Delivery Note Template (Lieferschein)

With this free delivery note template (German: Lieferschein) you create a complete delivery document in minutes – as a blank fillable PDF, a Word document you can adapt to your company layout, or an Excel sheet with automatic quantity totals. For cross-border shipments there is a bilingual German/English version with every field label in both languages.

Word, Excel, or blank PDF – which version fits?

• Word is the right choice when the delivery note should carry your company layout: insert the logo, adjust the footer, save it as your own template.
• Excel pays off with many line items: quantities total automatically, and recurring articles can be copied instead of re-typed.
• The blank PDF is fastest: print it or fill it in on screen – ideal for one-offs and the clipboard in the vehicle.
• The bilingual version (German/English) is the one for international shipments.

Standard fields: what belongs on a delivery note?

German law does not prescribe a fixed format, but these fields are standard practice – and all template variants include them:

• Name and address of sender and recipient
• Delivery note number plus order or purchase-order number
• Delivery date and shipping method
• Line items with description, article number, and quantity
• Notes on partial deliveries or remaining quantities
• Signature fields for handover and acceptance

For the legal background – what a Lieferschein is and how long it must be retained – see our glossary entry Lieferschein.

How to fill in the template

1. Complete the header: sender (your company) and recipient with full addresses.
2. Assign numbers: use a consecutive delivery note number and carry over the customer's purchase-order or reference number so goods-in can match the shipment instantly.
3. List the items: one line per article with quantity and unit. The Excel version totals quantities automatically.
4. Document the handover: collect the recipient's signature and date on delivery – the signed delivery note is your proof of handover.

Delivery note or invoice?

Both documents belong to the same delivery but do different jobs: the delivery note accompanies the goods and documents what was handed over in which quantity – deliberately without prices. The invoice requests payment and must contain the mandatory VAT details under § 14 UStG, such as tax number, amount, and VAT. In practice, goods-in checks against the delivery note and accounting checks against the invoice – which is why both should reference each other via purchase-order and delivery note numbers.

Why bilingual matters

As soon as goods cross a border, recipients, customs brokers, and warehouse teams expect an English-language document. The bilingual variant shows German and English field labels side by side – you fill in one document and both sides understand it.

Paper delivery note or digital?

The template is the fastest way to a correct paper delivery note. Once you deliver regularly, going digital pays off: the driver captures signature, photos, and timestamps right at the handover, and dispatch and accounting see the proof of delivery immediately – nothing gets lost, nothing needs re-typing.