Leitweg-ID: Structure, Example & Where to Get It

Updated: 2026-06-25

The Leitweg-ID is the addressing field of the XRechnung when dealing with public authorities. Without it, the invoice never reaches the right recipient.

What is it for?

The public administration is large and deeply nested. The Leitweg-ID ensures that an invoice is uniquely assigned to the responsible body and routed correctly. That is why it is a mandatory field for B2G invoices.

The structure

The Leitweg-ID consists of three parts, separated by hyphens:

Coarse routing - Fine routing - Check digit
04011000       - 12345ABCXYZ  - 86

• Coarse routing: numeric, 2 to 12 digits, mandatory. It identifies the higher-level organisational unit.
• Fine routing: optional, up to 30 characters, alphanumeric. It is assigned freely by the authority and may, for example, identify a specific office or department.
• Check digit: two digits, mandatory. It protects the ID against typos.

The current specification of the Leitweg-ID (version 2.0.2) is maintained by KoSIT.

Where do I get the Leitweg-ID?

The Leitweg-ID is assigned by the client — so you request it from the authority you are invoicing. The federal government and the states manage their own IDs. In tender documents or purchase orders the Leitweg-ID is often already provided.

Entering the Leitweg-ID in the XRechnung

In the XRechnung the Leitweg-ID goes in the dedicated buyer reference field (business term “Buyer reference”, BT-10). When creating an XRechnung you simply enter it in the corresponding field.

Check before sending

An incorrect or missing Leitweg-ID leads to rejection. So check your invoice in advance: you can validate the e-invoice in the browser — including the German business rules (BR-DE), to which the Leitweg-ID belongs.