ZATCA Phase 2: getting started
When ZATCA calls your company into Phase 2, every tax invoice and credit note must be sent to ZATCA electronically. Fiscal does this through Exler EGS, Exler IT Hub's e-invoicing gateway. Getting there takes four steps. The Exler team does most of the technical work: you provide your company documents and are available for one short session on the Fatoora portal.
What you need
Have these ready before you contact Exler IT Hub support. Your company's names, VAT number and address must be exactly as ZATCA has them, because ZATCA compares them with every invoice.
| What | Used in | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| VAT registration certificate | Step 1 | Your 15-digit VAT number (starts and ends with 3) and your company name in Arabic and English. |
| Commercial Registration (CR) | Step 1 | The CR number of the company or branch that issues the invoices. |
| National address | Step 1 | Building number, street, district, city, postal code and additional number, as in your national address certificate. |
| Fatoora portal login | Step 2 | Your company's TIN (taxpayer identification number) and password for the ZATCA portal. |
| The registered mobile phone | Step 2 | ZATCA sends a one-time password (OTP) to the mobile number registered with ZATCA. Keep this phone with you during step 2. |
| Your Phase 2 start date | Step 3 | The date your company starts Phase 2: the date in ZATCA's notification, or the date you choose to start. |
Step 1: Register your company with Exler EGS
Exler EGS is the gateway between Fiscal and ZATCA. It keeps your company's ZATCA certificate, signs each invoice with it, adds the ZATCA QR code and sends the invoice to ZATCA's Fatoora platform.
- Send your VAT certificate, CR and national address to Exler IT Hub support.
- The Exler team registers your company on Exler EGS with these details.
- The team checks that the same details are in your company record in Fiscal (see Company profile): the company name in English and Arabic, the VAT number and the national address.
A spelling difference in the company name, or a missing part of the national address, is enough for ZATCA to reject invoices. Send the documents as they are, and the team copies the details exactly.
Step 2: Onboard on the Fatoora portal
Before a system can send invoices, ZATCA has to connect it to your company. This is called onboarding. It gives your company a ZATCA certificate (the cryptographic stamp) that Exler EGS uses to sign your invoices. It is done once, in a short session with the Exler team.
- Agree a time with the Exler team. Have your TIN, your password and the registered mobile phone with you.
- Sign in to ZATCA's Fatoora portal (
fatoora.zatca.gov.sa) with your TIN and password. - ZATCA sends an OTP to your registered mobile number. Enter it to finish signing in.
- In the portal, the onboarding code for a new solution or device is generated. It is valid for a short time only, so the team uses it straight away.
- The Exler team completes the onboarding with ZATCA. Your company now has its ZATCA certificate on Exler EGS.
Your Fatoora password gives access to your company's ZATCA account. You can type it yourself during a screen-sharing session instead of sending it. If you share it, change it afterwards. If the OTP doesn't arrive, check with ZATCA that the registered mobile number is current.
If you want to try things out first, the device can be onboarded on ZATCA's simulation platform. Invoices sent there are tests, not real tax invoices. When you are ready, the team onboards it again for production.
Step 3: Activate Phase 2 in Fiscal
After onboarding, the Exler team sends you the gateway details for your company: the EGS Client UID, the EGS Device UID, the Computer Unique ID and the Device Key. They are entered in Settings›eInvoice Setup, usually by the Exler team together with you:
- Choose Saudi Arabia — ZATCA Phase 2 (Integration).
- Set the Phase 2 Start Date. Documents dated before it keep the Phase 1 QR code and are not sent.
- Choose the ZATCA Environment: Simulation or Production, the one the device was onboarded in.
- Enter the four values from the Exler team, click Save, then Test Connection. The test only checks the connection: nothing is sent to ZATCA.
Each field is explained in E-invoicing: Set up Phase 2.
Before the first invoice, also check these, because Fiscal won't post a document that ZATCA would refuse (details in Before you switch on Phase 2):
- Company profile: the full national address is filled in (see Company profile).
- Business customers: each has a valid Saudi VAT number and a full national address (see Customers).
- 0% taxes: every 0% tax template has a ZATCA exemption code (see Tax templates).
- Round-off: no round-off on invoices, because ZATCA doesn't accept it (see Preferences).
Step 4: Issue and submit e-invoices
From the start date, you work in Fiscal as usual. When you post an invoice or a credit note, Fiscal sends it to ZATCA through Exler EGS at once. What happens next depends on the type of invoice:
| B2B: standard tax invoice | B2C: simplified tax invoice | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it's for | Businesses with a Saudi VAT number | Consumers, walk-in customers and POS sales |
| ZATCA | Clearance: ZATCA checks and stamps the invoice. Only a cleared invoice is valid. | Reporting: the invoice is valid when issued and is reported to ZATCA. Fiscal reports it right away; ZATCA allows up to 24 hours. |
| Print, email and share | After ZATCA has cleared it | At once |
| QR code | ZATCA's, from the cleared invoice | Made by Fiscal |
The result shows under the buttons in the invoice or credit note center: Cleared by ZATCA, Reported to ZATCA, waiting for ZATCA's answer, or not accepted with the reason. Anything not accepted yet is listed in Sales›E-Invoice Queue, where it can be corrected and sent again. Fiscal also resends unanswered documents automatically.
A document ZATCA has accepted can't be edited or cancelled. Correct it with a credit note, which is sent to ZATCA too (see Credit notes). How each result is handled is in What happens when you post.
Who does what
| Step | You | Exler IT Hub |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Register with Exler EGS | Send the VAT certificate, CR and national address | Registers the company on Exler EGS and checks the company record in Fiscal |
| 2. Onboard on the Fatoora portal | Sign in with TIN and password, receive the OTP on the registered mobile | Guides the session and completes the onboarding with ZATCA |
| 3. Activate Phase 2 in Fiscal | Agree the start date; check customers and tax templates | Provides the gateway details, enters them with you and tests the connection |
| 4. Issue e-invoices | Post invoices and credit notes as usual; watch the E-Invoice Queue | Support if ZATCA rejects a document or the gateway doesn't answer |
Common questions
Do I need anything installed? No. Fiscal runs in your browser, and Exler EGS runs online. Onboarding is done once by the Exler team.
What about invoices issued before the start date? They stay as they are, with the Phase 1 QR code, and are not sent to ZATCA. A credit note for one of them, dated on or after the start date, is sent normally.
What if the internet or ZATCA is down? The document is posted and waits as Pending. Fiscal sends it again automatically, and you can resend it from the E-Invoice Queue. A B2B invoice can't be printed until it is cleared.
What if ZATCA rejects an invoice? It shows as not accepted, with ZATCA's reason. Correct the invoice or the customer and resend it. Later documents wait until it is accepted, because ZATCA takes each company's invoices in order.
Do printed invoices change? They must show the ZATCA QR code and your VAT details. Fiscal's ZATCA print templates already do (see Print templates).
Can we test before going live? Yes. Onboard on ZATCA's simulation platform first. While Fiscal is set to Simulation, a ZATCA SIMULATION chip shows in the top bar so nobody mistakes test invoices for real ones.