Which EU countries make you appoint a local representative?

Question

Accepted Answer

More than you'd guess — and EU-based sellers need them too. Six countries required one for every foreign seller before the EU rules did, five let you join the national scheme directly instead, and the EU rules now expect one everywhere for posted orders. France, Croatia, Hungary, Estonia, Slovenia and Greece required a local representative from any seller based abroad before the EU rules arrived. An EU base does not help. In Croatia, Estonia and Slovenia you cannot even use the register yourself — only the representative can file. Hungary's representative must hold a Hungarian tax number, and Greece needs one with a Greek tax number to hold the register entry. Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania and Luxembourg let a UK business comply without a representative: you join the national scheme directly, or in Lithuania you can register in the GPAIS system yourself. Watch the mirror rule: in Denmark and Finland it is sellers based in the EU who must appoint a representative — the opposite of what most guides assume. Slovakia sits in between. Under 100 kg of packaging a year no representative is needed; over it, one established in Slovakia is compulsory. The EU packaging rules expect any seller posting orders to customers in a country where it is not based to appoint a representative there. As written, that covers UK sellers, not only EU ones. One country, one representative: they must be established in the country you sell into. There is no EU-wide appointment. Several countries have not built the machinery yet — Latvia, Lithuania and Luxembourg say the current national route applies meanwhile. Check the country page before paying anyone. Romania has no route for foreign sellers at all yet, and Bulgaria has not published how a UK business registers. Cyprus expects a representative but its pages do not say how foreign sellers are handled. Each country page in our directory carries the current position, with sources and a review date.

Which EU countries make you appoint a local representative?

Required for every foreign seller, EU-based or not

Your choice — join the scheme directly instead

What the EU rules changed on 12 August 2026

Where it is still unsettled