I’ve been selling on Amazon US for a few years now, and I’m looking to finally expand into UK and EU (Germany, France, etc.).
Before I dive in, I have a few practical questions for anyone who’s already made the jump:
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Should I use the same email as my US seller account, or make a new one just for Europe? Pros/cons?
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Do I need an Amazon account manager for a special registration link, or can I just add marketplaces directly in Seller Central?
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How does VAT registration work in the UK and Germany, and what are the real traps to avoid?
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What are the most common mistakes sellers make when moving from US to EU?
Any advice is appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Answers (8)
German buyers have 14 days to return anything, no questions asked.
Most new sellers underestimate how many returns they’ll get. Budget for at least 10–15% returns in your margins.
Don’t open EU marketplaces and let them sit empty for months. Amazon can suspend inactive accounts.
Throw up a few MFN listings or send a small FBA shipment just to keep it active.
KYC is no joke
KYC hits pretty hard in Europe, often once you hit around €5k in sales.
Be ready to provide:
Don’t change your address or legal info after registration – it can trigger a full re-review that takes weeks.
Germany has the highest return rate in Europe – often 15–20%. Factor that into your pricing.
German and French buyers care a lot about quality and certifications.
UK, ES, IT buyers are more price-sensitive and care about fast shipping and nice packaging.
Do NOT use Google Translate for listings. Bad translations kill conversions and get you negative reviews. Use real human translation, especially for DE and FR.
Logistics & FBA fees
Pan-EU vs EFN
Pan-EU lets Amazon move your inventory across the EU – fast delivery, lower fees – but requires VAT in at least two EU countries.
EFN ships from one country to others, but fees are higher and delivery is slower.
FBA fees in IT, ES, FR are noticeably higher than DE or UK – crunch the numbers before you activate every marketplace.
Also, Brexit means UK → EU shipments now go through customs with import VAT and duties. Most sellers keep separate stock in UK and EU to avoid delays.