The UK Brand’s Guide to Post-Brexit EU Fulfilment

1. Why This Matters Now

1. EU customers want fast local delivery.
2. Marketplaces like TikTok and Amazon expect sellers to be compliant.
3. Brands expect European growth to be frictionless.

Those expectations collide without the right EU fulfilment and tax setup.

What this guide covers:

• UK brand selling physical goods B2C
• Shipping either from UK or stocking in EU
• Not covering services, digital goods, or fully marketplace-deemed-supplier cases

2. Three Routes into the EU Market

Route 1: Ship Everything From the UK

Best for: testing demand.

Trade off: every parcel crosses the border individually, which can be slower, more expensive, and a poorer customer experience.

Customers may also be charged VAT and duties on delivery unless you use IOSS or DDP. If using IOSS, clearly state the €150 threshold and note that it applies per consignment.

Route 2: Rely on Marketplaces (TikTok Shop, Amazon, etc.)

Marketplaces give immediate access to buyers, but they don’t fully remove the operational or compliance requirements of selling into the EU.

Reality:

• TikTok Shop does not solve VAT or fulfilment needs
• Amazon can provide fulfilment infrastructure through FBA, but sellers still face:
  • VAT registration where stock is stored
  • responsibility for import and customs setup
  • limitations when expanding beyond Amazon channels

Marketplaces accelerate demand, but they are not a substitute for:

• EU tax setup
• Importer status
• A multi-channel fulfilment strategy

This is why many brands start here but eventually move to an EU fulfilment base that they control.

Route 3: Hold Stock Inside the EU (e.g. in Ireland)

This enables:

• Fast local delivery
• No surprise charges for EU buyers
• Multi-channel selling (Shopify, TikTok Shop, Amazon, wholesale)
• One bulk import versus customs friction on every order

While this route requires preparation, it delivers the most scalable EU presence.

3. Why Ireland Has Become the Preferred Fulfilment Base

Ireland offers a unique combination of advantages:

• Full EU single market access
• English-speaking business environment
• If you’re not established in Ireland but you hold stock / make taxable supplies there, Irish VAT registration is typically required from the first taxable supply (Irish turnover thresholds don’t usually apply to non-established traders).
• Mature post-Brexit logistics infrastructure
• Culturally and operationally aligned with UK teams

For many UK brands, Ireland delivers EU reach without language barriers or unfamiliar regulatory frameworks.

4 . What a UK Brand Needs to Work with an Irish 3PL

Operating from Ireland to reach EU customers is straightforward once a few standard pieces are in place.
Most are one-time setup steps, and once completed, they give you a structure you can scale across TikTok Shop, Shopify, Amazon and wholesale channels.

Here’s what matters:

1) Products that meet EU labelling and safety rules

Before stock lands in Ireland, it must be saleable in the EU.

That usually means:

• correct labelling and safety marks
• ingredients or allergen disclosure where relevant
• barcodes and traceability
• packaging that meets waste/recycling requirements

Most brands already handle this through manufacturing or marketplace onboarding — it’s simply ensuring your products meet EU retail norms.

2) EU EORI Number

This is needed to import stock into the EU.

country. If you register via Revenue Online Services (ROS), the EORI is active immediately for customs declarations lodged in Ireland, and it can take up to 48 hours to appear on the central EU EORI validation database.

3) Someone legally responsible for import (Importer of Record)

When stock enters Ireland, an EU party must take responsibility for customs clearance.

Decide the import model: (a) your EU entity acts as importer, or (b) an indirect customs representative / IOR service acts as declarant/importer, depending on the Member State and brokerage rules.

The role ensures customs declarations are handled correctly – a normal part of cross-border trade.

4) VAT & Reporting Setup That Supports Growth

Two mechanisms make EU’s sales smooth:

Irish VAT Registration

Required when holding stock or supplying customers in Ireland.
This lets you reclaim import VAT and charge VAT correctly on sales.

OSS (One-Stop Shop) Registration

If you sell to customers in other EU countries, OSS allows you to report all EU B2C VAT through Ireland, rather than registering separately in each country.

• Who can use Union OSS? Non-EU businesses can register for the Union scheme in certain cases (including intra-EU distance sales of goods).
• OSS is for B2C cross-border supplies (and certain services). It does not cover everything (e.g., many B2B flows, domestic VAT on some transactions, local warehousing services, etc.).

Together, VAT + OSS create a clean, scalable tax framework for EU growth.

5) (Optional) Irish Company Registration

Many UK brands choose to set up an Irish entity because it:

• speeds up VAT processes,
• simplifies marketplace compliance, and
• allows them to take on additional roles where relevant (e.g., acting as their own Responsible Person for regulated products).

You do not need staff on the ground — Irish companies can be operated remotely.

It’s not essential for everyone, but it becomes useful as EU sales increase.

6) (Optional) EU Responsible Person — only for regulated categories

Certain products such as cosmetics, supplements, or ingestible require a named EU contact responsible for safety compliance.

This is easily handled by:

• Cosmetics: Responsible Person
• Medical devices: Authorised Representative
• Many regulated non-food goods: EU “economic operator” requirement (MSR/GPSR context) GOV.UK

For most brands, it is a routine onboarding step rather than a barrier.

7) Marketplace-specific banking setup (if relevant)

Some platforms — particularly TikTok Shop and Amazon — may:

• require EU-compatible payout routes, or
• validate VAT status during onboarding.

If you sell purely via Shopify or wholesale, this doesn’t apply, it’s channel-specific, not universal.

5. Your Simple Path to Going Live

1. Confirm product and labelling compliance
2. Obtain an EU EORI
3. Decide who will act as Importer of Record
4. Register for Irish VAT
5. Implement OSS if selling across the EU
6. Import inventory into Ireland
7. Connect fulfilment to your sales channels
8. Switch EU orders to Irish fulfilment for faster service and lower friction

Once live, you can expand across marketplaces, retail accounts, and territories without rebuilding compliance.

6. Quick Self-Assessment for UK Founders

If you want to sell into the EU:

☑ Is your product compliant under EU rules?

☑ Do you have (or can you obtain) an EU EORI?

☑ Do you know who will be the importer of record?

☑ Are you prepared to register for Irish VAT?

☑ Do you require OSS for multi-country selling?

☑ Do any of your sales channels need EU payout setup?

If you can answer “yes” to the first four, you are ready to work with an Irish fulfilment partner.

7. The Strategic Benefit of Doing It Properly

Shortcuts may get you live quickly — but they:

• erode control
• increase dependency
• limit multi-channel selling
• create compliance risk over time

Operating through Ireland gives you:

• ownership of your brand
• faster delivery
• better conversion
• scalable operations
• ability to add TikTok Shop, Amazon, wholesale and retail accounts without rebuilding your structure

Most UK brands who start elsewhere ultimately migrate to this approach, it’s the model built for actual growth.

8. Next Steps

If you are exploring EU selling or already seeing friction via cross-border marketplaces, the simplest path is:

• sense-check compliance
• establish VAT/EORI
• import stock once
• fulfil from within the EU

A knowledgeable Irish fulfilment partner can help guide you through registration, customs questions, system setup and onboarding so you can focus on product and growth.

Why Autofulfil

Choosing an Irish fulfilment base is not just about storing stock, it’s about having a flexible partner who understands the practical realities of cross-border selling and can help you build the right structure around it.

Autofulfil is the preferred EU fulfilment home for UK brands because we combine operational strength with a network of specialists that smooths the compliance path.

Set Up Support — You’re Not Navigating Alone

Selling into the EU involves customs, VAT and import structure, but you don’t have to figure it out yourself.

Autofulfil works closely with a trusted network of:

• customs brokers
• VAT advisors
• tax and compliance specialists
• freight partners

We connect you to the right expertise so you can get set up correctly, without taking on the burden internally or hunting for providers.

You focus on your brand, we help you assemble the infrastructure behind it.

Fast, Reliable Fulfilment Across Ireland & Europe

From our Galway facility, we offer:

• same-day fulfilment
• live inventory data
• strong EU delivery performance

EU customers receive local-feeling delivery times and no surprise fees when your tax setup is correct, driving conversion and repeat purchase.

Multi-Channel Ready

One fulfilment base supports all your routes to market, including:

• Shopify/website sales
• TikTok Shop
• Amazon
• retail and wholesale distribution

No need for separate operations — we centralize your outbound flow.

Flexible, Growth-Friendly Operations

Scaling brands requires adaptability.

Autofulfil works with you to:

• phase stock as you test new regions
• ramp up for peak
• refine unboxing experience
• align fulfilment with promotions and creator campaigns

We evolve with you, not hold you rigidly to day-one assumptions.

True Partnership, Not Just Storage + Shipping

Clients don’t come to Autofulfil for pallets on shelves; they come for a relationship.

Our team is known for:

• Responsiveness
• proactive support
• solution-focused thinking
• real collaboration between operations and commercial functions

UK brands often arrive for fulfilment capability; they stay because of the partnership.

Built for the EU Growth Era

With Ireland now the natural EU springboard for UK sellers, Autofulfil offers:

• Irish ownership and carbon-neutral operations
• deep experience in onboarding UK clients
• custom packaging execution
• reporting and integrations via ShipHero’s open API

And, crucially, access to a network of VAT, customs and compliance experts to help build the backbone behind your fulfilment.

In short:

Autofulfil gives UK brands an Irish base, European reach, solid operations and the specialist network to get set up correctly and scale with confidence.