I already have a German LUCID number. What else do I need?

A German LUCID number alone is not enough. German packaging also needs you to join a dual system.

A business not established in Germany needs an authorised representative too. Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (the PPWR), Article 45(3), sets that rule. You then declare the quantities you place on the market for each period.

LUCID registration is free. So a LUCID number does not change the German packaging price. The service charges for the representative and for the dual system.

Eldris arranges both and files the declarations. The LUCID step is the part you have already done.

What a LUCID number is, and what it is not

LUCID is Germany's packaging register. Registering in it is free.

The register is the first German packaging duty, not the whole of it. A seller of packaged products to German consumers registers in the LUCID packaging register. It also joins a dual system for that packaging.

Two separate things are at stake: the register entry and the scheme contract. The number proves only the first. A LUCID entry leaves three further gaps.

The guide to LUCID and the PPWR covers what the PPWR changed for sellers in LUCID.

The three things a LUCID number holder still needs

A seller that holds LUCID still needs three things in Germany. Eldris contracts the dual system. It appoints the representative and files the declarations.

Why a LUCID number does not change the German price

Holding a LUCID number does not change the German packaging price. LUCID registration is free. So an existing number removes nothing that the line charges for.

Sellers who hold LUCID often ask for the representative alone at a lower price. The answer follows from what the line contains. The service charges for the representative and for joining the dual system.

On the pricing page, the German packaging line lists the LUCID register as free. It lists the dual system as included, with an allowance of packaging. The free part is the part you have already done.

The cost sits in what remains: a representative for a business established outside Germany, and the dual system contract.

Each line is one annual payment. It runs for 12 months from the date Germany confirms the registration. It then renews automatically at the same price.

Fees above the included allowance sit outside it. They depend on the weight and material you declare. Eldris passes them through at cost, never marked up.

The scheme and authority fees page has the published tariffs, and an estimator for your own quantities.

Electronics, batteries and the insolvency guarantee

A LUCID number covers packaging only. Electrical equipment and batteries register with stiftung ear. Equipment that private households can use also needs a guarantee against insolvency each calendar year.

The duty to register electronics comes from Directive 2012/19/EU, Article 16(1). It requires a producer that sells electrical equipment at a distance to register in the member state it sells to.

In Germany the register is stiftung ear. A WEEE registration there is a separate file from your LUCID entry. It has its own number.

The guarantee covers the cost of taking back equipment that private households can use. The producer proves it each calendar year. So it is an annual cost.

Devices used only by businesses need prima facie evidence of exclusive commercial use instead. The portal asks which products, if any, fall there.

This guide gives no figure for the guarantee. Its cost varies by device category. Eldris quotes it once it has confirmed the category.

The guide to the German WEEE authorised representative explains how this works for electronics.

Existing contracts, and what to send Eldris

Tell Eldris about your LUCID number and any running contract before you pay. Reply to your quote to do so.

Some sellers hold LUCID with a dual system contract running. Others have a representative appointed elsewhere. The calculator does not price a move of that arrangement to Eldris.

Eldris quotes it for your case once it knows what is in place. A seller with LUCID and nothing else takes the German packaging line as it stands.

Eldris usually submits within 48 hours of payment and your product information. The Germany registration page sets out the services. To register, start with the Eldris onboarding form.

This question sits with the others sellers ask on the EPR questions page.

Frequently asked questions

Is a LUCID number free?

Yes. Registering in LUCID costs nothing, and the Zentrale Stelle's data reports and related activities are free for producers too. The costs sit in the dual system contract, charged per kilogram by material, and in the representative for a business established outside Germany.

Does a LUCID number cover other EU countries?

No, a German registration does not cover any other country. Each member state keeps its own register. A seller that sells packaged goods directly to consumers in another member state registers there too, with a representative where it is not established.

Do I need the representative if my company is in another EU country?

Yes, if you sell directly to consumers in Germany and your business is not established there. Regulation (EU) 2025/40, Article 45(3) turns on where the business is established, not on whether it is in the EU. Eldris includes the representative in the German price where the law requires one.

Is the WEEE insolvency guarantee a yearly cost?

Yes, the producer proves the guarantee each calendar year, so it is an annual cost. The amount varies by device category, so Eldris quotes it once it has confirmed yours. Equipment used only by businesses needs prima facie evidence of exclusive commercial use instead.

Can Eldris take over my current dual system contract?

Tell Eldris before you pay, by replying to your quote. Eldris quotes a takeover of an existing representative or scheme contract, or a move of an active LUCID entry, on its own. The portal also asks for your existing German numbers, so nothing registers twice.

Who files the German packaging declarations?

Eldris does. You send the weight and number of units you placed on the German market for each period, and Eldris files the declarations. Annual declarations are in each registration's price, nil returns too.