ERPNext e-invoicing
How ERPNext e-invoicing works in the UAE
ERPNext creates and stores your invoices. A separate connection sends the invoice data to an accredited service provider (ASP). The provider validates it, exchanges it with the buyer’s provider and reports the tax data to the FTA. When we checked on 3 November 2026, official ERPNext had UAE VAT features but no UAE e-invoicing or Peppol feature. A draft or submitted ERPNext invoice is not an exchange.
Read this first
StarterKit sells ERPNext with e-invoicing included in a paid plan, so we have a commercial interest. StarterKit is not an accredited service provider. We describe what the official texts and documentation say, and where we could not confirm something.
Many businesses ask whether ERPNext can "do" UAE e-invoicing. The answer depends on which job you mean. There are four separate jobs, done by different parties, and they are easy to mix up.
The journey of one invoice, stage by stage
The UAE uses a five-corner model. The MoF guidelines describe the flow: the supplier gives invoice data to its provider "in an agreed format". The provider validates it and converts it to the UAE XML format. It sends the invoice to the buyer’s provider and reports tax data to the FTA. The buyer’s provider delivers it, and confirmations come back.
Government source: MoF Guidelines v2.0, section 5.1: the exchange and reporting flow.
| Stage | Who does it | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Create and approve the invoice | Your ERPNext system | Internal. A draft or submitted invoice is a record in your accounts, not an exchange. |
| 2. Prepare and send the data | A connection you build or buy | Collects the required fields and passes them to your provider in a format you agree with it. |
| 3. Validate, convert, exchange and report | Your accredited provider | Regulated. Checks the data, sends it over Peppol, reports tax data to the FTA. |
| 4. Receive and confirm | The buyer’s provider and the buyer | Delivers the invoice and sends confirmations back. |
Stage 3 and 4 can only be done by providers accredited by the Ministry of Finance. See what an ASP is. ERPNext on its own covers stage 1.
What official ERPNext does today
ERPNext has UAE VAT support. The official documentation covers entering the Tax Registration Number, default tax templates for 5% VAT, zero-rated and exempt supplies, and print formats for tax invoices. The code folder for the UAE in the ERPNext repository adds custom fields such as the company TRN and the VAT emirate, and print formats for simplified and detailed tax invoices.
Source: ERPNext documentation: UAE and KSA VAT setup.
Source: ERPNext source: UAE regional code.
When we read that folder and the latest release notes on 3 November 2026, we found no e-invoicing, Peppol or PINT-AE feature. We also found no official ERPNext documentation page for UAE e-invoicing. A request on the ERPNext issue tracker asking how UAE e-invoicing will be supported was still open with no comments when we looked. Features can change, so check the current release before you rely on this.
Source: ERPNext releases on GitHub.
What a connector has to do
The guidelines do not define a connector as a role. They say the business and its provider agree how invoice data is shared and how confirmations come back, and that the business may need to integrate its own applications with the provider’s systems. The provider, for its part, works with the business on integrations and customisations for its existing systems.
Government source: MoF Guidelines v2.0, Appendix 1, step 3, and Appendix 3, sections 15.3 and 15.4.
In practice, the connection has to gather and check data that is not all standard ERPNext fields. Here are some data points the MoF documents require, and our view of where they come from:
| Data point | What the MoF text says | In stock ERPNext? |
|---|---|---|
| Participant and endpoint | The endpoint is the scheme code 0235 followed by the 10-digit tax identification number. | Not confirmed. Check with your provider. |
| Transaction flags | A set of eight flags describes the scenario, such as free zone, deemed supply, summary invoice and exports. | Not confirmed as standard fields. |
| Tax category | Standard rate, zero rated, exempt, outside scope, reverse charge or margin scheme. | Tax templates exist. The category mapping is not documented. |
| Credit note reference | A tax credit note can refer to the earlier invoice or invoices it corrects. | ERPNext links a credit note to its original invoice through Return Against. |
| Legal registration | Seller and buyer legal registration type and number. | Not confirmed. |
Government source: MoF Mandatory Fields v1.1, pages 7 to 9: flags, endpoint and registration.
Government source: MoF Guidelines v2.0, section 12.2: credit note references.
Source: ERPNext documentation: Sales Return.
"Not confirmed" means we could not find it in the official documentation. It does not mean it is missing. Whether a field exists in your ERPNext version, and whether the connection needs custom fields, is something to confirm with whoever builds it.
Frappe’s documentation describes apps and hooks as the way to add behaviour on top of the standard system. A connection built that way does not need changes to ERPNext’s own code.
Source: Frappe Framework: apps.
Source: Frappe Framework: hooks.
Third-party apps: read the claims carefully
Some companies offer ERPNext apps for UAE e-invoicing on the Frappe Cloud marketplace or on their own websites. We do not recommend or rate them. When we read some of their pages in October 2026 (we have not re-read them since, so check the current pages):
- The descriptions talk about preparing invoice data and, in some cases, planned XML output or provider connections. None we read showed a tested production exchange with a named accredited provider.
- Some describe prices as "paid" without an amount, or as "from" a price. Those are for the app, not the provider’s charges.
- Some use wording such as "compliant". Under the MoF texts, it is service providers that are accredited, not software products.
Before you pay for any connector, ask four things in writing: which accredited provider has it been tested with, what was tested (draft data, sandbox or production), what version of ERPNext it supports, and who fixes it when the specification changes.
Three labels to ask for
When someone says their ERPNext setup "supports UAE e-invoicing", ask which of these is true. They mean very different things.
| Label | Meaning | Does it prove exchange? |
|---|---|---|
| Simulated | Invoice data is built and checked inside your system, with no provider involved. | No. |
| Sandbox-tested | Invoices were sent to a provider’s test environment and confirmations came back. | Partly. It shows the connection works, not that you are live. |
| Production-enabled | Your business is onboarded with an accredited provider and sends real invoices. | Yes. |
Going live requires onboarding in EmaraTax and testing with the provider, and the guidelines list the tests: sending data, the provider issuing to the buyer, the exchange confirmation, receiving an incoming invoice, reporting to the FTA and the reporting confirmation.
Government source: MoF Guidelines v2.0, Appendix 1, step 3: testing.
For the testing steps in more detail, see the readiness checklist. This article explains the documented workflow. It does not show a live test. For a hands-on test, use a separate demo company and confirm each step against the ERPNext version and the provider you plan to use.
Who charges what
No official text sets the fees for a connection between an ERP and a provider. The guidelines only say that the business finalises "commercial obligations" with its provider before onboarding. So the cost of each part is agreed in each contract.
| Part | Charged by |
|---|---|
| ERPNext software | No licence fee, but hosting, setup and support cost money. |
| Connection to the provider | Whoever builds or sells it. Not regulated. |
| Exchange and reporting | The accredited provider. Each provider commits to 100 free exchange and reporting services a year per customer, and prices the rest as agreed. |
Government source: Decision 168 of 2026, Article 9(4): free services.
See the full cost of UAE e-invoicing and what is free. New to ERPNext? Start with what ERPNext is. For the whole picture, read the UAE e-invoicing guide.
Prepared by the StarterKit team. Regulatory statements link to UAE government sources. Examples and suggested work plans are labelled separately; they do not determine your business’s legal or tax position. Check the linked decisions for the full conditions and later changes.