UK REACH: extension of substance registration deadlines officially enacted
The UK has formally confirmed the extension of the transitional registration deadlines introduced following Brexit
31 Jul 2026Earlier this year, we reported on the UK Government's decision to extend the deadlines under the UK REACH transitional registration regime, which was introduced following Brexit to allow companies to continue placing substances on the Great Britain market while completing the UK registration process.
The extension has now been formally enacted through the publication of The REACH (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/849), which amends the UK REACH legislation by introducing the revised registration deadlines applicable to affected businesses.
Following the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, a standalone regulatory framework for the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (UK REACH) was established, operating independently from the EU REACH Regulation. To avoid disruption to the supply of chemicals on the Great Britain market, the legislation introduced a transitional regime allowing businesses additional time to complete their UK REACH registrations.
The revised deadlines apply to economic operators benefiting from the UK REACH transitional regime. In particular, the extension concerns:
- companies established in Great Britain that have submitted a Downstream User Import Notification (DUIN);
- companies established in Great Britain that have completed a New Registration of an Existing Substance (NRES);
- companies established outside Great Britain that have appointed an Only Representative (OR) to manage a DUIN or an NRES under UK REACH.
The Regulation confirms the following deadlines for the submission of full registration dossiers:
|
Deadline for dossier submission |
Substances concerned |
|
27 October 2029 |
• substances manufactured or imported at 1,000 tonnes or more per year; • CMR substances (carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction) at 1 tonne or more per year; • substances very toxic to aquatic organisms (acute or chronic) at 100 tonnes or more per year; • substances included in the UK Candidate List by 27 October 2027. |
|
27 October 2030 |
• substances manufactured or imported at 100 tonnes or more per year; • substances added to the UK Candidate List between 28 October 2027 and 27 October 2028. |
|
27 October 2031 |
• all other substances manufactured or imported at 1 tonne or more per year. |
At the same time, the Regulation also extends the deadlines by which the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) must complete compliance checks on registration dossiers, ensuring that the compliance timetable remains aligned with the revised registration deadlines.
According to the UK Government, the extension will provide sufficient time to complete the ongoing reform of UK REACH, which aims to establish a more proportionate and less burdensome registration system while reducing the need to duplicate data already submitted under EU REACH.
Companies affected by the transitional regime should therefore take note of the revised deadlines while continuing to monitor the progress of the UK REACH reform, as future registration requirements and data submission obligations will depend on the outcome of this process.
Normachem supports companies in meeting their UK REACH obligations, including acting as an Only Representative (OR) for businesses established outside Great Britain, as well as assisting with DUIN notifications, NRES, full registrations, and subsequent regulatory compliance activities.