Missing required field in FA(3) invoice XML

What this error means

One of the sections of the invoice is missing a mandatory field or attribute. The message gives the name of the section (for example Podmiot2) and the field that's missing from it. Add it and the file passes this stage of validation.

We show this error in two situations:

• the section ends before all the required fields have appeared, for example Podmiot2 without GV, or an empty Zwolnienie element;
• an element lacks a required attribute, for example KodFormularza without kodSystemowy or wersjaSchemy.

When the missing field belongs in the middle of a section, the schema reports something else: the next element, as being in the wrong place, usually with the missing field on the list of expected ones.

Where to add the missing field

The FA(3) XSD schema gives every field a fixed place in its section. Since the section ended too early, you usually add the missing field at its end, before the closing tag.

The message may list several names. These are the fields that could appear at this point, optional ones included. When Podmiot2 is missing JST and GV, you'll see IDNabywcy and JST: the first is optional, the second required. The schema reports one missing field at a time, so after you add JST you'll see that GV is missing. Our MF rules report both gaps at once, as separate messages described on the page about the JST and GV fields.

Which fields go missing most often

Mandatory fields according to the schema, in the required order:

• Naglowek: KodFormularza with the attributes kodSystemowy="FA (3)" and wersjaSchemy="1-0E", WariantFormularza, DataWytworzeniaFa;
• Podmiot1: DaneIdentyfikacyjne (with NIP and Nazwa) and Adres (with KodKraju and AdresL1);
• Podmiot2: DaneIdentyfikacyjne, and JST and GV at the end;
• Fa: KodWaluty, P_1, P_2, P_15, Adnotacje, RodzajFaktury;
• Adnotacje: all eight fields, from P_16 to PMarzy.

Zwolnienie, NoweSrodkiTransportu and PMarzy in Adnotacje are choice sections: each must contain one of the options. On a standard VAT invoice, with no exemption, no new means of transport and no margin scheme, you put P_19N, P_22N and P_PMarzyN in them, each with the value 1.

<!-- ❌ Empty Zwolnienie section -->
<Zwolnienie></Zwolnienie>
<!-- ✅ Invoice without a VAT exemption -->
<Zwolnienie>
  <P_19N>1</P_19N>
</Zwolnienie>
<!-- ❌ wersjaSchemy attribute missing -->
<KodFormularza kodSystemowy="FA (3)">FA</KodFormularza>
<!-- ✅ Both attributes -->
<KodFormularza kodSystemowy="FA (3)" wersjaSchemy="1-0E">FA</KodFormularza>
<!-- ❌ Podmiot2 ends without GV -->
<Podmiot2>
  ...
  <JST>2</JST>
</Podmiot2>
<!-- ✅ GV at the end of the section -->
<Podmiot2>
  ...
  <JST>2</JST>
  <GV>2</GV>
</Podmiot2>

A field that is in the file but has no value (<P_2></P_2>) is a different error: an invalid field value. A missing P_15 has its own page, about the total amount due.

For files from a custom export, it helps to compare against the minimum set of FA(3) fields. Once you've fixed it, check the invoice again.