Official text (from the XML standard)
Document MUST not contain empty elements.Standard only · Source: Electronic Invoice XML Implementation Standard v1.2, 19 May 2023, §13.3.5, p. 68 · Checked: 26 October 2026
What it means
BR-KSA-F-03 is one of the validation rules for the e-invoice. In the XML standard only: the SDK does not report this rule, so it has no severity here.
How to fix it
The steps follow the wording of the rule only; we add nothing ZATCA did not say.
- Read the rule text above and find the element or value it talks about in the invoice XML.
- Correct the value or element in the XML, or in the POS setting that writes it, then generate the invoice again.
- This rule is in the standard only and the SDK does not report it, so check its wording in the standard before you change anything.
Rule family
BR-KSA-F-03 belongs to the BR-KSA-F family. In the XML Implementation Standard this family is section 13.3.5, titled KSA – formats (BR-KSA-F): the field formats specific to Saudi Arabia. Our data holds 45 rules of this family, 43 of them raised by ZATCA's SDK.
Source and verification
- ZATCA SDK 238-R3.3.8: no
- XML Implementation Standard: yes, section 13.3.5, p. 68
Verified on 26 October 2026. Source: Electronic Invoice XML Implementation Standard v1.2, 19 May 2023, §13.3.5, p. 68
This page is built from the reference’s open data: /codes.json. We add nothing of our own to it beyond the layout and the wording of the steps.
Related codes
From the same section of the standard (13.3.5 KSA – formats (BR-KSA-F)) or the same family:
- BR-KSA-F-01 A date MUST be formatted YYYY-MM-DD, in accordance to the "Calendar date complete…
- BR-KSA-F-02 Allowance/Charge Indicator value MUST equal to 'false'/’True’ respectively.
- BR-KSA-F-04 Negative amount or quantity
- BR-KSA-F-05 Prepayment Issue Time (KSA-29) must be in the format: hh:mm:ss for time expressed in local…
- BR-KSA-F-06 Minimum & Maximum character limits should be maintained as per data dictionary for every data…
Terms on this page
Keep going
Go back to the e-invoicing reference, see all rejection codes, or check your invoice file in the XML checker before you send it.
Frequently asked questions
What does BR-KSA-F-03 mean?
BR-KSA-F-03 is a rule in ZATCA's e-invoice validation. Its official text is: "Document MUST not contain empty elements."
Is the invoice rejected when BR-KSA-F-03 appears?
In the XML standard only: the SDK does not report this rule, so it has no severity here.
Where is BR-KSA-F-03 in ZATCA's documents?
ZATCA SDK 238-R3.3.8: no. XML Implementation Standard: yes, section 13.3.5 p. 68. We checked on 26 October 2026.
Last updated: 27 October 2026 · What we don't do · Methodology · Correct us · Changelog
First published 2026-10-27
First 500 restaurants, cafés, bakeries and sweet shops: a SAR 99 monthly cap.
Instead of SAR 149, per branch, for a full year. Free to join, no commitment.