You can sell on Amazon Germany from UK stock or from EU warehouses, but four things need to be in place before you launch: the right VAT set-up, a LUCID packaging registration, GPSR-compliant listing data and a fulfilment model that suits your prices. This checklist takes UK brand owners through each one in a practical order, with links to the official sources so you can check the detail yourself.
German consumer, packaging and product safety rules are detailed, and Amazon is legally required to enforce several of them. Missing or invalid compliance data can lead to restricted or removed offers, so it pays to get the groundwork done before your first shipment.
Key dates for UK sellers in 2026 and 2027
- 1 July 2026: the EU duty exemption for low-value imports ends and a €3 customs duty applies to items shipped directly from outside the EU.
- 12 August 2026: the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and Germany’s VerpackDG replace the old Packaging Act (VerpackG).
- 1 September 2026: Amazon.de shortens its voluntary return window to 14 days in more categories.
- 3 September 2026: Netherlands listings become required for Pan-European FBA, according to Amazon’s current page.
- 26 February 2027: Belgium listings become required for Pan-European FBA.
1. Choose how your stock will reach German customers
Your fulfilment model decides most of what follows, including whether you need a German VAT number. UK sellers have three realistic routes into Amazon.de.
| Model | Where stock sits | German VAT number |
|---|---|---|
| Remote Fulfilment with FBA | UK fulfilment centre | Not needed in the destination store |
| FBA in Germany or Pan-European FBA | EU fulfilment centres | Yes, in each country where stock is stored |
| Merchant fulfilled from the UK | Your own UK warehouse | Depends on how customs and VAT are handled: ask your adviser |
With Remote Fulfilment, your stock stays in the UK and Amazon collects VAT and import duties from the customer at checkout. The customer is the importer of record. There is a price cap of €135 or £122 per ASIN, and returns go back to the fulfilment centre the order shipped from.
The picture changed on 1 July 2026. As reported by ChannelX, a €3 customs duty now applies per item on low-value shipments sent directly from outside the EU, and for Remote Fulfilment Amazon adds it to the customer-facing price.
Merchant-fulfilled sellers shipping these orders must use an Amazon-approved carrier authorised to use Amazon’s IOSS number and ship duty paid (DDP). Amazon recommends that sellers consider holding EU inventory. We compare both routes in detail in Remote Fulfilment vs Pan-European FBA for UK sellers.
2. Get your VAT position right
On the UK side, Great Britain businesses selling goods to EU customers do not charge UK VAT on those exports, according to gov.uk. The German side needs more planning.
When you need a German VAT registration
The Berlin ServicePortal states that non-EU businesses making supplies in Germany, including through an electronic marketplace, must register for tax there. Triggers include selling to German buyers from a German warehouse, from another EU warehouse, or from outside the EU where you handle customs and taxation yourself. Registration carries no fees.
UK-resident businesses are handled by Finanzamt Hannover-Nord. Amazon also requires a VAT number in each country where your stock is held, so Pan-European FBA usually means several registrations.
The marketplace as “deemed supplier”
Where a non-EU seller ships goods from an EU warehouse to a German consumer through a marketplace, the marketplace becomes the supplier and the VAT debtor. Your supply to Amazon is exempt, but you still have registration and declaration duties. Ask your tax adviser how it applies to your set-up.
Other VAT points to check
- Amazon’s VAT Services on Amazon programme ended on 31 October 2024, so you need your own tax provider.
- Amazon notes that non-EU sellers may need a fiscal representative in some EU countries. Check with your adviser whether this applies in each country you store stock.
3. Register your packaging in LUCID
Any business that first places packaged goods on the German market must be registered in the LUCID packaging register, including companies based abroad. Registration is free, and the register is public.
Since 12 August 2026, a foreign company is treated as the producer if it ships directly from abroad to end users in Germany. Foreign producers in that position, with no German branch, must now appoint an authorised representative and name it in LUCID. A company whose brand is on the packaging counts as both manufacturer and producer.
Amazon requires your 13-digit LUCID number in its EPR compliance portal and may deactivate offers where the data is missing or invalid. For the full process, read our guide to LUCID registration and Germany’s new packaging law.
Electrical goods and batteries
If you sell electrical or electronic equipment, Amazon.de also requires registration with stiftung ear under the ElektroG. Batteries have their own regime: Germany’s BattDG took effect on 7 October 2025, and companies without a seat in Germany need a German-based authorised representative.
4. Make every listing GPSR compliant
The EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) has applied since 13 December 2024. Under Article 19, each online offer must show the manufacturer’s name and postal and electronic address. If the manufacturer is not established in the EU, it must also show an EU responsible person.
Listings also need a product image, identifiers, and warnings and safety information in a language consumers in the country of sale easily understand. For Amazon.de, that means German. Our GPSR guide for Amazon and marketplace sellers covers the responsible person options in detail.
5. Localise for German consumer rules
A translated UK listing is not enough on its own. Germany has specific pricing and seller information rules that apply to marketplace offers too.
- Unit price (Grundpreis): goods sold by weight, volume, length or area must show a unit price, generally per kilogram or litre, visible at a glance next to the total price.
- Price reductions: a discount must refer to the lowest price of the previous 30 days.
- Impressum: under § 5 DDG, your seller information must include your company name and legal form, a street address, email plus a second fast contact channel, your representative, register details and VAT ID where applicable. Fines can reach €50,000, but the bigger practical risk is a warning letter from a competitor.
- German-language content: Amazon’s Build International Listings and European Expansion Accelerator tools help create cross-store listings, but machine translation is a starting point, not a finished German listing.
Good German copy also matters for advertising. Keywords that work on Amazon.co.uk rarely translate directly, which is why our Amazon PPC management builds German campaigns from German search terms.
6. Plan for returns and fees
From 1 September 2026, Amazon.de cut its voluntary 30-day return guarantee to 14 days in a further group of categories. The statutory 14-day withdrawal right still applies separately. See our guide to the Amazon.de return policy in 2026.
Build current fees into your pricing. Amazon added a 1.5% fuel and logistics surcharge to FBA shipping fees from 17 April 2026, and the Professional selling plan is listed at €39 per month (excluding VAT) on Amazon’s EU pages.
Your launch checklist
- Choose your fulfilment model: Remote Fulfilment, FBA in Germany, Pan-European FBA or merchant fulfilled.
- Confirm your VAT obligations with an adviser and register in Germany if required.
- Register in LUCID, join a packaging system and appoint an authorised representative if you ship directly from abroad.
- Enter your LUCID number (and stiftung ear number for electrical goods) in Amazon’s EPR portal.
- Appoint an EU responsible person and add GPSR data and German safety information to every listing.
- Create German listings with correct unit prices and a complete Impressum.
- Set up German PPC campaigns and a plan for German-language customer service.
- Review your return settings against Amazon.de’s current policy.
If you plan to expand beyond Amazon, Germany’s other large marketplaces have their own onboarding rules. See our EU marketplace management service for Otto, Kaufland and more.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a German VAT number to sell on Amazon.de from the UK?
Not if you use Remote Fulfilment from UK stock, because Amazon collects VAT and duties at checkout. If you store stock in Germany or elsewhere in the EU, Amazon requires a VAT number in each storage country, and German registration rules may also apply.
Does LUCID registration apply to UK companies?
Yes. Any company that first places packaged goods on the German market must register, including companies abroad. Since 12 August 2026, foreign producers shipping directly to German end users must also appoint an authorised representative.
Is Remote Fulfilment still worth using after July 2026?
It can be for testing demand or for products under the €135 price cap. However, the €3 duty on low-value imports is now added to the customer price, so compare it against holding stock in the EU.
Do my Amazon.de listings have to be in German?
GPSR requires safety warnings and information in a language consumers in the country of sale easily understand, which for Germany means German. A full German listing, not a partial translation, is the safest approach and gives German shoppers the information they expect.
Not legal or tax advice. Rules change often, so confirm your obligations with a qualified adviser before you launch.
Expanding into Germany or the Netherlands? Our team handles listings, compliance data and daily account management across Amazon and 30+ European marketplaces.
