Communicate formulations of tattooing products

Notification of the formulation of tattooing products takes place electronically. You can also transmit data for several formulations from one company at the same time:

• For data storage and correspondence, the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety assigns a BVL company code for each communicating company.
  • If you do not yet have a company code, you can apply for one before submitting your formulation.
  • You can apply for the company code using the online procedure or informally by e-mail, stating your contact details such as company name, address and telephone number.
• Download the table document from the website of the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety, open it in a spreadsheet or word processing program and fill it out.
• If available, use the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) for your notification.
• If no INCI name is available for an ingredient, please use the usual chemical name or, in the case of colorants, the CI number (Colour Index).
• You can submit your information to the BVL electronically in various ways.
  • Online procedure:
    • Call up the online form, enter your company code and all other required information and upload the table document with the data of your tattooing agent.
    • After logging into your organization account, you can send the notification for tattooing products.
  • E-mail:
    • Send the table document as an e-mail attachment.
    • You can encrypt emails if required.
  • Post:
    • If you want to send the table document by post, save it on an electronic data carrier such as a CD-ROM or DVD and then send it.
• The BVL will formally check that your information is complete and will contact you with a correction request if necessary.
• Check the correction request and inform the BVL of any changes required. If you do not have any corrections, you do not need to do anything else.
• You will automatically receive confirmation that your data has been transferred after about 4 weeks.
• If all the information is correct, the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety will transfer your data to the poison information centers.
• You will receive a confirmation of the notification for your records.

They manufacture tattooing products including comparable substances and additives, import them into Germany or place them on the German market.

- completed table document with data on tattooing products

There are no costs for you.

• You must notify the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety of the formulations of tattooing products before they are first placed on the market in Germany.
• You must check the request to correct your data within 4 weeks.

The procedure usually takes 1 to 2 months.

• § Section 2 Ordinance on tattooing products including certain comparable substances and preparations of substances (Tattooing Products Ordinance)
• §§ Sections 26 and 27 of the German Food, Commodities and Feed Code (Lebensmittel- und Futtermittelgesetzbuch, LFGB)
• Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2020/2081 of 14 December 2020 amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) as regards substances in tattoo inks or permanent make-up

You cannot lodge an appeal.

Forms: yes

Online procedure possible: yes

Written form required: no

Personal appearance required: no

Confidence level: high

Online procedure for the notification of formulations of tattooing products to the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (available soon)

• Table document for the notification of formulations of tattooing products on the website of the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety

11.11.2021