E-FACTURATIE ONTCIJFERD

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Peppol error codes

BR-CL-14: invalid country code

By Philippe Kimpe and Jelle Heyvaert, authors of E-facturatie Ontcijferd · Updated on 11 October 2026

Error code BR-CL-14 means: a country code on the invoice is not a valid two-letter code.

Rule set: EN 16931 · Severity: error (fatal): an Access Point rejects the invoice · Checked against the official rules of May 2026

What does BR-CL-14 mean?

The validator shows this message (as worded in the official rules):

[BR-CL-14]-Country codes in an invoice MUST be coded using ISO code list 3166-1

Country codes in an e-invoice follow ISO 3166-1 alpha-2: two capital letters, such as BE, NL or FR. A three-letter code (BEL), a country name (Belgium) or lower case (be) are invalid. The rule applies to every country field, such as the seller (BT-40) and buyer (BT-55) addresses.

Common causes

  • The software stores the country as a name or as a three-letter code.
  • When customers were imported, the country was taken over as free text.
  • A custom template writes the country code in lower case.

How to fix it as the sender

  1. Use a country list with two-letter ISO codes in your software.
  2. Correct customer records with a country name or a three-letter code.
  3. Validate again.

Received an invoice with this error?

An invoice with this error is not compliant. Ask the supplier for a corrected invoice and do not change the XML yourself.

Example in the XML

❌ Wrong

<cac:Country>
  <cbc:IdentificationCode>BEL</cbc:IdentificationCode>
</cac:Country>

✅ Correct

<cac:Country>
  <cbc:IdentificationCode>BE</cbc:IdentificationCode>
</cac:Country>

Both snippets come from a complete test invoice that we checked with our validator: the wrong version gives exactly this message, the correct version no errors at all.

Try this error in the validator →

Good to know

If the country code is missing altogether, you do not get BR-CL-14 but BR-09 (seller) or BR-11 (buyer).

Check your invoice

Drop your XML into the free validator. You see right away whether this error still occurs, with a link to the explanation for every message.

Go to the Peppol validator →

Official rule

The full rule with its technical test (Schematron) is in the official Peppol documentation:

Related error codes

  • BR-09: The seller’s address has no country code.
  • BR-11: The buyer’s address has no country code.

Frequently asked questions about BR-CL-14

Is EL or GR the code for Greece?

For country codes in addresses you use ISO 3166-1, so GR. The Greek VAT number does start with EL.

Does the rule also apply to the delivery country?

Yes. Every country field in the invoice must contain a valid two-letter code.

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