Question 1

What does the Licences Checker cover today?

Accepted Answer

Two regimes, straight from the source data. Export: the EU dual-use control list (Regulation (EU) 2021/821 Annex I), searchable by ECCN or keyword. Import: the EU import prohibitions, restrictions, surveillance and sanitary/phytosanitary controls that TARIC attaches to your HS code and origin. Other regimes — REACH, CITES, FLEGT, CE marking — are on the roadmap; for those today, the AI Customs Broker can already assess applicability. Coverage of the import measures reflects our TARIC dataset and is not a substitute for the full EU Access2Markets check.

Question 2

What is an EU dual-use export licence?

Accepted Answer

Dual-use items are goods, software, or technology that have both civilian and military applications. Their export from the EU is regulated by Regulation (EU) 2021/821. Items listed in Annex I of the regulation require an export authorisation from the competent national authority; the catch-all clauses can extend the requirement to items not on the list where the end use is military or weapons-of-mass-destruction related.

Question 3

What is REACH and when does it apply?

Accepted Answer

REACH is Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. It applies to manufacturers and importers of chemical substances into the EU above one tonne per year. Annex XIV (authorisation list) and Annex XVII (restriction list) impose stricter controls on substances of very high concern.

Question 4

What is a CITES permit?

Accepted Answer

CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) is implemented in the EU by Council Regulation (EC) 338/97. Trade in listed species or derived products (including timber, leather, plant materials, and some food products) requires a CITES import permit, export permit, or re-export certificate issued by the competent national authority.

Question 5

When is CE marking required?

Accepted Answer

CE marking applies to products covered by one of approximately 25 EU "New Approach" directives or regulations — including toys, machinery, low-voltage electrical equipment, personal protective equipment, radio equipment, medical devices, and others. The marking is a manufacturer's declaration of conformity with the essential requirements; it is required before the product is placed on the EU market.

Question 6

Does the tool cover non-EU import licences?

Accepted Answer

The Licences Checker covers EU-side requirements — what licences the EU requires for the import or export. For licences required by the destination country in the case of EU exports, the Access to Markets tool is the official EU resource. Dutifi may add destination-country licence coverage in a future release.

Question 7

What is the difference between a licence and a certificate?

Accepted Answer

A licence is a permission to import or export specific goods, typically issued by a competent national authority on application. A certificate is a document confirming a fact about the goods — origin, species, sanitary status, conformity to a standard — that may be required at the border but does not in itself permit the trade. A shipment may need both.

Question 8

How long does it take to obtain an EU import licence?

Accepted Answer

Lead times vary widely by regime. Sanitary and phytosanitary certificates can be issued within days. CITES permits typically take two to six weeks. Dual-use export authorisations can take 30 to 90 days depending on the complexity of the case. REACH registration is a multi-month process for new substances. Pre-shipment planning matters.

EU Export Controls & Import Licences Checker

EU export controls and import measures, checked

Frequently asked questions

Answers to common questions