The plain-English guide

The CBAM Registry: how to access and use it

The CBAM Registry is the central EU platform for the definitive Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism regime. It is where importers are authorised as declarants, the annual CBAM declaration is filed, and certificates are bought, held and surrendered. You reach it through the EU Customs Trader Portal with your national customs login. DG TAXUD: CBAM Registry

Last updated · 8 June 2026

TL;DR

  • What it is: the central EU IT platform for the definitive regime — authorisation, declarations and certificates.
  • How you reach it: via the EU Customs Trader Portal, signing in through your national customs identity (UUM&DS).
  • First step: you need a valid EORI number before anything else.
  • Authorisation: handled in the Authorisation Management Module (AMM); the NCA assesses within up to 120 days.
  • Not the old one: the transitional CBAM Registry (Oct 2023–Dec 2025, quarterly reports) is a legacy portal; the definitive Registry supersedes it.
Open the official portalWho is the declarant?

An independent guide, not the official portal

This is an independent, plain-English guide to help you understand and navigate the CBAM Registry. The official portal and the authoritative, up-to-date guidance live on the European Commission's site. Always log in and confirm the current steps there. European Commission (DG TAXUD): CBAM Registry

What the CBAM Registry is

The CBAM Registry is the central EU IT platform for the definitive Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, established under Regulation (EU) 2023/956. The definitive regime began on 1 January 2026, and the Registry is where the compliance work happens. In one place it handles three things: authorising importers as CBAM declarants, receiving the annual CBAM declaration, and managing CBAM certificates — their purchase, holding, surrender and sell-back. DG TAXUD: CBAM in force

If you import cement, iron & steel, aluminium, fertilisers, electricity or hydrogen above the threshold, the Registry is the system you and your declarant will live in from now on. Use it to track your obligations against the CBAM deadlines.

How you get into it

You do not log in to a standalone CBAM website. Access runs through the EU Customs Trader Portal, the same single sign-on used across EU customs systems. The Portal authenticates you through your Member State customs identity system, part of the EU's UUM&DS (Uniform User Management and Digital Signatures) framework. In practice that means you log in the way you already do for national customs, and the CBAM Registry appears as one of the systems you can reach. DG TAXUD: CBAM Registry and reporting

The non-negotiable prerequisite is a valid EORI number. Without it you cannot get access rights or apply for authorisation, so secure that first.

How to get access, step by step

  1. 1

    Get an EORI number

    Make sure your business holds a valid EORI number from the customs authority of your EU Member State of establishment. It is the prerequisite for everything below.

  2. 2

    Set up your customs identity

    Confirm your login with your Member State customs identity system, the single sign-on (UUM&DS) the EU uses to reach the Customs Trader Portal.

  3. 3

    Request CBAM Registry access

    Log in to the EU Customs Trader Portal, request access to the CBAM Registry for your business, and assign the right users in your organisation.

  4. 4

    Apply via the AMM

    In the Registry, open the Authorisation Management Module and submit your declarant application. The NCA assesses it within up to 120 days.

Step 4 is the heart of it. For the detail on who must apply, the information you need, and what happens if you missed the grace deadline, see Who is the CBAM declarant?

The Authorisation Management Module (AMM)

The Authorisation Management Module is the part of the Registry where authorised CBAM declarant status is requested and managed. You submit your application there — financial and operational information, a description of your compliance procedures, and, for newer operators, possibly a financial guarantee. The National Competent Authority (NCA) of your Member State of establishment then reviews it, consulting the Commission and other NCAs where needed. DG TAXUD

The assessment period is up to 120 days, ending in a grant or refusal of authorisation. Because that is a long window, the timing of your application matters — see the deadline tracker.

Transitional Registry vs definitive Registry

It is easy to confuse two different systems that share the CBAM name. The transitional CBAM Registry (often the "CBAM Transitional Registry") was the portal used from October 2023 to December 2025, during the transitional period, for one job only: filing the quarterly CBAM reports. There was no payment and no certificates.

The definitive CBAM Registry supersedes it for the compliance regime that started on 1 January 2026. It is broader: authorisation, the annual declaration, and the full certificate lifecycle. If you are reading about "the transitional registry" in older guidance, treat it as a legacy term and make sure any steps you follow are for the definitive system. DG TAXUD: 2025 simplifications

What you can do inside the Registry

Manage authorised-declarant status (AMM), file the annual CBAM declaration, and buy, hold, surrender and request sell-back of CBAM certificates. Certificates are bought from and sold back to the authority only — they are not traded between operators.

Finding your National Competent Authority

Your NCA is the body in your Member State of establishment that assesses your authorisation and enforces CBAM. The list of NCAs per Member State is published on the DG TAXUD CBAM website; check it before you apply. DG TAXUD: CBAM hub

FAQ

People also ask

What is the CBAM Registry?
The CBAM Registry is the central EU IT platform for the definitive Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism regime. It is where importers are authorised as CBAM declarants, where the annual CBAM declaration is filed, and where CBAM certificates are bought, held, surrendered and sold back. You reach it through the EU Customs Trader Portal using your national customs login.
How do I access the CBAM Registry?
Access is via the EU Customs Trader Portal, the single sign-on used for EU customs systems, which authenticates you through your Member State customs identity system (UUM&DS). You need a valid EORI number first, then your national customs identity, then access rights to the CBAM Registry. Once in, declarant authorisation is handled in the Authorisation Management Module (AMM).
What is the difference between the transitional CBAM Registry and the definitive Registry?
The transitional CBAM Registry (the "CBAM Transitional Registry") was the portal used from October 2023 to December 2025 for filing quarterly CBAM reports only, with no payment. The definitive CBAM Registry supersedes it for the compliance regime that began on 1 January 2026: it handles authorisation, the annual declaration, and certificates. The transitional Registry is now a legacy term.
What is the Authorisation Management Module (AMM)?
The Authorisation Management Module is the part of the CBAM Registry where you apply for, and the National Competent Authority manages, authorised CBAM declarant status. You submit your financial and operational information there; the NCA of your Member State of establishment assesses the application, with an assessment period of up to 120 days.
Do I need an EORI number to use the CBAM Registry?
Yes. A valid EORI number (Economic Operators Registration and Identification number) is a prerequisite for both accessing the CBAM Registry and applying for authorised CBAM declarant status. If you do not have one, you request it from the customs authority of your Member State of establishment before starting.
Is the CBAM Registry the same as the official EU portal?
This page is an independent, plain-English guide. The CBAM Registry itself, and the authoritative, up-to-date guidance for using it, live on the European Commission (DG TAXUD) website. Always log in and confirm current steps through the official portal rather than relying solely on a third-party summary.

This is guidance, not legal advice

This is an independent guide to help you understand the CBAM Registry, not legal advice. For decisions specific to your business, log in to the official portal, confirm the current steps with the European Commission sources we link, or speak to a qualified adviser. We cannot guarantee compliance, and you should be wary of anyone who says they can.

Sources

  1. [1]European Commission (DG TAXUD): CBAM Registry and reportingretrieved 8 Jun 2026
  2. [2]European Commission (DG TAXUD): CBAM hubretrieved 8 Jun 2026
  3. [3]DG TAXUD: CBAM successfully entered into force on 1 January 2026retrieved 8 Jun 2026
  4. [4]DG TAXUD: Officially published — simplifications for CBAM (20 Oct 2025)retrieved 8 Jun 2026
  5. [5]EUR-Lex: CBAM summary, Regulation (EU) 2023/956retrieved 8 Jun 2026
  6. [6]German DEHSt: CBAM definitive regime, authorisation and certificatesretrieved 8 Jun 2026

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