ZATCA e-invoicing for travel agencies
Issue Fatoora Phase 2 e-invoices straight from your bookings. Jorneevo signs every invoice, credit note and debit note of your Saudi branches, clears or reports it with ZATCA, and prints the QR code for you.
What ZATCA Phase 2 requires
Since January 2023 the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) has been moving VAT-registered businesses in Saudi Arabia into Phase 2 of e-invoicing, called Integration, in waves that it announces ahead of time. Once your agency is in a wave, a PDF or a printed invoice is no longer enough. Every invoice, credit note and debit note has to be created, signed and shared with ZATCA's Fatoora platform by a compliant system:
- An XML document in the UBL 2.1 format, with its own unique id (UUID)
- A cryptographic stamp from a device (solution unit) onboarded with ZATCA
- A hash that chains each document to the one before it, and a counter that never skips
- A QR code on every printed invoice
- Clearance or reporting through ZATCA's API, depending on the kind of invoice
Simplified versus standard invoices
A standard tax invoice is for business customers (B2B), usually a company with a VAT number. It shows the buyer's name, VAT number and address, and ZATCA must clear it before you hand it over. A simplified tax invoice is for individuals (B2C): families, pilgrims and holidaymakers. You give it to the customer at once and report it to ZATCA within 24 hours. A travel agency usually issues both, often on the same day.
QR codes, clearance and reporting
Clearance happens in real time: the standard invoice is sent to ZATCA the moment it is issued, ZATCA checks it, stamps it and returns the cleared XML, and only that cleared copy is the legal invoice. Reporting is for simplified invoices: your own device signs the invoice and the QR code is printed at once, then the XML is reported to ZATCA within 24 hours. In both cases the QR code lets anyone check the seller, the VAT number, the date, the total and the VAT with a phone.
Credit and debit notes
An issued e-invoice can never be edited or deleted. A cancellation, a refund or a lower price needs a credit note; an extra night or an upgrade needs a debit note. Each note points to the original invoice, states the reason, and is signed and cleared or reported exactly like the invoice it corrects.
Invoice kinds
Simplified and standard invoices side by side
Jorneevo picks the right kind for each customer when you issue the invoice.
| Standard tax invoice (B2B) | Simplified tax invoice (B2C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who gets it | Companies, usually with a VAT number | Individuals and families |
| Buyer details | Name, VAT number and full address | Name and contact details |
| ZATCA step | Cleared before you hand it over | Reported within 24 hours |
| QR code | Added once ZATCA clears it | Printed at once |
| Legal copy | The cleared XML returned by ZATCA | Your signed XML |
| Corrections | Credit or debit note, also cleared | Credit or debit note, also reported |
In Jorneevo
How Jorneevo handles ZATCA for you
Your team issues invoices from the booking as usual. The signing, the QR code and the talk with ZATCA happen in the background.
Invoices issued from the booking
Press Issue invoice on a booking. Seller and buyer details are copied in, VAT is applied line by line, and the e-invoice is signed and sent to ZATCA at once.
Read the guide : Invoices issued from the bookingThe right kind for every customer
Companies with a VAT number get a standard tax invoice, everyone else a simplified one. You set the rule once for the agency or per branch.
Read the guide : The right kind for every customerCredit and debit notes in two clicks
Credit an amount or chosen lines, or add an extra charge. Each note references the original invoice, carries your reason and goes to ZATCA like the invoice.
Read the guide : Credit and debit notes in two clicksEvery e-invoice status in one screen
See what is cleared, reported, pending or rejected. Jorneevo retries by itself when ZATCA is down, and you can download the signed and cleared XML.
Read the guide : Every e-invoice status in one screenDevices and certificates, onboarded once
Onboard each Saudi branch with an OTP from the Fatoora portal, test in sandbox or simulation, then go live. Renewal reminders arrive before the certificate expires.
Read the guide : Devices and certificates, onboarded once
FAQ
ZATCA e-invoicing questions from agencies
More answers are in the Help Center.
Do travel agencies in Saudi Arabia need ZATCA e-invoicing?
Yes. Every VAT-registered business in Saudi Arabia must issue e-invoices, and Phase 2 (Integration) applies from the date ZATCA gives your business in its wave notice. Travel agencies are included like any other seller.
Is Jorneevo connected to ZATCA's Fatoora platform?
Yes. Each Saudi branch onboards its own device with a one-time password from the Fatoora portal. From then on Jorneevo signs every invoice, credit note and debit note and clears or reports it through ZATCA's API.
What is the difference between a simplified and a standard invoice?
A standard tax invoice is for business customers and must be cleared by ZATCA before you hand it over. A simplified tax invoice is for individuals: you give it at once with its QR code and it is reported to ZATCA within 24 hours.
How do I correct an invoice that ZATCA already has?
Issue a credit note to reduce or cancel it, or a debit note to add a charge. In Jorneevo you start both from the invoice row on the booking, and the note is sent to ZATCA with a reference to the original invoice.
What happens if ZATCA's platform is down?
The document waits as pending and Jorneevo retries by itself, with longer gaps each time, for about a day and a half. You can also press Send now on the E-invoices screen at any time.
Do our branches outside Saudi Arabia send e-invoices to ZATCA?
No. Only branches in Saudi Arabia with e-invoicing switched on send documents to ZATCA. Branches in Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman keep issuing their usual invoices.
Your next season deserves a better system
Set up your agency in an afternoon. Your team will thank you by the weekend.