In July 2026, the UK government enacted The REACH (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2026, formally extending the transitional registration submission deadlines under UK REACH from their previous dates to 27 October 2029, 27 October 2030 and 27 October 2031. The change completes a legislative process that began with Defra’s December 2025 consultation response, in which the government confirmed it would move to the later timetable. The revised deadlines apply to transitional registrations in England, Scotland and Wales. EU REACH continues to apply in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework and companies with supply chains spanning both jurisdictions should treat them separately.
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The New Timetable
The three registration phases now align as follows, with phase allocation determined by annual tonnage, hazard classification and Candidate List status:
- 27 October 2029 (previously 27 October 2026): substances manufactured or imported at 1,000 tonnes or more per year, CMR substances at 1 tonne or more per year, substances very toxic to aquatic organisms at 100 tonnes or more per year and Candidate List SVHCs listed on or before 27 October 2027.
- 27 October 2030 (previously 27 October 2028): substances manufactured or imported at 100 tonnes or more per year and Candidate List SVHCs listed between 28 October 2027 and 27 October 2028.
- 27 October 2031 (previously 27 October 2030): all other substances manufactured or imported at 1 tonne or more per year.
The Candidate List cut-off dates of 27 October 2027 and 27 October 2028 are important to note. They replace earlier provisional dates that circulated before the regulations were finalized. Companies that assigned substances to phases based on the earlier cut-off dates should verify their allocation against the current HSE timetable.
What Else the 2026 Regulations Change
Beyond the deadline extension itself, the 2026 regulations make two further adjustments worth noting.
The revised timetable also extends the deadline for protected transitional imports under Article 127E(2). GB downstream users and distributors that were importing substances from the EU before the end of the Brexit transition period may continue to do so under transitional provisions until the corresponding new registration deadline applies. This is relevant for businesses relying on the downstream user import notification (DUIN) arrangement, though it is important to note that a DUIN is not a registration. Businesses relying on a DUIN to continue importing a substance must still complete the applicable registration before the relevant transitional deadline if they intend to continue.
The statutory completion dates for HSE compliance checks have also been realigned. Under Article 41(5), HSE is required to conduct compliance checks on at least 20 % of registration dossiers. The completion dates for these checks have been moved to 27 October 2030 for the first phase, 27 October 2032 for the second and 27 October 2036 for the third, ensuring checks occur after the corresponding registration information has been submitted.
What the Extension Does Not Do
The 2026 regulations do not implement the Alternative Transitional Registration model (ATRm), which remains under development. The ATRm is intended to reduce duplication and the cost of accessing EU-held hazard data, but its final requirements have not been published. Until they are, businesses should not make assumptions about what the ATRm data package will contain or adjust their dossier planning on the basis of an outcome that has not been confirmed.
The deadline extension also does not affect ongoing obligations under UK REACH. Supply chain communication requirements, safety data sheets, classification and labelling, authorization and restriction obligations and other applicable UK chemicals legislation remain in force regardless of where a substance sits in the registration timetable.
Practical Implications
For the supply chains, the extended timetable provides additional time to plan registrations, coordinate data access and spread costs. It is particularly relevant for smaller businesses that found the original deadlines difficult to meet. The extension also reduces the risk of rushed dossiers produced under time pressure, which tend to require more compliance checks and amendments.
The extension is not, however, a reason to defer action indefinitely. Substances in the first phase (high-tonnage materials, CMRs, aquatically toxic substances and Candidate List SVHCs) remain in the earliest deadline. Registration for these substances requires data-gathering, substance identity work, use mapping and, in most cases, coordination with other registrants through data-sharing arrangements that take time to establish.
Conclusion
The enactment of the 2026 regulations settles the question that has been open since Defra’s 2025 consultation. UK REACH transitional registration deadlines are legally extended to 2029, 2030 and 2031. The ATRm question remains open and businesses should continue to monitor Defra and HSE communications before finalizing their data strategy. The practical task now is to remap substance portfolios against the confirmed timetable, using the correct Candidate List cut-off dates and to build registration programs that are proportionate to the time available rather than treated as a distant problem.
