Do you need a UFI and a Poison Centre Notification?
A 7-step wizard for EU/EEA chemical mixture placers — importers, formulators, re-packagers. Get a per-country obligation matrix, UFI placement guidance, and the appointed body for each Member State you sell into.
Tool last updated: 16 June 2026Regulatory data verified 16 June 2026 against CLP Annex VIII (Reg. EU 2017/542) + ECHA Poison Centres
PCN · UFI readiness check
- 1. Your role
- 2. Hazard scope
- 3. Use type
- 4. Product category
- 5. Packaging
- 6. Upstream UFI
- 7. Target markets
When is a UFI + Poison Centre Notification required? (verified 16 June 2026)
If you place a mixture classified as hazardous for physical or health effects on the EU/EEA market, you must notify the relevant Poison Centre under CLP Annex VIII and put a UFI on the label before placing it on the market. All transition periods have now ended.
Consumer and professional-use mixtures: harmonised PCN + UFI required since 1 January 2021. Industrial-use-only mixtures: required since 1 January 2024. The final transition for products still under old national notifications ended 1 January 2025 — every hazardous mixture now needs an Annex VIII notification. Submissions must use the current ECHA PCN format (XSD v8, 27 April 2026).
- UFIA 16-character code on the label (prefixed "UFI:"), generated free from your VAT number + a formulation number.
- PCNNotify the appointed body via ECHA's PCN portal BEFORE placing the mixture on the market — one notification per Member State of sale.
- DossierFull formulation, EuPCS product category, toxicological information and packaging, in the current PCN format (XSD v8).
- DeadlinesConsumer/professional use since 1 Jan 2021; industrial-only since 1 Jan 2024; all national transitions ended 1 Jan 2025.
Sources: CLP Regulation (EU) 1272/2008, Annex VIII · ECHA — compliance dates / end of transition period · ECHA — PCN notification format (XSD v8)
Frequently asked questions
What is a UFI?
A Unique Formula Identifier — a 16-character alphanumeric code that links a hazardous mixture to its Poison Centre Notification. You generate it for free from the ECHA UFI Generator using your VAT number and a per-product formulation number, then print it on the label (prefixed "UFI:") or, for unpackaged supply, in SDS section 1.1.
Who has to submit a Poison Centre Notification?
The duty falls on the actor placing the hazardous mixture on the EU/EEA market — typically importers, downstream-user formulators, toll formulators and re-packagers. A pure distributor that does not relabel or rebrand can usually rely on the upstream EU placer's existing UFI and notification, but should confirm that an upstream notification actually exists.
Is there a fee to notify?
It depends on the Member State. Most accept notifications free of charge through the ECHA Submission Portal — for example Germany (BfR) and France charge no fee. A few charge a national fee via the designated body: Italy (per registrant, per year), Hungary (per notification), Ireland (per company) and Belgium (a tiered annual fee from 1 January 2026). The per-country matrix in this tool shows the fee status for each market you select.
Which languages can I submit in?
Each Member State sets its accepted free-text languages. Some require the official national language only (France, Italy, Spain); others also accept English (for example Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands). The per-country matrix lists the accepted languages for each market.
When did the obligation become mandatory?
Consumer and professional-use mixtures since 1 January 2021; industrial-use-only mixtures since 1 January 2024. The final transition for mixtures still relying on older national notification systems ended on 1 January 2025, so all hazardous mixtures now require a harmonised Annex VIII notification.
What format must the notification use?
The harmonised PCN format defined in Annex VIII, submitted as an IUCLID-compatible PCN dossier. ECHA updates the format annually; the current version is XSD v8, published 27 April 2026. Always prepare submissions against the current format on the ECHA Poison Centres site.
Do non-hazardous mixtures need notification?
Generally no — Annex VIII applies to mixtures classified as hazardous for physical or health effects. However, some Member States (Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal) require national-law notification of detergents and cleaning products even when they are not CLP-hazardous. This tool flags those sector overrides.
Where do I actually submit?
Through the ECHA Submission Portal, which routes your dossier to the appointed body of each Member State you select. A few states require an extra national step — for example Croatia asks for the SDS in Croatian to its national body in addition to the portal submission. The per-country matrix links the appointed body for each market.