Invoice template for Germany 2026: free Word, Excel & PDF downloads — and how long templates stay legal

A good invoice template saves you from starting at zero: the mandatory fields are laid out, the design is done, and you only fill in the client, the service and the amount. Just as important in 2026, though, is the question of how long you may keep invoicing from Word, Excel or PDF at all — because Germany's e-invoicing mandate gave every template an expiry date. For some senders, that is. For others, templates stay legal permanently. This guide gives you both: the downloads and the roadmap that applies to you.

Quick answer: invoice templates in Germany 2026

• Word, Excel and PDF are still allowed — in B2B as a transition until the end of 2026 (until the end of 2027 if your prior-year turnover is ≤ €800,000), and permanently for invoices to private customers.
• Small businesses (Kleinunternehmer) are permanently exempt from issuing e-invoices (§34a UStDV) — a template works for them beyond 2028.
• Every template needs the ten mandatory fields under §14 UStG — otherwise your client risks losing the input-VAT deduction.
• The GoBD trap with Word/Excel: the file stays editable. Create in Word, yes — but send a read-only PDF and archive it unchanged for 8 years.
• A PDF is not an e-invoice. Since 2025, only a structured format (XRechnung or ZUGFeRD) counts as an electronic invoice in Germany.

Download your free German invoice template (Word, Excel, PDF)

Our templates come fully formatted, contain every mandatory field under §14 UStG and cover the most common setups — a standard invoice with 19% or 7% VAT and the small-business variant with the correct §19 note. Fill in your details, export to PDF, send:

Free invoice template (PDF, Word & Excel)

Legally compliant with all mandatory fields under §14 UStG — three formats, ready to use.

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By the way, there is no official government form: §14 UStG prescribes the contents of an invoice, not its look. You're free to design your template however you like — logo, fonts, layout. The only thing that matters is that the mandatory information is complete and correct.

The checklist: what belongs in every invoice template

Before you send your first invoice, check your template against these points:

1. Your full name and address — a real, deliverable address, not a P.O. box.
2. The client's name and address.
3. Your tax number (Steuernummer) or VAT ID (USt-IdNr.) — one of the two is enough.
4. Invoice date and a sequential invoice number (e.g. RE-2026-014).
5. Quantity and a specific description of the service — "Web design project X, 12 hours", not "Services".
6. Service period (Leistungszeitraum) — even if it equals the invoice date.
7. Net amount, VAT rate and VAT amount, gross total — split by rate if 19% and 7% both apply.
8. The mandatory note where it applies: small business (§19 UStG), reverse charge, or a VAT exemption.
9. Payment terms and bank details — not legally required, but nobody pays on time without them.

The details behind each point — and what happens when a field is missing — are in our guide to the required invoice fields in Germany. For amounts up to €250 gross, the simplified small-value invoice with just five fields is enough.

Extra rules for a UG or GmbH: business letters — and invoices count as such — must additionally show the legal form, registered office, register court, HRB number and all managing directors (§35a GmbHG). A freelancer template won't cover that; see the guide to GmbH invoice requirements.

How to fill in the template correctly

The most common template mistake isn't the layout — it's the manual work around numbers and dates. Stay safe like this:

1. Invoice number first. Keep a separate list (or spreadsheet tab) of every number you've used. Duplicate or skipped numbers are the classic audit finding.
2. Invoice date ≠ service period. Fill in both fields separately. If they coincide, write: "The date of supply corresponds to the invoice date."
3. Check the VAT rate per line item. 19% is the default; 7% only applies to specific services (many texts and illustrations, food, books). As a Kleinunternehmer: clear the VAT fields entirely and insert the §19 note — never both.
4. Recalculate the totals. Word doesn't do math for you, and Excel formulas can shift when you copy rows. Gross = net + VAT, to the cent.
5. Export to PDF, then send. The Word or Excel file stays your working document; only the read-only PDF goes out.

For how to build the invoice itself — from the service description to payment terms and late fees — follow the step-by-step guide on how to write an invoice in Germany.

Is invoicing from Word still allowed in 2026?

Yes — with two important caveats. Word and Excel are allowed as a "typewriter": you may create the invoice in them. The problems sit elsewhere:

First, storage. The GoBD (Germany's rules for digital bookkeeping) require invoices to be archived in an unalterable form. A .docx or .xlsx file can be silently edited at any time — no log, no proof. So: save the sent invoice as a PDF and keep it unchanged for 8 years (since 2025; previously 10). If you "quickly fix something" in the file after sending, an auditor can throw out your records and estimate your taxes. Mistakes are never fixed in the file — only with a cancellation or correction invoice.

Second, sending in B2B. Never send the actual Word file (it's editable!), and even the PDF is being phased out for B2B invoices — when exactly depends on your turnover. That's what the e-invoicing roadmap regulates:

How long may you keep using a template?

The answer depends only on who you invoice — and how big your turnover is:

Three footnotes most guides skip: a PDF instead of paper is only allowed during the transition with the recipient's consent — which can be informal, even implied by simply paying the invoice. Small-value invoices up to €250 are permanently exempt from the e-invoicing mandate. And since 1 January 2025, every business must be able to receive e-invoices, including Kleinunternehmer — an email inbox is enough. The full timeline with all details is in our article on e-invoicing in Germany.

Word vs. Excel vs. PDF vs. e-invoice

Worth knowing: a "nice-looking" PDF has not counted as an electronic invoice under German law since 2025. An e-invoice means a structured XML dataset — either pure XML (XRechnung) or embedded in a readable PDF (ZUGFeRD). For ZUGFeRD, the Finance Ministry's guidance of 15 October 2025 made it explicit: if the XML and the PDF view differ, the structured XML part prevails.

When a template stops being enough

Templates are perfect for getting started and for a handful of invoices a year. But there's a point where the manual work costs more than any software — typically when several of these come together:

• You write several invoices a month and maintain the number list by hand.
• You need recurring invoices for retainers or subscriptions.
• Your B2B clients demand e-invoices — or the 2027/2028 mandate catches you anyway.
• You don't want to track open invoices, payment reminders and bookkeeping in three separate lists.

Then it's time to switch to free invoicing software: it numbers invoices without gaps, archives them GoBD-compliantly and produces e-invoices at the press of a button — things a Word template will never do by design. Many invoicing tools cost €10–15 a month; with Norman, invoicing and bookkeeping are free for good.

Frequently asked questions

Is an invoice created in Word still valid?

Yes. An invoice made in Word is valid as long as it contains all mandatory fields. But send it as a read-only PDF and archive it unchanged — the editable Word file itself doesn't satisfy the GoBD. In B2B, the PDF era ends in late 2026 or late 2027, depending on your turnover.

Can I still email PDF invoices in 2026?

To private customers: permanently, yes. To businesses: yes, until the end of 2026 (with the recipient's consent) — and until the end of 2027 if your prior-year turnover is at most €800,000. As a Kleinunternehmer under §19 UStG you may stick with paper or PDF permanently.

What does a small-business (Kleinunternehmer) invoice template look like?

Like a normal invoice, but with the VAT rate and VAT amount left completely empty. Instead, the note is mandatory: "Gemäß §19 UStG wird keine Umsatzsteuer berechnet" (no VAT charged under §19 UStG). If you accidentally show VAT anyway, you owe it to the tax office (§14c UStG).

Can I write my invoices in English?

Yes — German VAT law sets no language requirement, so an English invoice is legally valid. The tax office may request a translation of specific invoices. Practical tip: keep the legally prescribed notes, like the §19 sentence, in German (with an English translation alongside if you like) — it avoids questions from both your client and the Finanzamt.

Is there an official invoice form in Germany?

No. §14 UStG prescribes what must be on the invoice, not how it looks. Any template is acceptable as long as the mandatory fields are complete.

How long do I have to keep invoices?

8 years — outgoing and incoming invoices alike (§14b UStG). The period was cut from 10 to 8 years in 2025 and starts at the end of the calendar year in which the invoice was issued.

Conclusion

An invoice template is still a legitimate way to bill in Germany in 2026 — provided it carries all mandatory fields and you respect the GoBD rules: send as PDF, archive unchanged for 8 years, fix mistakes only via a cancellation invoice. The real expiry date comes from the e-invoicing mandate: B2B invoices need a structured format from 2027 (turnover above €800,000) or 2028 (everyone else). Only Kleinunternehmer and pure B2C invoicing stay template-friendly for good. And if the switch is ahead of you anyway, it doesn't have to cost anything — with Norman, invoicing including e-invoices and bookkeeping is free.