---
title: "Drafts and issuing · EenFactuurMaken.nl"
description: "The difference between a draft and a finalised invoice, what happens when you finalise an invoice and what gets locked afterwards."
url: "https://eenfactuurmaken.nl/en/docs/invoices/issue"
markdown_url: "https://eenfactuurmaken.nl/en/docs/invoices/issue.md"
language: "en-GB"
---

# Drafts and issuing

The difference between a draft and a finalised invoice, what happens when you finalise an invoice and what gets locked afterwards.

Every invoice starts as a **draft**. Only when you **finalise** it does it become a real invoice: with a number, and locked.

## A draft

- has no number yet (numbers are not reserved);
- can be changed and deleted as often as you like;
- always shows your current business and customer details;
- has a "DRAFT" watermark on the PDF;
- has no e-invoice (UBL) and no online link yet.

## Finalising

Click **Finalise**. You'll see the number the invoice will get and the invoice date, which you can still change here.

When you finalise, this happens in this order:

1. **Checks.** We check that the invoice meets the Dutch requirements. If there are errors (red), you can't continue yet. You may ignore warnings (orange). See [Invoice checks](https://eenfactuurmaken.nl/en/docs/invoices/checks).
2. **VIES.** For reverse charge or an EU customer, we check your customer's VAT number in VIES. If it's invalid, it stops here. If VIES can't be reached, we continue with a warning. See [VIES check](https://eenfactuurmaken.nl/en/docs/vat/vies).
3. **Exchange rate.** For a currency other than the euro we fetch the ECB rate if you hadn't entered one. See [Currencies and exchange rates](https://eenfactuurmaken.nl/en/docs/invoices/currencies).
4. **Number.** The invoice gets the next number in your sequence. See [Invoice numbering](https://eenfactuurmaken.nl/en/docs/invoices/numbering).
5. **Lock.** Your business details, the customer details and the layout are fixed on the invoice. If you later change your address or house style, this invoice stays the same.
6. **Online link.** The invoice gets an [online link](https://eenfactuurmaken.nl/en/docs/invoices/online-invoice) for your customer.

### A different invoice date

If you choose a different invoice date when finalising, the due date moves along (same payment term). If the delivery date was the same as the old invoice date, it moves too.

A date in the past is allowed (you'll see a warning). If it's in an earlier year, the invoice gets a number from that year's sequence.

## After finalising

A finalised invoice is **locked**. You can still:

- [send](https://eenfactuurmaken.nl/en/docs/invoices/sending) it, download it and share the [online link](https://eenfactuurmaken.nl/en/docs/invoices/online-invoice);
- [mark it as paid](https://eenfactuurmaken.nl/en/docs/invoices/payments) (and undo that);
- [send reminders](https://eenfactuurmaken.nl/en/docs/reminders);
- make a [credit note](https://eenfactuurmaken.nl/en/docs/credit-notes);
- [cancel](https://eenfactuurmaken.nl/en/docs/invoices/copy-cancel-delete#cancel) it, as long as it hasn't been paid;
- [duplicate](https://eenfactuurmaken.nl/en/docs/invoices/copy-cancel-delete#duplicate) it into a new draft.

You can't change its contents anymore. That's intentional: the tax authority wants an invoice that was sent not to change quietly. You fix a mistake with a credit note and, if needed, a new invoice.

## Statuses

| Status | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| Draft | Not finalised yet. |
| Issued | Has a number, not emailed yet. |
| Sent | Emailed through EenFactuurMaken.nl. |
| Overdue | Issued or sent, and the due date has passed. |
| Paid | You marked it as paid. |
| Cancelled | Cancelled. The number remains in use. |

More about payments and _overdue_ in [Payments and status](https://eenfactuurmaken.nl/en/docs/invoices/payments).

Last updated on 13 October 2026