Free tool

Verify a CUFE in Panama

Paste the CUFE or the QR-code link from your electronic invoice. The tool validates the format, shows what it can read from the code, and takes you to the official DGI verification, the only one that confirms whether an invoice is a valid tax document.

Paste your CUFE or the QR link

Accepts the CUFE code printed on the invoice, or the full link that the QR code opens (dgi-fep.mef.gob.pa).

This tool checks the format and builds the official DGI link for your CUFE. It does not query or store your data: the link is built in your browser. Only the DGI confirms the authenticity and registration of an electronic invoice.

What this tool does (and does not do)

Truly verifying a CUFE means asking the DGI. So this tool:

  • Validates the format of the CUFE or the link, and extracts the CUFE even if you paste the full QR-code link.
  • Opens the invoice at the DGI: it takes you to the official DGI page with the invoice loaded (issuer, date, amount and status), by CUFE or from the QR link.
  • The confirmation comes from the DGI, not from this tool: the link opens the official DGI page, which shows whether the invoice is registered and authorized. If it cannot find the CUFE, the invoice is not valid.

Fast path: the QR code

  1. Scan the QR code printed on the invoice (the CAFE) with your phone.
  2. The DGI portal opens with the invoice already loaded.
  3. Check issuer, recipient, date, amount and status (accepted or voided).

Manual path: the CUFE code

  1. Go to the DGI portal: dgi-fep.mef.gob.pa.
  2. Open the Facturas por CUFE lookup.
  3. Enter the CUFE shown at the top of the CAFE.
  4. If the DGI cannot find it, the invoice is not valid.

What is a CUFE?

The CUFE (Codigo Unico de Factura Electronica, or Unique Electronic Invoice Code) is a unique alphanumeric identifier that the DGI, through an authorized PAC, assigns to every electronic invoice the moment it is issued under Law 256 of 2021. It encodes invoice data (document type, issuer RUC, numbering, date) plus a security seal, so no two invoices ever share the same CUFE. An invoice without a valid CUFE is not accepted as a tax document in Panama. For the full picture, see our guide on electronic invoicing in Panama.

Why it matters

If you receive an invoice to claim ITBMS or support a deductible expense, that invoice only counts if it is registered with the DGI. An invoice with a non-existent CUFE, or one issued in a test environment, has no tax validity: you cannot deduct it, and it leaves you exposed in an audit. Verifying before you pay or file is the simplest way to avoid that problem.

How it works in cifraHQ

You don't have to copy and paste the CUFE. In cifraHQ the CUFE, the DGI authorization and the QR come on every invoice, and the RUC is validated against the DGI before you issue.

DGI authorization panel on a cifraHQ invoice: CUFE, authorization number, date, verification QR, and Verify at DGI Portal and Download Signed XML buttons

The CUFE and QR, on every invoice

Every cifraHQ invoice carries the CUFE, the authorization number, the date and the DGI verification QR, with buttons to verify in the DGI portal and download the signed XML. Straight from the invoice, no manual steps.

Validates the RUC against the DGI

While invoicing you type the RUC and cifraHQ queries the DGI and brings back the customer's legal name automatically. If the RUC does not exist or does not match, you know before you issue, not after: fewer errors and fewer rejected invoices.

Frequently asked questions

How do I verify whether a CUFE is valid in Panama?

There are two official ways. The fastest is to scan the QR code printed on the invoice (the CAFE): it takes you straight to the DGI portal with the invoice already loaded. The other is to go to the DGI portal (dgi-fep.mef.gob.pa) and use the Facturas por CUFE lookup, entering the CUFE code. If the DGI shows the issuer, date and amount, the invoice is authentic; if it cannot find it, the invoice is not valid.

Does this tool confirm that my invoice is registered with the DGI?

No on its own. The tool builds the official DGI link for your CUFE and opens the invoice in the DGI portal; the DGI is what confirms it is registered and authorized. If the portal cannot find the CUFE, the invoice is not valid.

Where do I find the CUFE on my invoice?

The CUFE (Codigo Unico de Factura Electronica) is printed on the CAFE (the auxiliary printout of the electronic invoice), usually at the top, as a long alphanumeric string. It is also encoded inside the invoice's QR code.

What if the invoice does not appear in the DGI portal?

If the DGI portal cannot find the CUFE, that invoice is not a valid tax document in Panama. Do not use it to claim ITBMS or as a deductible expense. Ask the supplier to void it and reissue a correct electronic invoice through the DGI system.

Can I verify a CUFE without the QR code?

Yes. You can look up the CUFE code directly in the DGI portal using the Facturas por CUFE option. The QR code is simply the fastest route, because it includes the direct link to the verification already loaded.

Who generates the CUFE, the company or the DGI?

The CUFE is generated by the DGI through an authorized PAC at the moment the invoice is issued. The company does not assign it manually: the code is derived from the invoice data, which makes it unique and impossible to duplicate.

Does your business issue invoices with a CUFE?

cifraHQ generates the CUFE automatically through an authorized PAC (Alanube and WebPOS) when you issue, and validates the CUFE on invoices you receive, with no manual steps. And with pay-per-use folios: you only pay for what you issue. See it with your own invoices.

Talk to a partner See DGI electronic invoicing