The UAE Ministry of Finance has launched the accreditation process for e-invoicing service providers. Providers wishing to become Accredited Service Providers (ASP) in the UAE can now apply through a dedicated portal, which outlines the process, required documentation, and conditions.

The accreditation aims to ensure that service providers meet PEPPOL (Pan-European Public Procurement Online) standards, enabling secure invoice exchanges and proper data reporting to protect both businesses and the UAE government’s interests.

Service providers must meet formal requirements, including company registration, tax compliance, ISO certifications, and insurance. Technical requirements include an active PEPPOL certification, as well as proof of at least two years of e-invoicing experience.

The accreditation process could take up to 90 working days. In the meantime, businesses can start preparing by reviewing their transactions, automation levels, and data management to ease the ASP selection and onboarding process.

In the UAE, e-Invoicing involves the electronic creation, submission, and storage of invoices, following a standardized digital process mandated by the government. To ensure an invoice’s validity, it must first be generated in a digital format, such as XML or JSON. This format is essential for the seamless processing of the invoice within the e-Invoicing system.

Additionally, the invoice must adhere to a structured data format like UBL (Universal Business Language) or PINT (Peppol Invoice Standard), both of which ensure uniformity and compatibility with the system. Once generated, the invoice is transmitted through an Accredited Service Provider (ASP) using the Peppol Network, a secure and trusted platform, directly to the Federal Tax Authority’s (FTA) e-Billing system.

Furthermore, invoices must be submitted in real-time to the e-Billing system, allowing for immediate processing and verification. Finally, once submitted, the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) securely stores the e-invoice for future reference and compliance purposes.

In the UAE, e-invoices must comply with specific formatting guidelines to meet regulatory standards. They must be generated in digital formats such as XML or JSON. To ensure consistency and smooth interoperability, e-invoices should follow structured data standards. The most commonly accepted formats include UBL (Universal Business Language), a widely used standard for electronic invoicing, and PINT (Peppol Invoice Standard), which is part of the Peppol framework for e-invoicing.

Earlier, the UAE Ministry of Finance released a consultation document outlining plans to implement electronic invoicing (e-invoicing).