UK Responsible Person services for international brands
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026
If you make cosmetics or medical devices outside the UK, UK law requires a UK-based Responsible Person before your products can be sold in Great Britain. For other CE- or UKCA-marked goods, such as electricals and toys, marketplaces including Amazon ask for a UK-based contact. Lantara takes on that role, makes the notifications and registrations, and handles contact from regulators for as long as you sell here.
Who needs a UK Responsible Person?
Whether you need one depends on what you sell. This is the position in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales):
| Product category | What is required in Great Britain | Regulator |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmetics and personal care | A Responsible Person with a UK address. Each product must be notified to OPSS before it goes on sale. | OPSS, Trading Standards |
| Medical devices | A UK Responsible Person if the manufacturer is based outside the UK. Devices must be registered with the MHRA before sale. | MHRA |
| Electricals, toys, PPE and other CE/UKCA-marked goods | No role called "Responsible Person" in law, but a UK-based economic operator (such as an importer or authorised representative) should be identifiable, and marketplaces ask for a UK contact. | OPSS, Trading Standards |
| Food and food supplements | No Responsible Person role. The UK importer or Food Business Operator is responsible for compliance and labelling. | FSA, local authorities |
| General consumer products | No statutory Responsible Person in Great Britain. Producers and distributors carry safety duties under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005. | OPSS, Trading Standards |
Northern Ireland follows EU product rules under the Windsor Framework, so different requirements can apply there. We will tell you which apply to your products.
What we do as your Responsible Person
- Review your product information file and safety assessment (cosmetics) or technical documentation (medical devices) before we take responsibility.
- Notify cosmetic products to OPSS through the Submit Cosmetic Product Notifications service.
- Register medical devices with the MHRA.
- Act as the UK name and address on labels and marketplace listings where required.
- Respond to Trading Standards, OPSS and the MHRA on your behalf, and keep you informed.
- Coordinate the response if a safety issue, complaint or recall arises.
- Keep documentation current and send monthly UK regulatory updates for your categories.
How it works
- Assess: a free 30-minute call to confirm which role you need and what documentation exists.
- Review: we check your documents and labels, usually within 1 to 3 working days, and tell you what needs fixing.
- Appoint: we sign the Responsible Person agreement, make the notifications or registrations, and give you the UK details for your labels and listings.
- Maintain: we stay in place as your Responsible Person, handle regulator contact and keep everything up to date.
What you will need to provide
- Product labels and packaging artwork
- Full ingredient or component lists and formulations
- Safety assessment and product information file (cosmetics), or technical documentation and declaration of conformity (other regulated goods)
- Details of where and how you sell in the UK
Pricing
Responsible Person service is included in the full Lantara subscription: £750 a month for your first country and £250 a month for each additional country, with no setup fee. It is also available on its own, priced after your free assessment. See all services and pricing.
Official guidance
- GOV.UK: Making cosmetic products available to consumers in Great Britain
- GOV.UK: Regulating medical devices in the UK
- GOV.UK: Using the UKCA marking
Related: UK product compliance and labelling · FAQ