How to migrate from the DGI free facturador to FacturaHQ

Migrating from the DGI’s free facturador to a modern platform like FacturaHQ shouldn’t hurt. In most cases the full process takes 2 to 4 hours of effective work, spread across 2 days. This guide walks through each step.

Before you begin

Have these ready:

Qualified digital signature certificate (the .p12 file and password).
DGI credentials to download your document history if you want to.
Customer list (Excel, Numbers or CSV).
Product/service list with price, applicable ITBMS and internal code.
Company logo as transparent PNG or SVG.

You don’t need to shut down the free facturador during the process; you can keep it active in parallel until you issue your first production invoice on FacturaHQ.

Step 1 — Create your account

Go to facturahq.cloud and register your company with RUC and DV. The system automatically validates the data against the DGI to avoid transcription errors. This takes 5 minutes.

Step 2 — Upload your digital certificate

Upload your .p12 file and enter the password. FacturaHQ checks validity, confirms the certificate is accepted by the DGI and stores it encrypted. It is never shared outside your workspace.

Step 3 — Import customers and products

Download our Excel/CSV templates and paste your existing data:

Customers: name, RUC/ID, DV, address, email, withholding rate (if applicable).
Products/services: code, description, base price, ITBMS rate, unit, category.

Upload the templates and FacturaHQ will validate each row. If there are errors (invalid RUC format, for example), we’ll tell you exactly what to fix. On average a company with 200 customers and 100 products finishes this phase in 30-45 minutes.

Step 4 — Configure sequentials and series

The DGI assigns sequential ranges per series. If you were already issuing electronic documents, continue with the last number issued plus one. FacturaHQ configures it in a single field and blocks accidental reuse.

Step 5 — Customize the PDF representation

Upload your logo and pick accent colors. The PDF FacturaHQ generates includes:

Your company logo.
Issuer and recipient details.
Product line items and ITBMS.
CUFE and QR code linking to the DGI query.
Additional notes, payment method, bank account (optional).

Step 6 — Sandbox issuing

Before issuing in production, run at least 3 sandbox tests:

A B2B electronic invoice.
A receipt for an end consumer.
A credit note referencing a prior invoice.

Tests have no fiscal impact but validate the entire path to the DGI end-to-end.

Step 7 — Production activation

Confirm activation from your dashboard. From that moment every document issues with a real CUFE and is archived for 5 years. FacturaHQ emails you a confirmation with your first production invoice details.

What about documents issued before?

They remain valid and available on the DGI portal and in your own archive. If you want to consolidate everything in one place, you can import historical XMLs to FacturaHQ so they appear in your dashboard for easier later lookup. This is optional.

Common migration mistakes

Reusing sequentials. The DGI rejects if the number was already used.
Skipping the sandbox. Issuing straight to production forces you to void your first invoice if the logo came out wrong.
Not notifying B2B customers. If some corporate clients had your invoice configured in their system, it’s good practice to tell them about the new format.
Leaving the certificate on a single computer. Upload the .p12 to FacturaHQ and keep a safe backup; don’t live on the edge of losing it.

Human support during migration

If you’re a business with more than 500 invoices/month or need a bulk historical import, our team offers a free 60-minute video onboarding session. Email support@facturahq.cloud and we’ll coordinate.

Migrating is less dramatic than it looks. In one or two days your business will be issuing modern SFEP — with contingency mode, mobile and API — without losing a single document from the past.