Importing and exporting biocidal products and treated articles

Importing to Great Britain

If you are importing biocidal products or treated articles into Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland), you must comply with all relevant GB legislation before you place the product or treated article on the market.

Find out if the biocidal product[67] or treated article[68] you want to import complies with GB laws on biocides.

If you are importing biocidal products into Great Britain from Northern Ireland, you may need to notify HSE. Find out about unfettered access for biocides[69].

Placing on the market means making the product or treated article available on the market for the first time. This means the first act of supply of a biocidal product or treated article, whether in return for payment or free of charge. Some examples of this could include:

  • manufacturer to distributor, retail store or end user
  • importer to distributor, retailer or end user

You should find out if UK REACH applies[70] to the biocidal product or treated article you want to import.

If you are importing biocidal products or treated articles into Great Britain with the sole intention of re-exporting it outside of Great Britain, this is not considered as placing on the GB market where:

  • the biocidal product or treated article is not released for free circulation
  • has not left the stocks of the importer, for example, it's not supplied for distribution or use on the GB market

If the product or treated article is not placed on the market in GB prior to export, GB BPR does not apply.

Exporting to the EU or Northern Ireland

If you are exporting biocidal products or treated articles to Northern Ireland, the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, you must comply with all legislation applicable in that country, including the EU Biocidal Products Regulation (EU BPR).[71]

You may also need to comply with GB legislation such as GB Prior Informed Consent (GB PIC)[72] or specific customs and export rules[73].

Exporting to a non-EU country

If you are exporting biocidal products or treated articles outside of the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, you should check any relevant legislation in the importing country. You may be asked by the importing country to provide a Certificate of Free Sale (CFS) if you are exporting a biocidal product or an active substance.

A CFS is an official document confirming that the product complies with the relevant laws on biocides and may be freely sold across Great Britain. HSE can issue various CFS or Export Statements[74] depending on the status of the biocidal product or active substance, for example, whether it is already authorised or approved under GB BPR or being evaluated.

You may also need to comply with other GB legislation such as GB Prior Informed Consent (GB PIC)[75] or specific customs and export rules[76].

Link URLs in this page

  1. Biocideshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/index.htm
  2. Biocides: Introductionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/introduction.htm
  3. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/regulated/index.htm
  4. Biocides: active substance statushttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/checking/index.htm
  5. Importing and exportinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/importing.htm
  6. Certificates of Free Sale and Export Statementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/certificates-of-freesale.htm
  7. Treated articleshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/treated-articles.htm
  8. Monitoring trapshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/monitoring-traps.htm
  9. Article 3(3) decisions on scopehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/decisions-on-scope.htm
  10. In situ generationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/in-situ-generation.htm
  11. Get product on UK markethttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/market.htm
  12. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/using.htm
  13. Honey beeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/honey-bees.htm
  14. Rodenticideshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/rodenticides.htm
  15. Reporting exposurehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/reporting.htm
  16. Biocides enforcementhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/enforcement.htm
  17. Authorities and activitieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/enforcement-authorities.htm
  18. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/active-substance-approval.htm
  19. UK Review Programmehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/review-regulation.htm
  20. Active substances: How to applyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/how-to-apply.htm
  21. Simplified active substanceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/simplified-actives.htm
  22. The GB List of Active Substanceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/uk-list-active-substances.htm
  23. GB Article 95: The basicshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/uk-article-95-basics.htm
  24. GB Article 95: How to applyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/uk-article-95-how-to-apply.htm
  25. The GB Article 95 Listhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/uk-article-95-list.htm
  26. Technical equivalence of an active substancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/technical-equivalence.htm
  27. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/product-authorisation-overview.htm
  28. National authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/national-authorisation.htm
  29. Simplified authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/simplified-product-authorisation.htm
  30. Same biocidal product authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/same-biocidal-product.htm
  31. Change or cancel a biocidal product authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/change/index.htm
  32. Renew an existing product authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/renew.htm
  33. Research and developmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/research.htm
  34. Essential use authorisationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/essential-use-authorisation.htm
  35. Critical situation permitshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/critical-situation-permits.htm
  36. Food and feed derogationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/derogation.htm
  37. Unfettered access notificationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/unfettered-access-notification.htm
  38. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/uk-authorised-biocidal-products.htm
  39. Advertisement requirementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/advertisement-requirements.htm
  40. Packaging and labelling requirementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/packaging-labelling-requirements.htm
  41. Record keepinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/recording-keeping-reporting.htm
  42. Informing NPIShttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/informing-npis.htm
  43. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/data-protection.htm
  44. Access to documents: Biocidal active substances and productshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/access-to-documents.htm
  45. Data sharing in GBhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/data-sharing.htm
  46. Vertebrate testinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/vertebrate-testing.htm
  47. GB BPR feeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/fees.htm
  48. Biocides regulationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/regulations.htm
  49. Northern Irelandhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/northern-ireland.htm
  50. Existing products: Transfer to GB BPRhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/transfer-from-uk-national-law.htm
  51. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/index.htm
  52. COPR approval: how to applyhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/application.htm
  53. COPR product approval typeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/approvals.htm
  54. COPR approved productshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/approved.htm
  55. COPR feeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/fees.htm
  56. COPR labellinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/labelguidance.htm
  57. Conditions of approvalhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/copr/conditions.htm
  58. Open invitations and notificationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/open-invitations-notifications.htm
  59. Consultations and surveyshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/consultations.htm
  60. Consultations: Submitting informationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/consultations-submitting.htm
  61. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/information.htm
  62. Glossaryhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/glossary.htm
  63. Useful linkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/links.htm
  64. Contacthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/contact.htm
  65. Service standardshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/servicestandards.htm
  66. Temporary changes to GB biocides application processing timeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/temporary-changes-application-processing-time.htm
  67. biocidal producthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/checking/index.htm
  68. treated articlehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/treated-articles.htm
  69. Find out about unfettered access for biocideshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/unfettered-access-notification.htm
  70. find out if UK REACH applieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/reach/index.htm
  71. EU Biocidal Products Regulation (EU BPR).https://echa.europa.eu/regulations/biocidal-products-regulation/understanding-bpr
  72. GB Prior Informed Consent (GB PIC)https://www.hse.gov.uk/pic/index.htm
  73. customs and export ruleshttps://www.gov.uk/topic/business-tax/import-export
  74. CFS or Export Statementshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/certificates-of-freesale.htm
  75. GB Prior Informed Consent (GB PIC)https://www.hse.gov.uk/pic/index.htm
  76. customs and export ruleshttps://www.gov.uk/topic/business-tax/import-export

Glossary of abbreviations/acronyms on this page

COPR
Control of Pesticides Regulations

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Updated 2025-03-12