Short answer
Generally an e-way bill is needed when goods worth more than ₹50,000 move in a vehicle, whether for a sale, a return or a transfer. Services do not need one. Only the government e-way bill portal, or an approved service provider, can create it, not your invoice software. Some goods and short trips are exempt, and states set their own limit for movement inside the state, so confirm yours. The free GST invoice generator on this site gets every field ready.
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When you need one
The test is the value of the consignment, the goods on the invoice including tax, against ₹50,000. Above it, goods in a vehicle usually need an e-way bill. Services never do.
Exemptions exist for certain goods and for some short movements, and states set their own limit for trips inside the state. Check the current rule for your state and goods, or ask your accountant, before you assume you are exempt.
What to have ready
Part A is the consignment: your GSTIN, the customer's GSTIN, the invoice number and date, each item with its HSN code, quantity, unit and taxable value, the tax, the invoice total, both PIN codes and the approximate distance.
Part B is the vehicle: its number and the mode of transport. It can be added or changed after Part A, for example when the truck is assigned. A transporter's ID can replace the vehicle number at the start.
Try it now: E-way Bill Validity Calculator → · GST Invoice Generator →
How to create it
Sign in to the e-way bill portal with your e-way bill login and choose to generate a new e-way bill. Enter the details one by one. For many invoices, use the bulk generation page and upload one JSON file, and the portal creates them in turn and shows the result for each.
If your business is on e-invoicing, the e-way bill is created from the e-invoice, not separately. Accounting software and approved service providers can also create it through the portal's API.
How long it stays valid
For normal cargo the e-way bill is valid for 1 day for every 200 km, or part of it. So 850 km gives 5 days. For over dimensional cargo it is 1 day for every 20 km or part of it. The time counts from when the e-way bill is created.
Rules change, so confirm the current figures on the portal. If the goods cannot arrive in time, the rules allow an extension in certain cases, which must be done as the portal describes.
Mistakes that get it rejected
A PIN code that does not belong to the state chosen, a distance far above what the portal calculates between the two PIN codes, the same PIN code at both ends with a distance over 100 km, an HSN code with too few digits, a tax split that does not match the states (CGST and SGST inside a state, IGST between states), and a second e-way bill for an invoice number that already has one.
A mistyped GSTIN is another common one. The generator on this site checks the last character of a GSTIN so most typos are caught before you reach the portal.