Published on 1 July 2025

Submitting e-bills to the Confederation

E-bills can be submitted to the Confederation in several ways. This allows faster, paperless processing and reduces the administrative burden.

E-billing – of course!

Electronic billing (e-billing) is an easy and secure way to submit an invoice. Instead of printing your invoice and posting it to the Federal Administration, you send your invoice data electronically or via email.

You save time and money, and your invoice can undergo swift, end-to-end digital processing.

An ideal solution for everyone

No two businesses are the same. That is why we offer various options for submitting e-bills to the Federal Administration. Choose the solution that suits you best:

Invoicing using an integrated system (ERP

• Sending invoice data from your ERP system

  The invoice data is prepared in your ERP system. The data for e-bills is generated using the subscriber numbers entered in the master data. This invoice data is sent to the service provider, which creates e-bills for you in compliance with the law, including signature, and sends them to your clients. Your clients receive the e-bills directly in their ERP or e-banking system. Please note the following steps when getting started:

  • Many ERP systems are already able to generate datasets for the electronic transmission of invoices. The transmission of invoice data from your system is largely automated. You can obtain information from your ERP software manufacturer about this e-billing option.
  • Alternatively, some service providers offer solutions that create structured e-bills from ERP-generated printer data or PDF files.
  • Choose the service provider that suits you best. The choice will depend on the additional services you would like to use and on the providers through which e-bills can be delivered to your clients. Set up your system accordingly.
  • Complete the client master data in your system with the subscriber number, the “electronic billing address”.
  • Carry out a test with the bill recipient to ensure that all necessary information is transmitted correctly when sending the invoice electronically.
  • Always note the invoice reference number on the e-bill. This enables the Federal Administration to process it efficiently.
  • In the future, you can send e-bills not only to the Federal Administration in this way, but also to other clients.

  Partners

  The Federal Administration uses the services of the following providers for this type of electronic billing:

  • PostFinance
  • Swisscom

  You can also submit e-bills to the Federal Administration through other service providers that have an interconnect interface with Swisscom or PostFinance. You can choose from the following:

  • ABACUS
  • io-market
  • PENTAG
  • StepCom

  Further information:

  Here is the List of administrative units of the Swiss Federal Administration that are ready to receive e-bills. 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.

Most ERP systems already have a corresponding module that generates e-bills as a structured data file. All that remains to be done is establish a link to a service provider.

Invoice in PDF forma

• PDF invoices

  Create a PDF file that contains all of the required invoice data. Send it to the email address provided or upload it on the service provider's portal. This service is free of charge for invoices sent to the Federal Administration. Bear the following in mind:

  Via email

  • Create just one PDF file per invoice (including any payment slips and enclosures). Any digital signatures in PDF invoices will be applied and will remain valid. However, you can send the Federal Administration several PDF files in each email – max. 25MB.
  • Always note the invoice reference number in the PDF file. This enables the Federal Administration to process your invoice efficiently.
  • Email the PDF invoices to the appropriate address (see List of administrative units).

  Via service provider

  Important information: From 30 June 2023, the Federal Administration will no longer accept PDF invoices via service providers. Starting in mid-2023, PDF invoices can be submitted solely via email.

  • Procedure: Fill out the service provider's application form. For security reasons, you will receive an email to confirm your application.
  • Log in to the portal and create a new business relationship with the desired bill recipient. The recipient must use the same service provider.
  • To send an invoice, select your business partner and upload your PDF file. Make sure that all relevant invoice data is included in the file.
  • Always note the invoice reference number in the PDF file. This enables the Federal Administration to process your invoice efficiently.
  • Create just one PDF file per invoice (including any payment slips and enclosures).

You create your invoices with an Office application (e.g. Word, Excel) or with a straightforward accounting or invoicing program. Create the invoice as a PDF file and email it directly to the Federal Administration or submit it via a service provider's portal.

Entering an invoice online

• Creating invoices online

  Enter all of the required invoice data directly in your service provider's online form. The service provider will create the e-bill with a digital signature for you and send it to the recipient. If you wish, the service provider can also take care of archiving your invoices. Please note the following steps when getting started:

  • Choose the service provider that suits you best. This will depend on the additional services you would like to use and on the providers through which e-bills can be delivered to your clients.
  • Fill out the service provider's application form. For security reasons, you will receive an email to confirm your application.
  • Log in to the portal and select the desired bill recipient.
  • Enter the invoice in the corresponding online form and attach any enclosures.
  • You can send the invoice you have entered at the touch of a button.
  • Always enter the invoice reference number in the corresponding field. This enables the Federal Administration to process your invoice efficiently.

  Partners

  The Federal Administration uses the services of the following providers for this type of electronic billing:

  • PostFinance
  • Swisscom

  Further information

  Here is the List of administrative units of the Swiss Federal Administration that are ready to receive e-bills.

  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.

If you submit only a few invoices to the Federal Administration, simply enter the invoices in a service provider's web portal.