Peppol error codes

BR-CL-24 and PEPPOL-EN16931-CL001: attachment in a format that is not allowed

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

Error code BR-CL-24 / PEPPOL-EN16931-CL001 means: an attachment in the e-invoice has a file type that Peppol does not accept, such as Word, zip, xml or gif.

Rule set: EN 16931 and Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 · Severity: error (fatal): an Access Point rejects the invoice · Checked against the official rules of May 2026

What does BR-CL-24 / PEPPOL-EN16931-CL001 mean?

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

[BR-CL-24]-For Mime code in attribute use MIMEMediaType.
[PEPPOL-EN16931-CL001]-Mime code must be according to subset of IANA code list.

Attachments in an e-invoice (EmbeddedDocumentBinaryObject, BT-125) have a mimeCode that states the file type. Peppol only accepts these six: application/pdf, image/png, image/jpeg, text/csv, application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet (xlsx) and application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.spreadsheet (ods). In our tests Word, zip, xml and gif each triggered both BR-CL-24 and CL001.

Common causes

A quote, contract or delivery note in Word (.doc or .docx) was attached.
Several files were bundled in a zip file.
The software fills in a wrong or empty mimeCode, even though the file is a PDF.

How to fix it as the sender

Convert attachments to PDF before adding them, or use PNG or JPEG for images and CSV, XLSX or ODS for tables.
Attach several files separately, not as a zip.
Check that the mimeCode matches the actual file type.

Received an invoice with this error?

You cannot add the attachment yourself. Ask the supplier to resend the invoice with a PDF attachment.

Example in the XML

❌ Wrong

<cac:AdditionalDocumentReference>
  <cbc:ID>Bijlage1</cbc:ID>
  <cac:Attachment>
    <cbc:EmbeddedDocumentBinaryObject mimeCode="application/msword" filename="offerte.doc">...</cbc:EmbeddedDocumentBinaryObject>
  </cac:Attachment>
</cac:AdditionalDocumentReference>

✅ Correct

<cbc:EmbeddedDocumentBinaryObject mimeCode="application/pdf" filename="offerte.pdf">...</cbc:EmbeddedDocumentBinaryObject>

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

A PDF attachment is not the legal invoice where e-invoicing is mandatory: the XML file is. To view an e-invoice as a document, use our UBL viewer.

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

PEPPOL-EN16931-R010 / PEPPOL-EN16931-R020: R010: the buyer electronic address is missing. R020: the seller electronic address is missing.
BR-CO-15: The total with VAT is not equal to the total without VAT plus the VAT amount.

Frequently asked questions about BR-CL-24 / PEPPOL-EN16931-CL001

Which attachments can a Peppol invoice contain?

PDF, PNG, JPEG, CSV, XLSX and ODS. Other formats, such as Word, zip or xml, are rejected.

Why do I get two error codes?

BR-CL-24 is the European rule (EN 16931), CL001 the stricter Peppol rule. A format that is not allowed usually triggers both.

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