Cosmetics regulations and requirements

Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition

From 27th of September 2026, the rules of the EU’s Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (ECGT) Directive will apply.

• This law affects labelling and advertising by regulating durability and repairability of goods and consumers’ legal guarantee rights.
• ECGT also strengthens greenwashing rules by banning vague environmental claims and prohibiting companies from making green claims unless verified by third party certification.
• ECGT also regulates early obsolescence practices.
• While this will not be transposed to UK law, you will need to comply with the new rules if exporting to the EU.

Deforestation Directive

• On the 29th of June 2023, the EU Deforestation Directive entered into force, calling for businesses to conduct due diligence and provide evidence that ‘forest risk’ commodities imported into, exported from, and made available on the EU market are legal and deforestation-free.
• However, compliance enforcement has been delayed until 30 December 2026 for large corporations and until 30 June 2027 for small businesses.

European Accessibility Act 

• If you sell goods or services to the EU from the UK and have more than 10 staff and €2 million (approximately £1.7 million) in annual turnover or annual balance sheet total, you must comply with the European Accessibility Act.

Customs, duties and declarations

Brexit

• The HMRC usefully has all its Brexit-related communications in one place. You can find them here.
• Sign up to receive the latest Government news on Brexit. Responsible Person

• All products sold must have a designated Responsible Person – a legal EU-based entity legally responsible for product compliance.
• The Responsible Person needs to ensure that your product has a compliant Product Information File (PIF) and meets relevant labelling, ingredient and testing requirements.

Cosmetic Products Notification Portal

• Prior to placing your cosmetic product on the EU market, you must notify it through the Cosmetic Products Notification Portal (CPNP).
• This must be done by or on behalf of the Responsible Person.
• You need to include product name, category, ingredients (in the correct INCI  format) and country of origin.

Import Control System 2 

• From the start of 2026, EU member states will have transitioned from the old ICS system to ICS2. If exporting to the EU or moving goods to Northern Ireland, you will need to use the new ICS2 system for submitting Safety and Security declarations, ENS declarations, arrivals notifications, and presentation of goods notifications. ICS2 requires more data than the old ICS, so you will now need the 6-digit Harmonized System codes and EORI numbers.
• To submit declarations into the ICS2, you can use the Trader Support Service.

Northern Ireland If you are importing goods into Northern Ireland, check the steps you need to take here. You can also find out about the Windsor Framework here.

Additional requirements when exporting to Spain

• Spain requires an additional administrative step for those importing cosmetics into the country.
• The importer will need to complete a Responsibility Declaration (Declaracion Responsable) and submit it to the AEMPS (Agencia Espanola de Mediamentos y Productos Sanitarios) prior to starting your operations.
• The Responsible Declaration reflects the company’s data, as well as the warehouses used for the import and the technician who is responsible for the whole process.
• Once the Responsible Declaration has been submitted, and before importing, it is necessary to register the product in the European Notification Portal CPNP.

Importing goods from the EU

• You must ensure that your EU suppliers can establish the origins of goods and make an exporter’s declaration so your goods can enter Great Britain tariff-free.
• From January 31 2025, any goods coming into Great Britain from the EU will require a safety and security declaration, known as the Entry Summary Declaration. Goods must be declared before they arrive in the UK to avoid fees and other penalties.
• If you already submit safety and security declarations to countries outside the EU (‘rest of the world’) then you do not need to make any changes.
• Declarations should be submitted to Safety and Security Great Britain (S&S GB).
• In order to submit, you will need a Government Gateway account and a Great Britain Economic Registration and Identification (EORI) number. You will also need a compatible software system or Community System Provider.
• Businesses should be aware that carriers and haulers are legally responsible for submitting declarations, but this responsibility can be delegated elsewhere in the supply chain if agreed in advance by all parties.
• On 1 October 2024, legislation came into effect that allowed the continued recognition of EU requirements for products placed on the GB market, including CE marking. It applies to product areas covered by the Product Safety and Metrology etc. (Amendment) Regulations 2024.
• This means that suppliers can now decide between using CE or UKCA marking, depending on what is most suitable for their products. The full guidance on CE and UKCA product marking can be accessed via this link.
• Find out more about customs declaration completion requirements when using the CHIEF and Customs Declaration Service (CDS) trade tariffs to import and export goods to and from Great Britain after the transition period.

Intellectual property

Intellectual property (IP) rights are territorial and rights granted in the UK do not provide protection elsewhere. You should consider getting IP protection abroad if you want to trade overseas or sell to overseas customers via the internet.

The good news is that the EU offers streamlined routes to do this: a single EU Trade Mark (EUTM) application through the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) provides protection across all 27 member states in one step. For patents, the European Patent Office (EPO) offers equivalent coverage.

The UK’s Intellectual Property Office provides practical information to help you protect, manage and enforce your IP abroad. Further support for British businesses can be found through a network of IP attachés, based in key UK export markets.

Travel and immigration

If you travel to the EU for work purposes, you may need a visa or work permit. Learn about extra business travel requirements.

Ensure your staff are able to continue to practise and provide services to clients in the UK by ensuring their professional qualification(s) are recognised by their professional body in the UK:

• Get your EU professional qualification recognised in the UK
• Selling services to the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein

If you want to hire anyone from outside the UK, you must be a Home Office-licensed sponsor. This includes recruiting people from the EU.

Anyone coming to the UK to work will need a job offer from a licensed sponsor in advance, and will need to meet certain skills and salary criteria. Find out more about the UK Government’s points-based immigration system here.

EU nationals (Irish citizens exempted) travelling to the UK without a visa now need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). The ETA allows for multiple entries over 2 years, including for business purposes. Strict enforcement of these rules began in February 2026.

EU nationals can also come to the UK on a 3-month Creative Worker visa concession.

Living and working in the EU, EEA EFTA, Switzerland and Ireland depends on the rules in that country.

You may need to take action such as:

• register or apply for residency
• check that you are covered for healthcare
• exchange your UK driving licence for a licence issued by the EU country where you live.

The Government has prepared living in country guides

Resources

• Information for businesses based in the EU about trading with the UK
• Up-to-date information on tariffs, taxes and rules
• Information on CE and UKCA product marking and EU-UK essential product requirements