Receiving e-bills from the Confederation

PDF invoices via email

As a recipient of invoices from the Federal Administration, you have the option of registering to receive PDF invoices via email.

Registration to receive PDF invoices via email

Structured e-bills

With e-bill, you as an individual or business client receive a paperless invoice from the Federal Administration electronically.

As a business client, you can process e-bills directly in the online banking system of your financial institution or import them into your financial software via various channels and process them there.

You will find the list of administrative units that can send you e-bills on this page under "List of e-billers".

Procedure for private clients

As a private client, you receive e-bills directly via the online banking service of your financial institution.

Prerequisites, first steps

You need an online banking contract with a financial institution in Switzerland and the e-banking service must support e-bills.
Log in to your online banking and go to the e-bill function.
If you have not yet received e-bills, first register for e-bill participation. Only after that can you register for e-bills with your billers.
Select the desired federal administrative unit from the list of billers to register.
In the registration screen, enter your personal details and client number.
You will usually find your client number on your old paper invoices (sample invoice (PDF, 85 kB, 07.07.2022)). Contact the biller if you cannot find it.

Procedure for business clients

As a business client, you have two options for receiving invoices electronically: directly in your accounting system or in your online banking system.

Online banking

Use the options like private clients. Please note that business clients additionally need an e-bill contract with their financial institution.

Accounting system

Business clients can electronically transfer the structured and digitally signed invoice data into their accounting system. In this way, internal processes such as authorisation, sign-off and archiving can be fully automated. Compared with classical processing methods, this leads to shorter processing times and higher data quality. Invoices are paid via the payment channels already used before.

Prerequisites, first steps

Make sure your company meets the technical requirements for receiving, processing and archiving e-bills in the accounting system. You need a contract with an e-bill service provider in order to receive e-bills. For more information, consult your financial institution and swissDIGIN (forum for the promotion of business-to-business electronic invoicing).
You will receive a subscriber number with the contract.
Give billers this subscriber number together with your client number, and request e-billing.
Once e-bill transmission has been set up and tested, you will receive your VAT-compliant invoices electronically and can transfer them directly into your accounting system.
The payment process is not changed by e-billing.
You will usually find your client number on your old paper invoices (sample invoice (PDF, 85 kB, 07.07.2022)). Contact the biller if you cannot find it.

The List of administrative units contains all the units of the Swiss Federal Administration that send e-bills.

Swiss financial institutions jointly operate the website www.ebill.ch. This contains an up-to-date list of all e-billers in Switzerland, as well as many other useful tips on e-billing.

The eDirectory.ch list of e-billing subscribers contains the companies and organisations domiciled in Switzerland that wish to exchange invoices with their business partners electronically in a structured manner.