Croatia is the next EU country to roll out mandatory B2B e-invoicing, starting in 2026. If you do business in Croatia or serve Croatian clients, this change directly affects your billing operations, compliance requirements, and cash flow.

Croatia is moving closer to mandatory B2B e-invoicing, following the footsteps of other EU member states in aligning with the European Commission’s VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA) initiative.

This guide outlines the current state, what’s changing, and how your business can prepare for a smooth rollout in Croatia.

Timeline: Key Dates for B2B E-invoicing in Croatia

Why Should You Care?

Croatia’s Planned E-Invoicing Model

How to Prepare During the 2025 Testing Phase

What Steps Should You Take Now?

Current Regulations: What’s in Place Now?

Looking For a Compliant Croatian E-Invoicing Partner?

 

 

 

Timeline: Key Dates for B2B E-invoicing in Croatia

September 1, 2025: Taxpayers can begin testing their systems for e-invoice exchange and reporting within a national sandbox environment.

January 1, 2026: Mandatory e-invoicing for all VAT-registered businesses in Croatia.

January 1, 2027: E-invoicing becomes mandatory for all taxpayers, including those not registered for VAT.

 

 

2026: Mandatory B2B For Large and Medium-Sized Enterprises

From 1st January 2026, all VAT-registered businesses in Croatia must issue and receive electronic invoices for B2B transactions. Instead of sending invoices directly, businesses will need to transmit invoice data in real time to the Croatian Tax Administration via the government platform e-Račun.

There are two main stages and components to the rollout:

Voluntary Testing Phase – September 1, 2025

Mandatory E-Invoicing and E-Reporting – January 1, 2026

 

 

2027: Mandatory B2B For Large and Medium-Sized Enterprises

From January 1, 2027, the requirement will extend to small, VAT-exempt businesses and public sector entities, including municipalities, counties, and other government bodies.

The e-invoicing system supports multiple transmission channels, including the Peppol network, and introduces a government-managed directory of taxpayers and approved service providers (AMS). A free tool called MICROeINVOICE will be available to help small businesses and freelancers comply.

Issuing PDF invoices by email will no longer be compliant. Invoice data must be transmitted digitally, in real time, through the official infrastructure—manual reporting and traditional formats will not meet the new standards.

The goal is clear: streamline reporting, reduce VAT fraud, and support automatic VAT pre-filling by building a fully digital invoice ecosystem by 2027.

 

 

Why Should You Care?

This transition isn’t optional. Businesses across all sectors will soon be required to use structured e-invoices for domestic B2B transactions. Key reasons to act now:

Mandatory Compliance: Croatia plans to follow the Peppol model, with centralized invoice exchange via FINA. Failure to comply with new regulations could lead to invoice rejections and penalties.

Digital Efficiency: E-invoicing reduces manual workload, processing time, and errors, cutting down on operational costs and boosting cash flow.

Early Advantage: Joining the voluntary testing phase gives your business a competitive edge, allowing you to earn invoicing revenue and enhance your market position.

 

 

Croatia’s Planned E-Invoicing Model

Croatia’s B2B e-invoicing framework is based on the Clearance Model, where invoice data is sent to a central government platform before being delivered to the buyer.

Here’s how it works:

Invoice Issuance: The supplier generates an electronic invoice in a structured format (likely UBL or XML).

Validation & Clearance: The invoice is submitted to FINA for validation. FINA assigns a unique ID and timestamps the document.

Delivery: Once approved, the e-invoice is forwarded to the buyer.

No more email PDFs or scanned copies. Structured, machine-readable invoices will become the norm, ensuring transparency, accuracy, and full VAT traceability.

 

 

How to Prepare During the 2025 Testing Phase

Croatia's Tax Administration and FINA are inviting businesses to participate in a testing phase through 2025. This is your chance to:

Test system compatibility

Get ahead of mandatory requirements

Train your team without regulatory pressure

To comply with future requirements and connect to FINA securely, businesses will need to work with certified e-invoicing providers or use a Peppol Access Point like Space Invoices.

 

 

What Steps Should You Take Now?

Evaluate Your Current Invoicing System: Can it handle structured data formats like XML/UBL? If not, now’s the time to upgrade.

Speak with Your Accounting Provider: Ensure your accounting software is compatible with Croatia’s planned infrastructure.

Select a Trusted Invoicing API: Find a solution that can scale across countries, formats, and tax jurisdictions, Space Invoices covers all that and more.

Join the Testing Phase: Voluntary participation in 2025 will help ensure you’re not scrambling when mandatory regulations hit.

 

 

Current Regulations: What’s in Place Now?

At present, B2G e-invoicing is already mandatory in Croatia. Businesses supplying to the public sector must use electronic invoices via the e-Račun platform. For B2B transactions, however, e-invoicing remains voluntary, but not for long.

 

 

Looking For a Compliant Croatian E-Invoicing Partner?

Space Invoices is compliant in 70+ countries, including Croatia. We act as your certified Peppol Access Point and support the entire e-invoicing and e-reporting process in Croatia.

With our API, your platform can:

Support and upsell your clients globally,

Become the one-stop shop for current and future clients,

Utilize a single API for current and future worldwide compliance;

Streamline processes to save time and reduce costs, while also minimizing manual errors,

Ensure that all documents are properly archived and reported to relevant authorities,

Achieve rapid integration, typically completed in less than a week.

 

 

This guide is for informational purposes only and based on the most recent public statements from Croatian authorities. Regulatory timelines and requirements may change. We recommend consulting with your local tax advisor or e-invoicing provider for the most accurate and personalized advice. This content was last updated on June 17, 2025.

Additional reading:

• 2030 Intra Community E-invoicing Mandatory EU ViDA
• 3 Best White-Label Invoicing APIs for B2B SaaS, Fintech, and Neobank Platforms
• Can I issue an invoice without GST New Zealand