Identify the substance
Establish substance identity (composition, impurities, analytical data) and the annual tonnage that will enter the EU.
Your REACH Only Representative for non-EU substance manufacturers
Every substance manufactured in or imported into the EU at 1 tonne or more per year per registrant must be registered with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) before it is placed on the market - "no data, no market" (Articles 5 and 6 of REACH).
The obligation falls on the EU manufacturer or the EU importer of the substance. A manufacturer established outside the EU cannot register itself, but it can appoint an Only Representative under Article 8 to register on behalf of its EU importers, who then become downstream users.
Establish substance identity (composition, impurities, analytical data) and the annual tonnage that will enter the EU.
Ask ECHA whether the substance is already registered and who the existing registrants are, so you can join the joint submission.
Agree access to the lead registrant's data - usually by buying a Letter of Access - under the data-sharing rules of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/9.
Prepare your member dossier in IUCLID with substance identity, tonnage band, uses and a reference to the joint data.
Submit the dossier and pay the ECHA fee. ECHA runs a completeness check before a registration number is issued.
Update the registration when tonnage band, uses, classification or composition change.
Companies registering the same substance submit jointly (Article 11). A lead registrant submits the shared data on hazards and classification; the other registrants (members) submit their own company-specific information and refer to the joint data. Most commercial substances are already registered, so a new registrant is almost always joining an existing joint submission rather than building a dossier from scratch. See SIEFs and Letters of Access.
1 tonne per year per manufacturer or importer. Below that, registration is not required, although other REACH and CLP obligations can still apply.
No. Registration is done by an EU manufacturer or importer, or by an Only Representative established in the EU and appointed by the non-EU manufacturer under Article 8.
Usually not. You join the existing joint submission as a member registrant, typically by buying a Letter of Access to the lead registrant's data.
ECHA checks the dossier for completeness and, once the fee is paid and the check passes, issues a registration number. ECHA may later evaluate the dossier and request more information.
What data your band requires.
How data sharing with existing registrants works.
We prepare the dossier and coordinate data sharing.
Note: This guide provides general information about Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (REACH), not legal advice. Specific obligations depend on your substance, tonnage and supply chain. Last reviewed 30 September 2026.
Tell us your substance, tonnage band and where your company is established. Before you sign a mandate, we tell you what the next step is.