Business International business

How to invoice EU customers from the UK

Paola Faben Oliveira

24.04.26 (last updated)

Read time 7 minutes

Selling to EU customers from a UK business can unlock new revenue opportunities, but are you clear on how invoicing rules, VAT, and cross-border requirements work in practice?

In this guide, we've brought together the key steps, rules, and considerations for invoicing EU customers from the UK, including what to include on invoices, how VAT may apply, and what to check before sending your first bill.

We've also explained how Wise Business can support international invoicing and payments.

Key takeaways

Topic	Key point
Invoice requirements	EU invoices require specific fields such as VAT numbers, pricing, and dates
VAT rules	Exported goods are often zero-rated, but EU VAT obligations may still apply
Reverse charge	Applies to many B2B services where the customer accounts for VAT
IOSS scheme	Can simplify VAT reporting for low-value B2C goods
Currency	Confirm billing currency with EU customers before invoicing
Compliance	Country-specific rules may apply, so always double check requirements

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Invoicing overseas customers

When you invoice an overseas customer from the UK, you’ll need to understand the local laws and requirements for invoicing wherever the customer is based.

If you’re selling to the EU from the UK, it’s helpful to know that there are EU rules about what information is required on an invoice. In addition, some countries may have extra requirements which you’ll also need to take into consideration.

It’s compulsory to issue an invoice for most B2B sales in the EU, and for certain B2C transactions¹. Invoices can be issued in paper form or electronically.

The exact information needed when invoicing EU companies from UK may vary slightly depending on the situation, but in general you’ll need:¹

Invoice date
Invoice number
Customer’s VAT number if relevant
Supplier’s full name and address
Customer’s full name and address
Description of goods supplied
Unit price of goods or services
Date of transaction or payment (if different from invoice date)
VAT rate and amount if relevant
Breakdown of VAT amount payable by VAT rate or exemption

If you use invoicing software with the right capabilities, it may include many of these fields automatically when you generate an EU-bound invoice.

💡You can create professional invoices with Wise Business, including options to request payment in euros. Invoices can be mad e This can help simplify the invoicing process and support smoother payments.

*Disclaimer: The UK Wise Business pricing structure is changing with effect from 26/11/2025 date. Receiving money, direct debits and getting paid features are not available with the Essential Plan which you can open for free. Pay a one-time set up fee of £50 to unlock Advanced features including account details to receive payments in 22+ currencies or 8+ currencies for non-swift payments. You’ll also get access to our invoice generating tool, payment links, QuickPay QR codes and the ability to set up direct debits all within one account. Please check our website for the latest pricing information.

How to invoice EU customers from the UK

We’ve covered the information needed when invoicing an EU company above. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that some countries have additional rules and requirements, so you’ll need to double check the full detail needed based on the specific EU country the company is based in.

Aside from the basic legal requirements, there are a few other important things you might need to agree with the company you’re invoicing.

For example, it’s important to confirm the currency used in the invoice, as well as delivery and payment terms.

While many EU countries use the euro and so companies may choose to be billed in EUR, not all EU and EEA countries are in the Eurozone. Double check with your customer on their preferred billing currency.

UK to EU VAT invoicing

VAT - value added tax - is charged on many goods and services bought and sold in the UK. If your business has a turnover of more than £90,000 GBP a year you’ll need to be VAT registered, and you can also choose to register with a lower turnover if you’d like to.²

If you’re exporting goods from the UK to the EU, you may not need to charge VAT on them. This is known as zero rating.

VAT is a tax on goods and services consumed in the UK, and exported goods are zero-rated provided conditions are met³. However, you may still need to register for EU VAT and pay it in the EU countries you export to.

VAT rules can vary depending on the nature of your business and transactions, so professional advice may be helpful if you’re unsure.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited, its subsidiaries or affiliates. It should not be treated as advice from, or a communication with, HMRC, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining business advice from a tax advisor or any other professional.

What is the EU Reverse Charge and does it apply to UK businesses?

The EU Reverse Charge is a VAT mechanism where the buyer, rather than the seller, is responsible for VAT on certain business-to-business (B2B) transactions.

Under EU rules, invoices must include the wording ‘reverse charge’ where the customer is liable for the VAT.¹

This means that the UK seller zero-rates the supply (where applicable), and the EU business customer accounts for VAT locally using the reverse charge mechanism.

The VAT Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) scheme

If your business sells low-value goods (£135 or less) to B2C consumers in the EU, you may be able to use the Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) scheme to simplify VAT reporting and payment.⁴

You can choose to register for the VAT IOSS scheme if you sell goods in consignments of £135 or less to EU consumers⁴.

It involves registering (often via an intermediary if you’re UK-based). Under the scheme, you must charge VAT at the rate applicable in the EU country at the point of sale, and report eligible sales through IOSS.⁴

Digital services VAT

If your business supplies digital services to EU customers, it may be liable to pay VAT in the country it is supplying to.

This is an important area to check ahead of selling digital services and invoicing your EU customers, and professional advice may be useful.

Real-world example: Invoicing an EU business from the UK

To make things clearer, here’s a simple illustrative example of how a UK business might invoice an EU customer in practice.

Let’s imagine that a UK-based marketing consultancy provides services to a VAT-registered business in Germany. They might include the following details on their invoice:

Supplier: XXX Marketing Ltd, London, UK
Customer: XXX Company GmbH, Berlin, Germany
Customer VAT number: DE123456789
Invoice number: INV-2026-041
Invoice date: 14 April 2026
Service provided: Digital marketing campaign management (March 2026)
Total amount: €2,000
VAT: 0% (Reverse charge applies)
VAT note: “Reverse charge: VAT to be accounted for by the customer”
Payment terms: 14 days
Currency: EUR

Because this is a B2B service to an EU VAT-registered business, the reverse charge mechanism applies. The UK company does not charge VAT, but must clearly state that the reverse charge applies on the invoice.

The German customer will account for VAT locally in Germany.

Streamline international invoicing with Wise

Managing cross-border invoices and payments can involve multiple currencies, timelines, and fees to consider.

Wise Business offers a way to send invoices, receive payments in euros, and manage multiple currencies from one account.

With Wise Business, you can:

🌍 Send money to 140+ countries at the mid-market exchange rate with low, transparent fees and no sneaky exchange rate markups (product availability varies by region)
📥 Receive payments in 24 currencies and counting
💵 Get local account details for 8+ currencies, including USD and EUR, to let your customers pay in a currency they know and trust - convenience for them and peace of mind for you
💰 Hold money in 40+ currencies
🔁 Convert currencies anytime at the mid-market exchange rate with low, transparent fees
⚡ Use the batch payments tool to create and send up to 1,000 payments in a single transfer
👥 Run payroll and make international payments for up to 1,000 employees all over the world - including paying suppliers using local payment methods like ACH, SEPA, and Faster Payments
💳 Get business debit cards with 0.5% cashback for you and your team to keep track of team expenses and spend all over the world, with real-time visibility and categorisation
🏢 Manage cash in 55+ currencies across international offices from a single business account and move money between business accounts in seconds (exact speeds can vary depending on individual circumstances and may not be the same for all transactions)
🧾 Connect and sync every business transaction to your favourite accounting software, including Xero, Quickbooks, and more
🔐 Create your own payment approvals process to manage your team better with customised access for different team members, roles and permissions
📑 Create custom professional invoices and schedule invoice payments for future dates
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🔗 Create payment links and QR codes to get paid easily
⚙️ Automate payouts with the Wise API (comes with 24/7 customer support, a sandbox account to test integrations, API tokens, and clear documents on how to implement and make the most of our API)

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Invoicing EU customers from the UK - FAQs

What is the EU invoicing directive?

Countries in the EU have a unified approach to invoicing, subject to some national rules.

This means that many of the rules that apply for invoicing in the EU are the same across all countries, including the basic information needed on an invoice and the way invoices can be received and stored.¹

Can a UK company invoice a UK company in euros?

Yes. UK businesses can invoice in any currency⁵.

However, if UK VAT is due on the transaction your invoices must also show the following in British pounds:⁵

The total net value of goods sold at each VAT rate
The amount of VAT, if any, at each rate

Sources:

Sources last checked on 24 April 2026

*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.