Export licence for dual-use or military items
An authorisation to export items in a controlled category. Which licence depends on whether the item is in the dual-use regime or the military regime.
At a glance
- Kind
- Export control
- Cost
- Not stated in the sources
- Time
- Not stated in the sources
- Needed for
- Export of items in controlled categories.
- Legal basis
- Regulation (EU) 2021/821; Directive 2009/43/EC; in Spain Ley 53/2007 and Real Decreto 679/2014
- Last reviewed
- Verification
- Verified: the page was fetched and the fact is in it.
What it is
Two regimes are frequently confused. Dual-use items fall under Regulation (EU) 2021/821, whose Annex I is the control list. Military goods fall under the Common Military List, with transfers inside the EU governed by Directive 2009/43/EC and separate licences. A product can be in the military regime and not the dual-use one, so the first question is which regime applies.
The exporter is responsible for deciding whether its product matches an Annex I entry. Customs and tariff codes only signal that control is possible; they do not settle it. The basis is the manufacturer's datasheet and, where uncertain, a formal classification request to the competent authority.
This service tells you whether a category needs a licence, who issues it and under what general conditions. It does not publish control list parameters or technical thresholds and gives no advice on controlled items.
Who issues it
- GermanyBAFA (Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control)Named as the competent authority for Germany. A complete EU-wide list of competent authorities has not been assembled.Seen in search results, not fetched directly.
- SpainSubdirección General de Comercio Internacional de Material de Defensa y de Doble Uso, Ministerio de Economía, Comercio y Empresa (competent authority: Secretaría de Estado de Comercio)The interministerial regulator is the JIMDDU (Junta Interministerial Reguladora del Comercio Exterior de Material de Defensa y de Doble Uso). Legal basis: Ley 53/2007 and Real Decreto 679/2014.Verified: the page was fetched and the fact is in it.
- PolandThe minister responsible for economyNamed as the competent authority for Poland. A complete EU-wide list of competent authorities has not been assembled.Seen in search results, not fetched directly.
For a country that is not listed, the issuing body has not been collected. We list none rather than guess.
Which programmes ask for it
- Requirements that apply whichever route you take: Export licence (Only in some cases)You export, or may export, items in a controlled regime. Controlled categories need an export licence; which licence depends on the regime. Your competent authority decides whether your product is controlled.
What it depends on
Before or together with REOCE registration (Spain).
Questions
- Who issues Export licence for dual-use or military items?
- Germany: BAFA (Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control). Spain: Subdirección General de Comercio Internacional de Material de Defensa y de Doble Uso, Ministerio de Economía, Comercio y Empresa (competent authority: Secretaría de Estado de Comercio). Poland: The minister responsible for economy. The body has not been collected for the countries not listed.
- How much does Export licence for dual-use or military items cost?
- No cost is stated in the sources used.
- How long does Export licence for dual-use or military items take?
- No duration is stated in the sources used.
- Who needs Export licence for dual-use or military items?
- Export of items in controlled categories.
Source
Regulation (EU) 2021/821, Article 3(1) · Open the source
[Regulation (EU) 2021/821, Article 3(1)] An authorisation shall be required for the export of dual-use items listed in Annex I.
Quoted from the Official Journal text of the regulation. Last reviewed 2026-10-17.