Impressum and Legal Notices for EU Online Stores
If you sell online to customers in Germany or Austria, your store needs an Impressum, a legal notice that tells visitors exactly who is behind the business. The rest of the EU has similar, if less famous, rules. This checklist explains what to include, where to put it and how marketplaces fit in. It is general information, not legal advice, and requirements vary by country and legal form, so check the official sources or a local adviser.
Key takeaways
- Germany and Austria require an Impressum on commercial websites. In Germany, the rule is in § 5 of the Digitale-Dienste-Gesetz (DDG), which replaced the Telemediengesetz in May 2024.
- Typical contents: name and legal form, postal address (no PO box), email and a fast contact option, register details, VAT ID and the representative's name for companies.
- Article 5 of the EU e-Commerce Directive (2000/31/EC) requires similar provider information across the EU.
- Under the Digital Services Act, marketplaces must collect trader information from sellers.
In many countries, customers rarely look for a legal notice. In Germany and Austria, they expect one, and competitors and consumer associations may notice when it is missing or incomplete. For an online store, a clear Impressum is both a legal requirement and a trust signal: it tells shoppers there is a real, reachable business behind the product photos.
The good news is that an Impressum is usually a single page you set up once and update when your details change. The challenge is getting the details right for your legal form and the countries you sell to.
What an Impressum is
An Impressum is a page, or a clearly marked section, that identifies the provider of a commercial website. It answers the questions: who runs this site, where are they and how can I contact them quickly? In Germany, the obligation is set out in § 5 of the Digitale-Dienste-Gesetz (DDG), the law that implements the EU Digital Services Act in Germany and replaced the Telemediengesetz (TMG) in May 2024. Austria has its own rules requiring similar information.
If your existing Impressum still refers to the TMG, update the reference. It is a small change, but it shows the page is maintained.
Who needs one
The German requirement applies to commercial online services, which includes online stores, business websites and, in many cases, commercial social media profiles. It is not limited to German companies: if you target customers in Germany, it is wise to provide an Impressum that meets German expectations, whatever your home country. Exactly when foreign sellers are bound by German rules can be complex, so check with an adviser if this matters to you.
The Impressum checklist
The exact contents depend on your legal form, your profession and your registrations. For a typical online store, these are the items to check:
| Item | What to include | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Name and legal form | Full legal name of the business, including its legal form | For sole traders, your full name; a shop name alone is not enough |
| Postal address | A full address where the business can be reached | No PO box |
| Email address | A working email address | A contact form alone may not be enough |
| Fast contact | A way to reach you quickly and directly, often a phone number | Check current guidance for acceptable options |
| Register details | The commercial register, or similar, and your registration number | If your business is registered |
| VAT ID | Your VAT identification number | If you have one |
| Representative | Name of the person authorized to represent the company | For companies, such as a managing director |
Some businesses need extra details, for example regulated professions, businesses that need a license or companies in liquidation. If any of these apply, look up the specific requirements.
Common mistake
Using a virtual mailbox or PO box as the only address. The Impressum needs a postal address where you can actually be reached. If you work from home and do not want your home address public, look into proper business address options before you launch, rather than leaving the address out.
Where to place your Impressum
The information must be easy to recognize, directly reachable and always available. In practice, that means:
- A link labeled clearly, such as "Impressum" or "Legal notice", in the footer of every page.
- No more than a couple of clicks to reach it from anywhere on the site.
- Plain text, not an image, so it can be read, copied and found by search engines and screen readers.
- A link on mobile pages and in your app if you have one, not only on the desktop site.
- For commercial social media profiles, a link to the Impressum in the profile where the platform allows it.
Pro tip
If you sell to German and Austrian customers in German, label the footer link "Impressum" even on an English-language site. It is the word customers look for, and it makes the page easy to find.
Legal notices across the rest of the EU
The Impressum is a German and Austrian concept, but the underlying idea applies across the EU. Article 5 of the e-Commerce Directive (2000/31/EC) requires online service providers to give recipients easy, direct and permanent access to basic information, including:
- The provider's name and geographic address.
- Contact details, including an email address, that allow rapid and direct communication.
- Trade register details and registration number, where applicable.
- The VAT identification number, where applicable.
- Details of the supervisory authority or professional rules, for activities that need them.
Each member state implements these requirements in its own law, and the labels differ: "Legal notice", "Mentions légales" in France, "Note legali" in Italy. A single well-built legal notice page in each language you sell in usually covers the core.
How it connects to consumer law
Separate from the Impressum, EU consumer law requires pre-contract information before an online order, including your identity, address, total price including taxes, delivery costs and withdrawal terms. Your legal notice, terms and conditions, privacy notice and withdrawal information work together. Keep the details consistent across all of them.
A practical way to do this is to keep one master record of your business details, such as legal name, address, register number and VAT ID, and copy from it whenever you update a page, an invoice template or a marketplace profile. Small differences, like an old address in your terms or a missing legal form on your invoices, can confuse customers and make your business look less reliable.
Marketplaces and trader information
If you sell on marketplaces, the platform shows some of your details to customers, but that does not mean your obligations disappear. Under Article 30 of the Digital Services Act (Regulation (EU) 2022/2065), online marketplaces must collect information from traders before letting them sell, a process often called "know your business customer". This includes contact details, identification and registration information.
- Complete your seller profile fully. Fill in your legal name, address, email, phone, register number and VAT ID in each marketplace account.
- Check what customers see. View your seller page as a buyer and compare it with your Impressum checklist.
- Keep details in sync. When you move, change your legal form or get a new VAT ID, update every marketplace, your website and your invoices.
- Respond to verification requests. Marketplaces can ask you to confirm or update trader information. Delays can lead to restrictions on your account.
Example
Imagine a small UK company that sells tea online to customers in Germany and Austria through its own store and one German marketplace. Its footer already had a "Contact" page with only a form. It adds an "Impressum" page listing the company's full name and legal form, its UK postal address, an email address and phone number, its company registration number, its VAT number and the name of its director. It then checks that the marketplace seller profile shows the same details.
Your legal notice checklist
- Full legal name and legal form of the business
- Complete postal address, not a PO box
- Working email address and a fast, direct contact option
- Commercial register name and number, if registered
- VAT identification number, if you have one
- Name of the authorized representative for companies
- Extra details for regulated professions or licensed activities
- Footer link labeled "Impressum" or "Legal notice" on every page, including mobile
- Up-to-date legal references, such as DDG instead of TMG
- Matching details on marketplaces, invoices and terms
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an Impressum if I am not based in Germany?
If you target customers in Germany or Austria, providing an Impressum is strongly advisable, and the EU e-Commerce Directive requires similar information across the EU anyway. Whether German rules apply directly to a foreign business can depend on details, so ask an adviser if you are unsure.
Is a contact form enough instead of an email address?
Generally no. The rules require contact details that allow fast, direct communication, including an email address. A contact form can be an extra, but it should not replace the email address in your legal notice.
Can I combine the Impressum with my privacy notice?
It is usually better to keep them separate and clearly labeled. The Impressum identifies the provider, while the privacy notice explains how you handle personal data. Customers and authorities should be able to find each one easily.
What happens if my Impressum is missing or incomplete?
Consequences depend on the country. In Germany, an incomplete legal notice can lead to warnings from competitors or associations, and authorities can impose fines. Fixing it is usually quick, so it is worth checking now.
Related reading
The bottom line
An Impressum is a small page with a big job: it shows customers and authorities exactly who runs your store and how to reach you. For German and Austrian customers it is expected, and the EU e-Commerce Directive requires similar information everywhere in the EU. Include your legal name and form, a real postal address, email and fast contact, register and VAT details and your representative, and link it from every page.
Requirements depend on your country, legal form and activity, and this article is general information rather than legal advice. Check the official sources, such as the European Commission's Your Europe pages and your national authority, or a local adviser, and update your notice whenever your details change.
