WEEE Registration (Electrical Equipment)

Manufacturers and importers who place electrical or electronic equipment on the German market must register with the Stiftung EAR (Elektro-Altgeräte Register) before the first product is sold. This obligation comes from the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG), which implements the EU WEEE Directive. The registration covers all brands and equipment categories and results in a WEEE registration number that must be displayed on invoices and product listings.

You apply online through the Stiftung EAR portal. For products sold to private households (B2C), you must also provide an insolvency-proof financial guarantee ensuring proper disposal of waste equipment. Processing times can be several months. Once registered, you have ongoing reporting obligations for quantities placed on the market and must participate in collection and recycling schemes. Selling unregistered products can result in fines and sales bans.