Thank you for moving forward with Expandly’s Compliance and 3PL onboarding services - we're delighted to support you on this exciting step in your expansion journey!
This guide outlines the next steps, documentation requirements, and recommended order of progression to ensure a smooth and efficient setup.
VAT registration is typically the first priority in your compliance onboarding journey.
Submit all standard documentation required for every registration.
Review country-specific requirements by expanding the individual country drop-down sections in the portal.
Each country has slightly different documentation requirements, so please review carefully before submitting.
You can monitor VAT registration status directly within the portal.
Once all required documentation is received:
Our team will confirm when the registration has been submitted to the relevant authorities.
Or advise if additional or amended documentation is required.
VAT registration lead times vary significantly by country.
We strongly recommend uploading documentation as soon as possible to avoid delays.
Registrations cannot be submitted until all required documents are complete and approved.
For EU and UK compliance, label review is required before progressing with Responsible Person (RP) registration.
Please Note: You must implement the required changes before progressing to RP.
Once your label review is complete:
Upload all RP product details and documentation via the Responsible Persons page in your Expandly portal.
Required documents vary depending on product category and will be clearly displayed in the portal.
Step-by-step upload guides are available within the portal.
We are able to provide templates to you, should documentation not be available.
We are happy to arrange additional support calls with our Compliance Team, if you would like assistance walking through the RP submission process. Please reach out to the On Boarding Team should this be required.
EPR registration may be required depending on your products and packaging obligations.
Many EPR documents overlap with VAT documentation. Therefore:
Proceed with VAT registration first.
Once VAT is underway, we will:
Outline any additional documentation needed (e.g., packaging data, product forecasts).
This staged approach prevents duplication and reduces administrative delays.
We recommend initiating 3PL onboarding after VAT numbers have been issued and RP has been approved.
This ensures:
Inventory can be received compliantly
Sales can begin immediately upon stock arrival
No compliance-related delays occur once goods are in-country
Once VAT registration is confirmed:
Our 3PL onboarding team will guide you through the Next Steps, which will include:
Warehouse setup
SKU intake processes
Shipping flows
Integration with your sales channels
Additional information regarding the Expansion Event can be found here.
If you would like further details or have any questions, please contact our Head of Sales, Drew, who will be happy to assist.
For the most efficient onboarding experience, we recommend the following sequence:
Upload VAT documentation
Complete label checks
Begin Responsible Person process
Progress EPR
Initiate 3PL setup once VAT numbers are issued
If you are unsure at any stage:
Check the relevant section in your Expandly portal
Review the available guides in our Knowledge Base
Contact our dedicated On Boarding Team
Request a support call if needed
Our goal is to ensure your compliance and 3PL setup progresses smoothly and without unnecessary delays and we look forward to supporting you through this journey!