EHF

EHF (Elektronisk Handelsformat, or Electronic Trading Format) is Norway's national standard for electronic exchange of trade documents between businesses and public contracting authorities. The format enables machine-readable transmission of documents such as invoices, orders, and catalogues across different IT systems — without manual data entry or costly system integrations.

How does EHF work?

EHF documents are structured XML files transmitted via the Peppol eDelivery network. Think of it as a common language for trade documents: regardless of which accounting system the sender and recipient use, documents can be interpreted automatically.

To receive EHF documents, organisations must register in ELMA (Norway's electronic address register), administered by the Norwegian Digitalisation Agency (Digdir). In Norway, DFO develops and maintains the EHF specifications, which are built on the international UBL 2.1 framework and harmonised with the Peppol BIS standard.

Regulatory requirements

In Norway, all public contracting authorities must require electronic invoices in EHF format. The regulation on electronic invoicing in public procurement (FOR-2019-04-01-444) transposed EU Directive 2014/55/EU into Norwegian law. Key milestones:

• 2012: Central government agencies began requiring EHF invoices from suppliers
• 2015: The requirement extended to municipalities and county municipalities
• 2019: The regulation formally entered into force, applying to procurements exceeding NOK 100,000 excluding VAT

Approved formats are EHF Billing 3.0 or newer and Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 or newer. For contracts above the EEA threshold, other formats complying with the European standard EN 16931 are also accepted. EN 16931 is the core standard mandated by EU Directive 2014/55/EU on electronic invoicing in public procurement.

More than just invoicing

While EHF is best known for electronic invoicing, the format covers the entire order-to-pay chain:

• Invoice and credit note — the most widely used format, practically identical to Peppol BIS Billing 3.0
• Order and order response — automates the ordering process between contracting authorities and suppliers
• Catalogue — electronic product catalogues for framework agreements
• Despatch advice — confirms delivery of goods

Tools like Cobrief can help suppliers keep track of contract notices where electronic document requirements are specified in the tender documents.

EHF is the backbone of electronic commerce with the Norwegian public sector. With over 116 million EHF documents transmitted annually, the format is firmly established, and suppliers looking to participate in Norwegian public procurement must ensure their systems support the standard.