Honest answers to the questions international ecommerce brands ask us most. If yours isn't here, just get in touch.
We help international ecommerce brands sell into the UK without the regulatory headache. That covers the four things you'll need to operate here legally: product compliance and labelling (including UKCA/CE), a UK Responsible Person, VAT registration and ongoing returns, and packaging compliance (pEPR). We handle the setup, the ongoing filings, and the day-to-day questions — so you can focus on selling rather than chasing regulation.
International ecommerce brands selling into the UK — typically through Amazon, Shopify, or their own DTC sites, and most often based in the US, EU, or Asia, looking for a credible UK partner who understands ecommerce specifically. We work across general consumer products (GPSR), food, food supplements, electronics, toys and games, pet food, apparel, cosmetics, and Class I medical devices.
Yes — and this is most of what we do. The UK welcomes international sellers, but you need three things in place: a UK Responsible Person if your products fall under regulated categories (cosmetics, electricals, toys, supplements), UK VAT registration if you're storing stock here or selling above the threshold, and the right product labelling. You don't need a UK company. You don't need to be physically based here. You do need someone reliable handling these obligations on your behalf — which is what we're built for.
A typical UK setup runs 8–10 weeks end to end. The biggest variable is VAT registration timing — HMRC processing typically takes 6–10 weeks depending on workload. Labelling reviews and Responsible Person appointment we can each turn around in 1–3 days.
No. You can sell into the UK as a non-UK entity. What you do need is UK VAT registration, a UK Responsible Person for regulated product categories, and compliant labelling. Forming a UK Ltd company is a separate decision driven by tax, banking, and operational reasons — not a regulatory requirement to sell here. We can advise on whether forming one makes sense for your situation, but most international brands sell into the UK from their existing overseas entity.
UKCA is the UK's equivalent of the EU's CE marking — same product categories, same fundamental safety requirements, but a separate regulatory regime under UK law. The UK currently still recognises CE marking for most product categories on goods sold in Great Britain, and as it stands will do indefinitely for most product categories. Northern Ireland follows EU rules under the Windsor Framework — different again. We'll tell you exactly which marking your specific products need.
A Responsible Person is a UK-based legal entity that takes regulatory responsibility for your products in the UK market — the contact point for trading standards, the MHRA, OPSS and other regulators if anything goes wrong. It is required by law for cosmetics and medical devices, and required by marketplaces such as Amazon for CE/UKCA-marked goods including electricals, toys and PPE. For food and food supplements the equivalent obligation sits with the UK importer or Food Business Operator. Without the right party in place, your products can be removed from sale and you can be fined. We provide this as a core part of our subscription.
If you're storing stock in the UK (including in an Amazon FBA warehouse), you need to register for VAT before your first sale — there's no threshold for non-UK established businesses storing goods here. We handle registration, ongoing returns under Making Tax Digital, and HMRC correspondence as part of our service.
pEPR — packaging Extended Producer Responsibility — is the UK's regulation that makes producers and brand owners financially responsible for the packaging waste their products generate. You are in scope only if you meet both tests: annual turnover above £1 million and more than 25 tonnes of packaging supplied in the UK in a year. Above £2 million turnover and 50 tonnes you are a 'large producer', with fuller reporting obligations. Packaging counts at every level — primary (the box your product comes in), secondary (outer cartons), and tertiary (pallets and shipping materials). Reporting began in 2025 and fees scale with packaging weight and recyclability. We handle data submissions and registration with the relevant scheme.
The setup fee covers everything we do to get you operational: VAT registration with HMRC, Responsible Person appointment and onboarding, technical file review for your priority SKUs, UKCA/CE labelling assessment and recommendations, pEPR scheme registration if applicable, and account setup with all relevant authorities. It's a one-time fee at the start of the engagement — once you're set up, you move onto the monthly subscription.
Quarterly VAT return preparation and filing, ongoing Responsible Person service (including regulator correspondence and incident response), monthly regulatory updates, pEPR data tracking and annual submissions, technical file maintenance for your products, and direct access for compliance questions — you deal with the same person throughout. No hidden fees, no per-correspondence charges, no surprise add-ons. If you scale or add new product categories, we'll talk you through pricing transparently before anything changes.
We work across general consumer products (GPSR), food, food supplements, electronics, toys and games, pet food, apparel, cosmetics, and Class I medical devices. These are the categories where UK compliance gets technical fast — overlapping rules from the FSA, MHRA, OPSS, and trading standards depending on what you sell. We're not generalists trying to cover everything. If your product is in one of these categories, you're in our wheelhouse. If it's outside, we'll tell you up-front and either recommend someone better placed or scope what we can credibly support.
Doing it yourself is possible, but it is expensive in time and risk — UK setup is typically tens of hours of research, forms and follow-up before you file anything, and that's before the ongoing obligations. Freelancers can handle individual tasks (a one-off VAT registration, a labelling review) but don't typically offer the joined-up service or ongoing regulatory accountability. Larger enterprise compliance firms work well at scale but are expensive and process-heavy for SMB ecommerce. Lantara is built specifically for international ecommerce brands who want one partner handling the full picture — and direct access to the person who knows your business.
Two things, depending on what's happening. If a regulator (HMRC, OPSS, trading standards) contacts us about your products, we handle the correspondence directly — we're your registered point of contact. We respond, gather evidence, and resolve where possible without you having to engage. If something more serious comes up — a product safety issue, a tax investigation — we'll bring you in immediately and coordinate with you and any other professional advisors (your accountant, your insurer, your lawyer) to manage it. You're never on your own.
Our standard agreement is a 12-month minimum term, followed by a rolling monthly subscription with 30 days' notice to cancel. We don't lock anyone into multi-year contracts — if we're not delivering value, you should be free to leave. The setup fee is one-time and non-refundable once we've started work, so we'll usually scope a clear deliverable with you before invoicing.
The fastest way is to book a 30-minute assessment call — no charge, no pitch, just a conversation about your business and what you actually need. We'll tell you honestly whether we're the right fit, what setup looks like for your specific products, and a clear price. If we're not the right fit, we'll point you somewhere we think is. Book a slot directly via the Contact page or email drew@lantara.co.uk.
Book a free 30-minute assessment and we'll answer them directly — no obligation, just a clear view of what your UK launch requires.
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