Free representative checker
Do I need an EU, UK or Swiss representative?
Answer a few quick questions and you get a clear answer and a price. It's free, and you don't need to sign up.
An EU representative doesn't cover the UK or Switzerland, so we check all three, plus other EU laws that can ask for a representative. This checker is for companies (public bodies work differently).
Your result
Estimated price
Some companies appoint one anyway to show customers and partners they take compliance seriously.
If that's you, start now.You might also need a data protection officer (DPO).
Find out if you need oneWant to know why we ask these questions?
How it works
If your company is outside the EU, the UK or Switzerland, and you sell to people there or track what they do, you may have to name a representative there. In the EU and the UK that's Article 27 of the GDPR. Switzerland has its own rule (Article 14 of its data protection law, the FADP): it's for companies that decide how they use the data, and it only applies when they use a lot of it, regularly, in a way that could put people at high risk.
The EU and UK rule has an exception if you only use their data now and then, you don't handle sensitive data or criminal records on a large scale, and it's unlikely to put people at risk. It's a strict test, and many companies appoint a representative anyway. Some other EU laws, like the Digital Services Act and the AI Act, can also ask for a representative.
We ask where you're based, who you sell to or track, and what kind of data you use. If you sell to or track people in Switzerland, we ask a few more questions about that. Then we ask about some other services and, if you want a price, your size. You see what you likely need, and you can sign up right away.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an EU representative if I have no office in the EU?
Usually yes, if you sell to people in the EU or track what they do online, for example with analytics or ad targeting. GDPR Article 27 asks a company that isn't established in the EU or EEA to name a representative there, in writing. You don't need one if you only use their data now and then, you don't handle sensitive data or criminal records on a large scale, and it's unlikely to put people at risk. Public bodies don't need one either.
Does a UK company need an EU representative?
Usually yes, if it has no office or branch in the EU or EEA and sells to people there or tracks what they do. Since the UK left the EU, a UK company counts as a non-EU company under GDPR Article 27, so the same exception applies: you only use their data now and then, you don't handle sensitive data or criminal records on a large scale, and it's unlikely to put people at risk. A UK office doesn't cover the EU, and the UK's adequacy decision doesn't remove the duty either. There's more on our EU representative for UK companies page.
When does a non-Swiss company need a Swiss representative?
Article 14 of the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) covers private companies based outside Switzerland that decide why and how they use the data of people in Switzerland. You need one only when all four conditions are met at once: you offer goods or services to people in Switzerland or track what they do, and the processing is large scale, regular and high risk for the people involved. If any one of the four is missing, or you only handle the data for another company, you don't need one. An EU or UK representative doesn't cover Switzerland, and the Swiss representative page has the detail.
What does a representative do?
It's your named contact point in the EU, the UK or Switzerland, listed in your privacy notice. Regulators and people whose data you hold can write to it, and it passes every message straight to you. Where the law asks for it, it also holds your record of processing activities and can show it to a regulator. It doesn't decide what you answer - that stays with you.
How long does the check take?
It's up to six short screens, and the Swiss questions only show if you sell to or track people in Switzerland. You see your answer as soon as you finish, and you don't need to sign up or give an email address. The size questions are optional and only set the price.