Free e-invoice for Lithuanian suppliers: how SABIS works

Yes, there is a free way – but it depends on where your company is registered. SABIS, or the Lithuanian Public Sector Invoicing Central Information System, is according to the official FAQ page free for the user: as of 15.09.2026, there is no fee and the NBFC and the Ministry of Finance are still considering a possible future fee regime, the effective date has not been published. Now this „but“: Estonian or other foreign suppliers cannot currently log in to the SABIS portal, because the login is done through the Lithuanian national VIISP identification service. Your official path is the Peppoli network – and the price of the Peppoli Access Point is not set by SABIS, it comes from your operator's price list. The portal is therefore free, but the cost for the foreign supplier depends on which e-invoice operator you choose.

What is SABIS and what happened to the E. säätä system?

SABIS is a state system where Lithuanian purchasing bodies (perkančiosios organizacijos, i.e. buyers who must comply with public procurement rules) receive, coordinate and approve supplier invoices. The old E. skātā system no longer exists – according to the Public Procurement Office replacement took place on 01.09.2024. If any instructions or older contracts still refer to E. Account, that reference is outdated.

The basis for the obligation is not in a single law. SABIS's own list of legal bases cites Article 6(4) of the Financial Accounting Act No. IX-574, Government Regulation No. 405 of 27.04.2022 and Amendment to the Public Procurement Act No. XIII-327 (02.05.2017). In practice, this means one thing: the invoice journey is no longer an agreement between you and the buyer, but a regulated channel.

Which invoices must go through SABIS or Peppol?

According to the Ministry of Finance's explanation, procurers must accept electronic accounting documents that comply with the European e-invoice standard through SABIS - and this means that Suppliers must also submit invoices via SABIS. The obligation covers invoices for goods, services and works, including invoices submitted under oral and long-term oral agreements, regardless of the amount of the invoice.

This disappearance of the amount limit is where many people go wrong. Verbal agreement invoices came from 01.01.2025 submit electronically via SABIS or Peppol for any amount – until the end of 2024, the rule only applied to amounts above 1,000 euros excluding VAT. If you did a one-off job for a Lithuanian municipality worth 180 euros without a written contract, then according to the old thinking, „the invoice is too small for an e-invoice“ does not apply.

It is worth noting that the Lithuanian requirement is broader than the European Union minimum. Directive 2014/55/EU on electronic invoicing in public procurement obliges public buyers to accept e-invoices that comply with the standard, especially in relation to procurement contracts exceeding EU thresholds; the current Lithuanian directive goes further and covers all amounts. The same directive also answers the question of what an e-invoice even means: a compliant invoice is a machine-readable structured data file, not an image. A PDF invoice or a scan does not meet the e-invoice requirement, even if it is beautiful and signed.

Can an Estonian supplier get a SABIS portal account?

In short: no, not right now. SABIS-e explanation about foreign persons says that foreign suppliers of goods, services and works cannot join the portal for a short time, and directs them to the Peppol network, using any suitable access point as an intermediary. The exception is narrow: a foreign citizen residing in Lithuania, representing a legal or natural person registered in Lithuania, can access the portal via VIISP like a local.

If Peppol is not suitable for you for some reason, the NBFC allows you to invoice in a way accepted by the buyer, such as by email. However, this is not the default option - it requires the buyer to agree to this method, and in practice it means manual work in the supplier's accounting. Ask before, not after.

The path is easier for a Lithuanian company. At the first login, the manager registers the organization using a wizard and receives the administrator role; Authorization from the Central Registers is not required for this.. The following employees submit an access request, which the administrator approves, or the administrator adds them themselves. The roles are separate: for example, the invoice registrar can enter invoices from written contracts, while the verbal invoice registrar can enter invoices from verbal agreements.

Manual, XML, interface or Peppol – four practical ways

SABIS accepts invoice data through three channels: by entering manually in the portal or by importing an XML file, via the universal interface from the business software and via the Peppol network if the organization is a member of this network. The formats are Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 eInvoice and Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 Credit Note.

The choice depends on the volume and location:

• Portal manually: suitable for a Lithuanian company that sends a few invoices per month. Free, but each invoice is handmade.
• XML import in the portal: if your software can output a Peppol BIS 3.0 file, but there is no interface.
• Universal interface: when there are dozens of invoices and they are already created in business software.
• Peppol: if your company is a member of the Peppol network. As a bonus, invoice status notifications (Peppol BIS Invoice response) are also returned, so you can see whether the buyer has accepted the invoice.

Why a Peppoli invoice may get stuck in SABIS

Sent does not mean received. NBFC warned with a separate message, that in May 2026, over 4,500 invoices submitted through Peppol – 5% of that month’s Peppol volume – were left completely unprocessed. The most common reasons were contract number mismatch, a contract that was not in the „concluded“ status in SABIS, and a credit note without the original invoice number.

For invoices submitted through Peppoli based on a written contract, contract data must already be in SABIS, be related to the seller submitting the invoice, and the contract number on the invoice must match the number registered in SABIS. One wrong space or slash - and the invoice will hang without anyone calling you. Therefore, before the first invoice, it is wise to ask the buyer two things: what is the contract number exactly as it is written in SABIS, and whether the contract is already in the "concluded" status.

Payment due date on invoice and those 10 business days

The payment term is a mandatory field in SABIS, unless the invoice is marked as paid; the portal provides a default of 30 calendar days, which can be changed if necessary. A separate term applies on the buyer side: confirmed According to the rules for using SABIS The received invoice must be processed within the time limit agreed in the contract, but no later than within 10 working days.

This 10 working days is not the payment deadline. It is the deadline during which the invoice must be checked and approved. The money will continue to flow according to the payment deadline agreed in the contract. If your invoice is still in the „submitted“ status after 15 working days, then this is already a reason to write it into the buyer’s accounting – and the most likely error is still the contract number.

Read also: English · Lithuanian

Last checked: September 15, 2026

FAQ

Is using SABIS free?

The use of SABIS is free of charge for the user as of 15.09.2026 and the state authorities have not set a date for the fee to come into effect. However, the cost for the foreign supplier arises from the service fees of the Peppoli access point operator, as it is not possible to log in to the portal directly.

Can an Estonian company log in to the SABIS portal?

Neither Estonian nor any other foreign supplier can currently log in to the SABIS portal, as authentication is done through the Lithuanian national VIISP system. The only official way for a foreign company is to send an invoice through the international Peppol network.

Why might an e-invoice sent via Peppoli get stuck in SABIS?

The main reasons are an inaccurate match of the contract number registered in SABIS or the contract not yet in the approved status in the system. Credit notes are also rejected if they do not reference the original invoice number.