UK REACH Transitional Registration Deadlines Extended

July 21, 2026

The statutory instrument extending the UK REACH transitional registration deadlines has now been formally published as The REACH etc. (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/849).

For manufacturers, importers, and downstream users operating under the grandfathered registration provisions, the new deadlines are:

• 27 October 2029 applies to substances manufactured or imported at 1,000 tpa or more, certain hazardous substances, and SVHCs on the Candidate List by 27 October 2027.

• 27 October 2030 applies to substances manufactured or imported at 100 tpa or more, and certain SVHCs added to the Candidate List between 28 October 2027 and 27 October 2028.

• 27 October 2031 applies to all remaining substances manufactured or imported at 1 tpa or more that do not fall within the earlier deadline categories.

Downstream User Import Notifications (DUINs) are subject to the same revised timetable, as will New Registrants of Existing Substances (NRES) should it not yet be possible to share data at the time of submission. The Health and Safety Executive has updated its UK REACH guidance to reflect the new deadlines.

The extension creates breathing room. It does not remove the underlying obligation. Companies that treat this as a prompt to revisit their substance portfolios, confirm tonnage band classifications, and assess readiness for the forthcoming Alternative Transitional Registration model (ATRm) will be in a significantly stronger position when the pressure returns.

If you have questions about how these changes affect your registration obligations, our UK REACH specialists are here to help.

Further reading

References

1.    Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute (2021), Creating Pathways for Tomorrow's Workforce Today: Beyond Reskilling in Manufacturing. themanufacturinginstitute.org

2.    OECD (2025), OECD Employment Outlook 2025: Can We Get Through the Demographic Crunch? oecd.org

3.    Cefic, Facts and Figures of the European Chemical Industry. cefic.org

4.    Cefic, Landscape of the Industry: United Kingdom. cefic.org

5.    Chemical Industries Association, People and Skills. cia.org.uk

6.    IChemE (2026), Employment Survey 2025 results. icheme.org