Invoice generator › Invoicing abroad
How to invoice a client in another country
Everything that changes when your client is somewhere else: the currency, the tax treatment, the way you get paid, and what your accounts have to show.
1. Decide which currency you bill in
Three options, and the difference is who absorbs the exchange risk.
| You bill in | Risk sits with | When it makes sense |
|---|---|---|
| Your own currency | The client | You have the stronger position, or the amounts are small |
| The client's currency | You | You want to remove friction and win the work — very common in practice |
| A third currency, usually USD or EUR | Shared | Neither side's currency is widely traded |
Whichever you choose, state the currency on the invoice in letters. A bare "$" is ambiguous across at least half a dozen currencies, and "1,200" tells a German client nothing about whether that is euros.
2. Work out the tax treatment before you send it
For most freelance services the tax belongs to your client's country, not yours, which is why cross-border invoices so often carry no VAT — and why they need a sentence explaining that. The four cases are set out on the VAT and reverse charge checker, which also gives you the wording. Two things to remember here: get your client's VAT number if they are a business in the EU, and never show a naked 0% with no reason next to it.
3. Give them a payment route that does not cost them money
A client will pay late if paying is annoying. What works, in rough order of preference:
- A local bank transfer in their country. Accounts with providers like Wise, Revolut Business or Payoneer give you local details in several currencies, so your client makes a domestic payment instead of an international one. Cheapest for both sides.
- SEPA transfer if you and the client are both in the euro area — near free and usually same-day.
- A card or payment link. Costs you a percentage but gets paid fastest, and for a first-time client abroad it removes every excuse.
- SWIFT wire. Works everywhere, costs both sides, and intermediary banks quietly deduct fees. If you use it, state who pays the charges.
Put the details on the invoice. "Bank details on request" adds a day to every payment.
4. Decide which exchange rate you book
You will need a rate twice: once to record the invoice, once when the money lands. They will differ, and the difference is a real gain or loss in your accounts.
Most jurisdictions accept the rate published by your central bank on the invoice date, or the rate your bank actually gave you. Pick one method and use it for everything — the inconsistency is what gets questioned, not the choice. See invoicing in a different currency for the detail.
5. Expect to be paid more slowly
Cross-border payments take longer for reasons that have nothing to do with your client's intentions: bank cut-off times, correspondent banking, and in some countries genuinely slower payment culture. Two practical responses: set 30 days rather than 14 so the term is realistic, and ask for a deposit on a first engagement — 30 to 50% up front is normal in international freelancing and nobody is offended by it.
6. Keep more paperwork than feels necessary
For each cross-border client keep the contract or engagement email, their VAT number and your validation of it, their address, and the invoice itself. If a tax authority ever asks why you did not charge VAT, the wording on the invoice is not the answer — the evidence behind it is.
A worked example
You are a freelance developer in Ireland. Your client is a company in Germany with a valid VAT number. You bill EUR 4,000.
- Currency: EUR, stated explicitly. No conversion needed, both in the euro area.
- VAT: none charged. Reverse charge applies — both VAT numbers on the invoice plus the statement that the recipient accounts for the VAT.
- Payment: SEPA transfer, IBAN on the invoice, 30 days.
- Records: VIES check saved with the invoice.
Change one variable — the client is a private individual, or the client is in the United States — and the tax treatment changes completely while everything else stays the same. That is the whole subject in one sentence.
From the makers of InvoiceAbroad
Built for the case this page describes
Multi-currency invoicing, invoices in your client’s language, the reverse charge wording handled, and one screen showing what is outstanding and since when. Flowzivo is a workspace for freelancers who bill across borders.
Try Flowzivo free for 30 days →30-day trial, no card required. $8/month after that.
Frequently asked questions
Which currency should I invoice a foreign client in?
Whichever you prefer, as long as it is stated explicitly in letters. Billing in the client's currency removes friction but puts the exchange risk on you; billing in yours does the opposite.
Do I charge VAT when invoicing a client in another country?
For services, usually not when the client is a business abroad — either reverse charge applies within the EU, or the supply is outside the scope of EU VAT. The invoice must say which, rather than showing an unexplained 0%.
What is the cheapest way to get paid from abroad?
Local bank details in the client's country, through a multi-currency account, so they make a domestic payment. SEPA is near free within the euro area. SWIFT wires are the most expensive and the least predictable.
Which exchange rate should I use on a foreign currency invoice?
Usually your central bank's published rate on the invoice date, or the rate your bank actually applied. Pick one method and apply it consistently — inconsistency is what raises questions.
Should I ask for a deposit from an international client?
It is normal practice, and 30 to 50% up front on a first engagement is widely accepted in international freelancing. It also tells you early whether the client can actually pay.