Documents for EPR registration, and when a notary is needed

Eldris needs six documents, uploaded in your portal after payment: your company certificate, a director's passport, any VAT certificates you hold, a signed power of attorney for each country, proof of your storefront and product photos. Most powers of attorney are signed online. Poland signs in ink, Italy may need a notary, and Spain's NIF power of attorney is notarised and apostilled. A seller selling directly to consumers in a country where it is not established appoints a packaging representative there under Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (the PPWR), Article 45(3). Eldris makes that appointment under your power of attorney.

The six documents, one by one

Every order starts with the same six documents, whichever countries you choose. Each one answers a different question about your business: who the company is, who signs for it, which tax numbers it holds, who may act for it, where it sells and what it sells.

The company certificate is a current extract from your commercial register, or your certificate of incorporation, as a PDF that shows the director's name. If it is not in English, upload the original with an English translation. A sole trader without a certificate sends equivalent proof of business registration, such as a tax registration extract or a VAT certificate. The director's passport is a colour scan with all corners visible, still valid, in the same name as the certificate. The VAT certificates cover every VAT number you list; if you hold none, write "n/a". The powers of attorney come from Eldris as pre-filled templates, one per country, once your portal form has been reviewed. Sign exactly as your name appears in your passport. Storefront proof is a link to each marketplace shop or webshop, or a screenshot. Product photos or datasheets show each electrical or battery product with its label or markings, so a register can check its category.

What you need before you pay

Only the countries you sell in and your product types. Those two answers are enough to show your exact price, line by line, on the pricing page and in the calculator. No document is asked for before you pay.

Documents come after payment, when your portal opens. Alongside the six uploads, the portal asks for your business details. They cover your legal name and form, registration number, registered address, tax and VAT numbers, EORI number, the signatory, brand names, storefront links, how you fulfil orders and any registrations you already hold. Estimated annual volumes, in units and weight, are acceptable at this stage; actual figures are reported later, once you have sales data from each marketplace. If you already hold registrations in some countries, say so before you pay by replying to your quote, so nothing is registered twice. The quote also carries a note for each country that adds paperwork, so you see every extra signature and certificate before you commit. The steps from quote to registration numbers are set out on the how it works page.

Does the power of attorney need a notary?

In most countries it does not: the power of attorney is signed online. Poland needs an ink signature, Italy may need a notary, and Spain's NIF power of attorney is notarised and apostilled. The country notes in your quote show which applies to you.

You sign one power of attorney per country, and Eldris appoints the authorised representative under it wherever the law requires one. For packaging, a seller selling directly to consumers where it is not established appoints that representative under Regulation (EU) 2025/40, Article 45(3). In Poland, you sign the power of attorney in ink and upload a scan. You then post the signed original, and Polish stamp duty of 17 zł applies. The first BDO filing is also signed by the holder of a Polish Profil Zaufany, and Eldris guides you through that step. In Italy, the power of attorney may need to be notarised, and Eldris confirms this before you sign. Spain asks the most when you hold no NIF, the Spanish tax number. Eldris prepares the NIF power of attorney from your details and sends it with instructions. You have it notarised and apostilled in your home country, and supply a sworn Spanish translation of your incorporation document. The Spanish NIF guide covers it.

Extra paperwork, country by country

Poland, Italy, France, Spain, Hungary, the UK and Ireland each add a document or a signature step. Germany and Sweden ask for your brand names instead. Every other country signs online and adds only a few questions in the portal.

Most countries also ask for numbers you already hold, such as a German number from the LUCID packaging register, to avoid a duplicate. UK accounts evidence turnover, one of the tests in the GOV.UK guidance on packaging EPR.

Why nothing is filed until the file is complete

Eldris files nothing until every document and signature is in. With a complete file, Eldris usually submits to the authorities within 48 hours of payment and your product information.

Each line on the pricing page shows an average time to register. It counts from the day Eldris has your complete documents and signed power of attorney. A gap in the file is therefore time lost before the clock even starts. Most gaps are small. A passport has expired, or its name differs from the company certificate. The certificate does not show the director. A VAT number is listed in the form without its certificate. The Polish original is still in the post, or the Spanish notary appointment has not yet happened. Check the passport's expiry date, and that one name matches on the passport, the certificate and every signature, before you upload. The Poland BDO guide covers the Polish register itself, and the short answer on the questions page sits with the others sellers ask.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an EU VAT number to start?

No. Upload the VAT certificates you hold, or write "n/a" if you hold none. Two notes apply. In France, electronics or batteries without an EU VAT number need a tax registration certificate from your home tax authority. In Spain, packaging needs a Spanish NIF, and Eldris obtains one if you hold none.

Does my company certificate need a translation?

Only if it is not in English: upload the original with an English translation. Spain's NIF step is different, because it needs a sworn Spanish translation of your incorporation document. Eldris provides the translator's contact, and you pay the translator directly.

Do I sign a separate power of attorney for each country?

Yes. Eldris sends a pre-filled template for each country once your portal form has been reviewed. Sign exactly as your name appears in your passport. France adds a separate Citeo mandate for packaging, which Eldris also prepares for you to sign.

Who signs the first BDO filing in Poland?

The holder of a Polish Profil Zaufany, and Eldris guides you through that step. It comes on top of the Polish power of attorney. That one you sign in ink, upload as a scan and post as the original, with Polish stamp duty of 17 zł.

What should the product photos show?

Each electrical or battery product with its label or markings, at least one photo per product. Datasheets are accepted instead of photos. A register may ask for them to check the category a product is registered under.