From 1 January 2021, the UK’s obligations to recognise EU hallmarks will end and EU members’ obligations to recognise UK hallmarks will also end.
Any product already on the market before January 2021 will be legal. Any new stock entering the UK market will require a hallmark recognised in the UK. Any new stock exported to EU members will require a mark recognised by those countries.
Common Control Mark
The Common Control Mark (CCM) applied by signatories to the Vienna Convention on the Control of Precious Metal Articles will continue to be recognised in the UK and by Convention members Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland. Serbia and Italy are in the process of ratifying the treaty.
You can apply a CCM mark to your goods now with no impact on your current import or export requirements. The CCM mark can be applied to new articles along with UK Assay Office marks or as an addition to articles already bearing UK hallmarks.
From January 2021, if you are importing from a convention member, you can request a convention mark on your goods or you can submit them to a UK Assay Office for hallmarking.
Exemption weights
The UK exemption weights of 7.78 grams for silver, 1 gram for gold/palladium and 0.5 grams for platinum may not apply in other countries. For example, in the Republic of Ireland there are no exemption weights so any stock destined for the Republic of Ireland must bear a CCM. Exemption weights for the other signatory states are available from your UK Assay Office.
Other EU members
Luxembourg and Germany do not require any hallmark as a pre-market authorisation.
In France a hallmark is a legal requirement. Importers must register with the bureaux de garantie.
In Spain a hallmark is a legal requirement. Importers must register with an assay office in Spain. Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism.
There are legal requirements regarding hallmarking in Belgium. See the Federal Ministry of Finance’s factsheet (PDF).
Customs arrangements
This guidance is about hallmarks only. There is separate guidance on customs arrangements.