This article lists error messages you might see if a salary data import fails. It explains why each error message happens and offers ways to fix them. For additional information about salary-related topics, refer to our dedicated article on frequently asked questions on salaries.
Before you start
Permissions: Salary imports can only be conducted by Administrators. For more information on importing salary data, refer to our dedicated article on this topic.
Pre-import setup issues
Check your import type selection
Issue: Wrong import type was selected for salary data import. Salary import types (recurring, fixed and hourly) and one-time compensations are separate import processes that cannot be mixed.
Solution: Identify whether you need to import recurring/fixed/hourly salaries or one-time compensations. Select the appropriate import type for your data when using the import function in Personio. Do not attempt to mix different salary types in a single import.
Ensure you use official templates
Issue: A customized template was used. It is necessary to use the templates given in Personio to conduct a correct import.
Solution: Download the official Personio import templates. Use only these templates for your salary data imports. Do not modify the template structure or create custom formats.
Check compensation type setup
Issue: The salary list is imported, but not all compensation types that are required have been created in Personio before the import.
Solution: Before doing the import, first go to Settings > Payroll > Compensation and set up all recurring compensation types or one-time compensations that are paid to your employees. Find out more about how to create and manage recurring compensation and one-time compensations in Personio.
Ensure salary types are properly configured
Issue: Salaries cannot be mapped after doing the import.
Solution: Go to Settings > Payroll > Compensation. Verify that the required salary type is created in the system. Ensure the name in Excel matches exactly what is configured in the system.
Data validation and formatting issues
Check your file format
Issue: You receive the error message "Invalid number value - This number cannot have thousand separators" during import.
Solution: Save the file with CSV UTF-8 format.
Check thousand separator format
Issue: You receive the error message "Invalid number value - This number cannot have thousand separators" during import.
Solution: This error occurs when you use the wrong thousand separator for your company's language settings. The separator must match your company language (not your personal language settings).
Use the correct format based on your company language:
- English: Use dot as decimal separator (e.g., 4500.50)
- German: Use comma as decimal separator (e.g., 4500,50)
Update your import file to use the correct separator format and try the import again.
Check email address accuracy
Issue: Email addresses in the import file may not match those in employee profiles. It is important to check email addresses for accuracy.
Solution: Verify that email addresses in your import file match exactly with those in employee profiles. Check for spelling errors or formatting issues in email addresses. Ensure all employees in the import file exist in the system.
Ensure employee exists in the system
Issue: With imports, the email address usually serves as the unique ID that is needed to identify the employee profiles and to assign the data correctly. If an error message appears, your Excel file contains email addresses that cannot be found in Personio. This can be due to typing or spelling errors or because the employee profile does not exist.
Solution: Verify that the email addresses in both Personio and in the Excel file are correct and that all employees whose salaries you want to import are in the system.
Check Excel cell formatting
Issue: Recurring compensations and one-time compensations cannot be mapped. Formatting issues may have occurred.
Solution: Select the salary sum columns in your Excel file. Format these cells as TEXT format. Verify that numerical values are properly formatted as text before importing.
Ensure valid date values
Issue: If in the column Month, values are outside 1-12, or if values for the column Year are smaller than 1, the import is not possible and an error message is shown.
Solution: Enter values between 1 and 12 for the months and bigger than 1 for the year to the import file.
Import conflicts and restrictions
Check for duplicate date entries
Issue: Multiple entries for the same date cause conflicts. New compensation gets added on top and is not overwritten if compensation was not stopped.
Solution: The import system allows only one entry per date and overwriting existing entries is not possible. Check your import file to ensure there is only one entry per date for each employee before attempting the import. To stop the regular payment of a recurring compensation in Personio, you need to set the payment amount to 0 at your desired date.
Ensure custom bonus activation
Issue: A custom bonus was imported, but the custom bonus had not been activated in the employee profile before the import.
Solution: Before importing a bonus, the custom bonus must be activated in the employee profile. To find out more about this, read our Help Center article on importing salaries.
Ensure custom bonus dates match the configured period
Issue: You receive the error message "External validation error - The valid from dates don't match the custom bonus period set for this employee" during import.
Solution: This error occurs when the "valid from" date in your import file doesn't match the custom bonus period configured in the employee profile. Choose the correct "valid from" date in the import file so that it matches exactly with the date chosen for the bonus.
Example: If you set up a custom bonus with a start date of 01-07-2025, ensure your import file uses 01-07-2025 as the "valid from" date, not e.g. 01-01-2025.
Check bonus feature activation
Issue: Bonus doesn't appear in employee profile after import.
Solution: Go to the employee profile for each employee receiving bonuses. Verify that the bonus feature is activated for that employee. Activate the bonus in the employee profile before importing bonus data.