Invoice guide

How to Invoice a Client in Another Country — Currency, Tax, and Getting Paid

An international invoice has a few extra fields, a completely different set of tax rules, and payment methods with costs that vary wildly depending on which you choose. This guide covers what to put on a cross-border invoice, how VAT and reverse charge work for the most common routes, and which payment method to use so the amount you quote is the amount you receive.

• Choosing the currency
• What to put on the invoice
• VAT and tax across borders
• Payment methods compared
• Payment terms and delays
• InvoiceQuick tips
• FAQ

Choosing the invoice currency

There is no universal rule — invoice in whatever currency you and your client agree. The practical decision is about who carries the foreign-exchange (FX) risk.

• Your currency (e.g. GBP if you’re UK-based) — the client converts when they pay. You receive exactly what you invoiced. They pay their bank’s conversion rate, which may be 2–4% above the mid-market rate. Works well when you have pricing power.
• Their currency (e.g. USD if your client is US-based) — removes friction for the client. You bear the FX risk: if their currency weakens between invoice date and payment date, you receive less in your home currency. Matters more on long payment terms (30–60 days) than on immediate payment.
• USD as a neutral currency — common in global tech, SaaS, and creative services regardless of where either party is based. Avoids the “whose currency?” conversation and is stable enough for most short-payment-term engagements.

What to put on an international invoice

A cross-border invoice needs everything a domestic invoice needs, plus a few additional fields that are either legally required or practically necessary to get paid without delays.

• Full country in both addresses — your country and the client’s country must be explicit, not just a city and postcode. A payment team processing dozens of invoices a month needs to apply the right tax treatment, and they determine that from the addresses.
• ISO currency code on every amount — subtotal, tax, and total should all carry the three-letter code, not just the symbol.
• Your full bank details for international transfer — IBAN (for EU/UK/most of the world) or account number, plus your SWIFT/BIC code, your bank’s full name, and your bank’s address. A domestic sort code and account number is not enough for an international wire.
• Your VAT/GST registration number — if you are VAT or GST registered in your country, include it. Required for EU and UK invoices; expected on invoices from Australia, Canada, and New Zealand if you are GST-registered.
• Client’s VAT number — required if you are billing a VAT-registered EU business and applying the EU reverse charge (see below). Without their VAT number on the invoice, the reverse charge cannot be applied correctly.
• Any applicable tax notice — if no VAT is charged because of a reverse charge or export exemption, say so explicitly in the invoice notes. Do not leave the tax field blank and let the client guess why.
• A payment deadline that accounts for transfer time — international wires take 1–5 business days. If your terms say “due in 14 days”, build in at least 3 days for the transfer to arrive so you are not chasing a wire that is simply in transit.

VAT and tax across borders

This section covers the structural rules for the four most common cross-border scenarios for independent service providers. It is a framework, not tax advice — verify with an accountant for your situation.

The most common mistake is not explaining why VAT is 0% or absent. An EU accounts payable team that receives an invoice with no VAT and no explanation will flag it for review. One that says “reverse charge — customer to account for VAT” knows exactly what to do with it.

Payment methods for international invoices

The method you specify on the invoice determines how much of your invoice amount you actually receive. The difference between a SWIFT wire with SHA fees and a Wise transfer on the same amount can be $30–80 on a $2,000 invoice.

Payment terms, currency risk, and late payment

A few things work differently once money is crossing borders:

• Allow for transfer time in your deadline. A 14-day net terms invoice should read “payment due [date]” with a date that allows 3–5 business days for the transfer to arrive. A client who initiates on the due date may not clear your account until days later — if your terms are tight, that creates needless friction.
• FX risk on long payment terms. If you invoice in the client’s currency on 60-day terms, the rate you assumed when pricing could move 3–6% by the time the money arrives. For large or long-payment-term contracts in a volatile currency pair, either bill in your own currency, request a 50% deposit, or use a forward contract through your bank or Wise to lock the rate.
• Late payment clauses vary by jurisdiction. UK law (Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act 1998) entitles you to statutory interest on overdue commercial debts whether or not you state it on the invoice. EU Directive 2011/7/EU sets a 30–60 day default payment period with similar statutory interest rights. The US has no equivalent federal law — any interest you want to charge on overdue invoices to US clients must be stated explicitly in your contract or on the invoice itself. If you invoice US clients regularly, add a late payment clause: “Invoices unpaid after [X] days accrue [X]% interest per month.”

Using InvoiceQuick for international invoices

InvoiceQuick supports 15+ currencies formatted correctly for each locale. For international invoices specifically:

• Currency selector — pick the agreed invoice currency from the dropdown. The currency code and correct number formatting apply automatically.
• Tax field — set to 0% for reverse charge or zero-rated export supplies. Leave the tax label blank, or type something descriptive like “VAT 0%” if your jurisdiction requires it to appear.
• Notes field — use this for everything the client needs to process the invoice correctly: your IBAN and SWIFT/BIC, the reverse charge notice, the VAT numbers, your Wise account details, or the OUR fee instruction. There is no length limit on the Notes field and it prints cleanly on the PDF.
• Client address — include the client’s country in the address block. This is what the client’s AP team uses to determine the correct tax treatment.
• Your address — include your country. Required for the client’s records and for any VAT determination.

A complete Notes field for a UK → EU B2B invoice might look like:

Payment by SEPA bank transfer:
IBAN: GB29 NWBK 6016 1331 9268 19
BIC: NWBKGB2L
Bank: NatWest Bank plc, 250 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 4AA

Client VAT number: DE123456789
Supplier VAT number: GB 987654321
VAT: Reverse charge — customer to account for VAT

Payment due within 14 days of invoice date.

Create my international invoice →

Also read:

• How to create a free invoice PDF — what to include, numbering, VAT/GST, and export walkthrough →
• How to send an invoice by email — subject lines, follow-up cadence, and vendor portals →

Frequently asked questions

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