Every invoice issued by a Cyprus company must contain 14 mandatory fields under Cyprus VAT law. Missing even one — such as the customer's VAT number on an EU B2B invoice — can invalidate the zero-rating and expose you to VAT liability. EU reverse charge invoices require a specific legal statement. All invoices must be retained for 8 years (VAT documents) or 7 years (accounting documents).
All Cyprus VAT-registered businesses must include: the VAT registration number, the invoice date, sequential invoice number, and the buyer's VAT number on all B2B invoices.
The 14 Mandatory Invoice Fields
| # | Field | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Invoice issue date | 15 March 2026 |
| 2 | Unique sequential invoice number | INV-2026-047 |
| 3 | Supplier full name | Acme Tech Solutions Limited |
| 4 | Supplier registered address | 12 Arch. Makarios III Ave, Nicosia 1065 |
| 5 | Supplier VAT number (if registered) | CY12345678X |
| 6 | Customer full name | ClientCo SARL |
| 7 | Customer address | 25 Rue de la Paix, 75001 Paris, France |
| 8 | Customer VAT number (for B2B) | FR12345678901 |
| 9 | Description of goods or services | Web development services – March 2026 |
| 10 | Unit price (net of VAT) | €100.00/hour |
| 11 | Quantity and unit | 40 hours |
| 12 | Net amount (total, ex-VAT) | €4,000.00 |
| 13 | VAT rate applied | 19% |
| 14 | VAT amount | €760.00 |
| 15 | Total amount payable (inc. VAT) | €4,760.00 |
Note: The date of the underlying supply, if different from the invoice date, should also be stated.
Invoice Numbering: The Sequential Requirement
Cyprus law does not prescribe a specific format for invoice numbers, but the sequence must be:
- Sequential — numbers increase without gaps
- Unique — no two invoices can share the same number
- Identifiable — the number must allow easy retrieval
Recommended format: INV-YYYY-NNN (e.g., INV-2026-001, INV-2026-002, INV-2026-047)
Acceptable alternatives:
2026/001,2026/002, ...0001,0002,0003(continuing across years)
Not acceptable:
- Skipping numbers (INV-2026-001, INV-2026-003 — where did 002 go?)
- Duplicate numbers
- Random non-sequential identifiers
If you issue credit notes, use a separate sequence (e.g., CN-2026-001) so that invoice numbers remain unbroken.
Invoicing EU B2B Customers: Additional Requirements
When invoicing a VAT-registered business in another EU country at zero VAT (reverse charge), your invoice must additionally include:
- The customer's validated EU VAT number — e.g., FR12345678901
- The reverse charge statement — one of these acceptable forms:
- "VAT Reverse Charge — Article 196 EU VAT Directive"
- "Reverse Charge — VAT to be accounted for by the recipient"
- VAT amount: €0.00 (not blank, but explicitly €0.00)
Critical rule: Before issuing a zero-rated EU invoice, validate the customer's VAT number at ec.europa.eu/vies. If the number is invalid or expired and you apply zero VAT, you are responsible for the full 19% Cyprus VAT on that invoice.
EU reverse charge invoice example:
Acme Tech Solutions Limited
12 Makarios III Ave, Nicosia 1065, Cyprus
VAT No: CY12345678X
Invoice No: INV-2026-047
Date: 15 March 2026
Bill To:
ClientCo SARL
25 Rue de la Paix, 75001 Paris, France
VAT No: FR98765432100
Description: Web development services – March 2026
Unit: 40 hours @ €100.00/hour
Net Amount: €4,000.00
VAT: €0.00 (Reverse Charge — Article 196 EU VAT Directive)
TOTAL: €4,000.00
Invoicing Non-EU Customers (US, UK, UAE, etc.)
For customers outside the EU, services are generally outside the scope of Cyprus VAT (zero-rated as exports). Your invoice should:
- Not include Cyprus VAT
- Include a statement such as: "Services supplied outside EU VAT scope" or "Zero-rated export"
- No special VAT number requirement for the customer (though getting it is good practice)
- No VIES obligation for these sales
Invoices from Cyprus Suppliers: Input VAT Claims
To claim input VAT on expenses, your purchase invoices from Cyprus suppliers must meet the same standards: your company name, your VAT number, all 14 fields above. An invoice made out to you personally (not to your company) cannot support an input VAT claim by the company.
Common issue: Online software subscriptions from non-EU companies often issue invoices to the card holder's name, not the company name. For material amounts, ensure you provide the company name and VAT number in the billing settings of every supplier account.
Credit Notes
A credit note is used to cancel or partially reduce a previously issued invoice. Credit notes must:
- Reference the original invoice number
- Contain the same fields as an invoice
- Have their own sequential number (separate credit note sequence)
- Be issued promptly when a correction is needed
Document Retention Requirements
| Document Type | Retention Period |
|---|---|
| Invoices issued (sales) | 8 years (VAT) / 7 years (accounting) |
| Invoices received (purchases) | 8 years (VAT) / 7 years (accounting) |
| Bank statements | 7 years |
| Company statutory records | Indefinitely |
| VAT returns (copies) | 8 years |
| Contracts | 10 years (recommended) |
Digital retention is accepted in Cyprus. Store invoices as PDFs in a tamper-proof system (cloud accounting software, encrypted folder). They must be accessible and readable in case of a Tax Department audit.
Invoicing in Foreign Currencies
If you invoice in USD, GBP, or another currency, the VAT return requires amounts in EUR. Convert using the exchange rate on the invoice date (European Central Bank rate recommended). Retain the exchange rate used for each invoice.
If you are not yet VAT-registered, the Cyprus VAT registration guide explains when registration becomes mandatory and how to apply. For the specific rules on EU reverse charge invoices, see the full reverse charge VAT Cyprus guide.
Issuing legally compliant invoices is the foundation of VAT compliance and a clean audit trail. A Cyprus accountant can review your invoicing templates and ensure you never lose a VAT claim due to a missing field. For EU B2B invoicing best practices, also see our VIES filing guide.