya.

In the case of public sector entities of the Generalitat, you can consult the entities, public companies and centers of the Generalitat prepared to receive electronic invoices .

How can you create an electronic invoice?

There are a series of free solutions that allow the creation of invoices that can subsequently be sent to the Catalan Public Administrations that have the e-FACT service (General Entry Point for Electronic Invoices for the public sector of Catalonia).

Free solutions:

  • Build and send solutions:
    • e-FACT delivery mailbox: the e-FACT service has a freely accessible mailbox that allows you to create, send and check the status of an invoice.
    • EMIX : is a service of the Generalitat de Catalunya to generate and send invoices directly to the Generalitat de Catalunya and its dependent public sector, through the e-FACT service, without the need for a digital certificate and for free.
    • B2B Router : it is an electronic invoice Portal, which allows you to create electronic invoices in Facturae format, free of charge and send them directly to the Catalan Public Administrations through the e-FACT service.
    • Pimefactura: Solutions from the employers' association PIMEC, employers' association for small and medium-sized companies in Catalonia, which, free of charge and without the need for a digital certificate, allows you to create electronic invoices simply, in Facturae format, sign them and send them directly to the Catalan Public Administrations through the e-FACT service. It also allows you to upload created electronic invoices.
  • Create-only solutions:
  • Build and send solutions (with limitations):
    • CaixaBankFactura (CaixaBank): provides a free manual invoice creation and sending service for the first year.
    • SERES e-FACTURA : provides a free manual invoice creation and sending service for suppliers who send up to three monthly invoices.

Non-free solutions:

You can also create electronic invoices using the private electronic invoicing service platforms on the market, if they are attached to the e-FACT service.

The following platforms are currently joined:

What format should the e-invoice have?

The format of the electronic invoice defined by the General Administration of the State and implemented in the e-FACT service of the AOC, is an XML with a structure known as Facturae.

Currently, the versions of Facturae accepted by the e-FACT service, in accordance with Law 25/2013, of December 27, promoting electronic invoicing and creating the accounting register of invoices in the Public Sector , are 3.2 and 3.2. 1.

If you send invoices in an older format, they will be rejected.

You can get more details of the format scheme and versions in the plain: http://www.facturae.es .

Why the XML format?

The format of the invoice is defined by the General Administration of the State. The fact that it is requested in XML format is why it is considered a structured format that contains data and can be automatically generated by the billing computer systems of both the sender and receiver. On the other hand, PDF is an unstructured format that consists of an image and involves manual intervention or a costly process. The named invoice format accepts XML.

NOTE : free solutions for creating invoices (B2B Router, Pimefectura...) will help you generate invoices in this format quickly.

How to send an electronic invoice?

And... if I make few invoices?

If you are a small business, or a supplier and you make invoices on a timely basis, or you have to make few invoices, some banking institutions can handle it for you for free or for a reduced amount.

You can also do it through free solutions : B2B Router, Pimefactura or Billage

And...if I make a lot of bills?

Depending on the volume of invoices that are issued each month to Public Administrations (given that the obligation is only, at the moment, to invoice electronically to this type of organization), each company or organization can decide whether to integrate its tool of electronic invoicing with the e-FACT service, assessing whether the investment in the integration is profitable compared to other mechanisms for the creation and delivery of electronic invoices (such as B2B Router, Pimefactura or Billage ).

From the AOC, we advise this integration, from 100 monthly invoices, given the complexity involved in this process. In any case, other variables may also be involved in the decision, such as the company's desire to simplify invoicing (converting it all to electronic), a diverse portfolio of Public Administration clients (attached to different general points of entry of electronic invoices), or other organizational issues thereof.

You have the e-FACT integration application form and documentation for suppliers in How to integrate into e-FACT?

Administrations affiliated to the e-FACT service offer a delivery box that allows you to check the status of your invoice.

For more information, review the FAQ: How to check the status of an invoice

Which certificates can I use to sign the invoice?

The competent Ministry (as of January 2022 is the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation) publishes on its website the qualified trusted Electronic Service Providers.

The link is https://sedeaplicaciones.minetur.gob.es/Prestadores/

Likewise, there are different digital certificate profiles valid for the electronic signature of the invoice:

  • Qualified Electronic Seal Certificate : allows electronic identification and electronic signature of entities, companies and other legal entities. Allows you to sign digitally without including representative or proxy data. It is particularly suitable for unassisted authentication and signature in automated processes, such as the generation of invoices.
  • Qualified certificates of natural person legal representative: allows the holder to act on behalf of the entity or organization to which he belongs.
  • Natural person certificates: applicable for freelancers and professionals, as is the case with the electronic ID.

NOTE : if you have any doubts regarding how to sign the invoice , you must contact the support of the invoice creation program you use.

Related content :

The electronic signature of invoices

Certificates accepted by the AOC Consortium validator