Leitweg-ID: What Is It & How to Apply
Table of Contents
If you supply goods or services to a German public authority, there is one identifier you absolutely must get right: the Leitweg-ID. This routing number determines whether your electronic invoice reaches the correct government department, or gets rejected outright.
Last updated: April 2026. All information reflects current regulatory requirements.
Key Takeaways
- The Leitweg-ID is a unique routing identifier used in Germany to direct electronic invoices (XRechnung) to the correct public-sector recipient.
- It is mandatory for all B2G (Business-to-Government) e-invoices submitted to German federal, state, and municipal authorities.
- The ID has three parts: coarse address (Grobadressat), fine address (Feinadressat), and a check digit (Prufziffer).
- Public authorities issue the Leitweg-ID; suppliers do not need to apply for one themselves.
- In the XRechnung XML, the Leitweg-ID goes into field BT-10 (Buyer Reference).
What Is a Leitweg-ID?
The Leitweg-ID (literally "routing ID") is a standardized electronic routing number assigned to German public-sector organizations. It was introduced as part of Germany's e-invoicing mandate to ensure that electronic invoices in the XRechnung format are automatically forwarded to the correct organizational unit within the public administration.
Think of the Leitweg-ID as a digital postal code for government invoices. While a regular postal code routes physical mail to the right city, the Leitweg-ID routes your e-invoice to the exact department, office, or cost center.
Important: The Leitweg-ID is assigned by the public authority (the buyer), not by the supplier. As a vendor, you receive the Leitweg-ID along with the purchase order or contract.
🖼️ Visual placeholder: Anatomy diagram of the Leitweg-ID '991-12345-67' broken into three labelled segments — Grobadressat (coarse address, 2–12 chars), Feinadressat (fine address, 0–30 chars), Prüfziffer (2-digit check digit). A callout shows the empty-fine-address variant '991--67'. Caption: 'Three parts, one routing number.'
Structure of the Leitweg-ID
| Component | German Term | Length | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Grobadressat (coarse address) | 2-12 characters | Identifies the top-level organization | 991 |
| Part 2 | Feinadressat (fine address) | 0-30 characters | Identifies a specific sub-unit | 12345 |
| Part 3 | Prufziffer (check digit) | 2 characters | Two-digit numerical checksum | 67 |
Example Leitweg-ID
991-12345-67Breaking this down:
991= Coarse address (e.g., a federal agency)12345= Fine address (e.g., a specific division)67= Check digit for validation
More Examples
| Leitweg-ID | Explanation |
|---|---|
| 04011000-001-12 | State-level authority (04 = federal state code), sub-unit 001 |
| 991-00099-63 | Federal agency (991), organizational unit 00099 |
| 052370004004-001-58 | Municipal entity, sub-unit 001 |
Note: The fine address can be empty. In that case, the Leitweg-ID looks like 991--67 (with a double hyphen).Who Needs a Leitweg-ID?
1. Public Authorities (Recipients)
Every German public-sector body that is required to receive electronic invoices under the E-Rechnungsverordnung needs one or more Leitweg-IDs. This includes:
- Federal ministries and agencies
- State (Lander) ministries and authorities
- Municipalities, cities, and counties
- Public enterprises and statutory bodies
- Social insurance institutions
2. Suppliers and Contractors (Senders)
If your business invoices a German public authority, you must include the authority's Leitweg-ID in your XRechnung. You do not need your own Leitweg-ID; you use the one provided by your customer.
B2G Mandate Reminder
Since November 27, 2020, all suppliers to German federal authorities have been required to submit invoices exclusively in electronic format (XRechnung).
How to Apply for a Leitweg-ID: Step-by-Step
Step 1: Determine Your Government Level
- Federal (Bund): Federal agencies and institutions
- State (Land): State authorities and subordinate organizations
- Municipal (Kommune): Cities, towns, and counties
Step 2: Contact the Responsible Issuing Authority
Federal Level
For federal agencies, the Leitweg-ID is assigned centrally through the portal leitweg-id.de.
State Level
| Federal State | Responsible Authority | Contact Method |
|---|---|---|
| Baden-Wurttemberg | Service BW | Online portal |
| Bavaria (Bayern) | State Office for Digitization | Email application |
| Berlin | Senate Department for Finance | Online portal |
| Brandenburg | Ministry of Finance | Email application |
| Bremen | Senator for Finance | Email application |
| Hamburg | Finance Authority | Online portal |
| Hesse (Hessen) | HZD | Online portal |
| Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | DVZ M-V | Email application |
| Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen) | IT.Niedersachsen | Online portal |
| North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) | IT.NRW | Online portal |
| Rhineland-Palatinate | State Data Agency | Email application |
| Saarland | Ministry of Finance | Email application |
| Saxony (Sachsen) | SID | Online portal |
| Saxony-Anhalt | Dataport | Email application |
| Schleswig-Holstein | Dataport | Online portal |
| Thuringia | Thuringian State Data Center | Email application |
Step 3: Provide Required Information
- Organization name and address
- Organizational structure (departments, divisions, cost centers)
- Contact person for e-invoicing
- Desired fine-level addressing
Step 4: Receive and Communicate Your Leitweg-ID
Once assigned, communicate your Leitweg-ID(s) to all suppliers, ideally within the purchase order.
Leitweg-ID in XRechnung: Field BT-10
Within the XRechnung standard, the Leitweg-ID is transmitted in field BT-10 (Buyer Reference). Under EN 16931, this field is mandatory.
Position in XML
<cbc:BuyerReference>991-12345-67</cbc:BuyerReference>Validation
The invoice receipt platforms check the Leitweg-ID for:
- Format compliance: Does the ID match the required structure?
- Check digit: Does the calculated checksum match?
- Existence: Is the ID registered in the system?
If any of these checks fail, your invoice will be rejected.
Leitweg-ID vs. Peppol Participant ID
| Feature | Leitweg-ID | Peppol Participant ID |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Germany (B2G only) | International (B2G and B2B) |
| Standard | German e-invoicing standard | Peppol network (OpenPeppol) |
| Format | CoarseAddress-FineAddress-CheckDigit | Scheme:ID (e.g., 0204:991-12345-67) |
| XRechnung field | BT-10 (Buyer Reference) | BT-49 (Endpoint ID) |
| Issued by | Federal/state/municipal authority | Peppol Authority |
| Mandatory | Yes (B2G in Germany) | Only when using Peppol |
Good to know: When sending via the Peppol network, the Leitweg-ID is often embedded within the Peppol Participant ID using scheme 0204.Federal vs. State Differences
| Criterion | Federal (Bund) | States (Lander) |
|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | ERechV | State-level e-invoicing laws |
| Mandatory since | November 27, 2020 | Varies (2020-2025) |
| Invoice receipt platform | ZRE or OZG-RE | State-specific platforms |
| Leitweg-ID issuance | Centrally via leitweg-id.de | Decentralized via state authorities |
| Fine-level addressing | Highly standardized | Varies by Bundesland |
| XRechnung version | Always the latest version | Some states accept older versions |
Do's and Don'ts
Do's
- Request the Leitweg-ID early.
- Copy the ID carefully. Typos lead to rejection.
- Validate the check digit before submission.
- Use the full ID: Always include the fine address if provided.
- Monitor for changes: Leitweg-IDs can change due to government reorganizations.
Don'ts
- Don't invent your own Leitweg-ID.
- Don't confuse it with a VAT ID.
- Don't enter it in the wrong field: It belongs in BT-10.
- Don't assume one ID covers all authorities.
- Don't submit an invoice without one.
Conclusion
The Leitweg-ID is the essential routing mechanism for electronic invoices in Germany's public sector. For suppliers, whether domestic or international, correctly including the Leitweg-ID in field BT-10 of your XRechnung is the difference between a successfully delivered invoice and an outright rejection.
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Frequently Asked Questions
You will typically find the Leitweg-ID in the purchase order, contract, or order confirmation from your public-sector customer.
No. As a supplier, you use the Leitweg-ID of the public authority you are invoicing.
A Leitweg-ID consists of three hyphen-separated parts: a coarse address, a fine address, and a check digit. Example: 991-12345-67.
No. Leitweg-IDs are issued exclusively to public-sector organizations.
Your invoice will be rejected by the receipt platform. You will receive an error notification and must resubmit.
No. The Leitweg-ID is used exclusively in the B2G context.
Yes. Organizational changes within the public sector can result in Leitweg-IDs being changed or deactivated.
A public authority can have as many Leitweg-IDs as needed, typically one per organizational unit.
About the Author
Swathy
Content Marketer
I’m a Content Marketer at Complyance, focused on e-invoicing. Over the years, I’ve created a wide range of content, including blog posts, whitepapers, and product guides, which have supported Complyance’s growth across markets such as the UAE and EU regions. My goal is to deliver content that is comprehensive, clear, accurate, and easy to understand, no matter how complex the topic.
