How to Get Ungated in Restricted Categories & Brands on Amazon Europe (2026)

You found a product with 30% ROI, solid sales rank, low competition. You go to list it on Amazon... and get hit with "Approval required." Your heart sinks.

This happens to every wholesale seller in Europe. Repeatedly. Some categories and brands are "gated" — meaning Amazon won't let you sell them until you prove you're a legitimate business with real suppliers. It's frustrating, but it's actually a good thing. Gating keeps out fly-by-night sellers and protects both brands and customers. And once you're in? You face less competition than in open categories.

Here's how the ungating process actually works in 2026, what documents you need, and which categories are worth the effort.

Category Gating vs. Brand Gating — They're Different

Confusion starts here. Amazon has two separate types of restrictions:

Category gating means an entire product category (like Grocery or Topicals) requires approval before you can list anything in it. Get approved once, and you can sell any product in that category (assuming the brand isn't also gated).

Brand gating means a specific brand has restricted who can sell their products on Amazon. Even if you're approved for the Beauty category, you might still be blocked from selling a specific brand within it. Brand gating is usually set up through Amazon's Brand Registry by the brand owner themselves.

You can be ungated in a category but blocked by a brand. Or ungated for a brand but missing category approval. Both need to be clear before you buy inventory.

Quick tip: before placing any wholesale order, always try adding the product to your Seller Central listings. If it goes through without asking for approval, you're good. If it asks for documentation, you know what you need. If it just says "You cannot sell this product" with no application option, that brand has locked out third-party sellers entirely — move on.

What Amazon Actually Wants From You

Amazon evaluates three things when you apply for ungating:

1. Proof that you have a legitimate supply chain. They want commercial invoices from manufacturers or authorized wholesalers. Not retail receipts from Media Markt. Not screenshots of online orders. Proper business-to-business invoices that show you're buying wholesale.

2. Product compliance evidence. Depending on the category, this could mean photos of the product and packaging, safety certifications (CE marking for toys and electronics in the EU), lab test reports, or compliance declarations.

3. Business consistency. Your business name and address on the invoices must match what's in your Seller Central account. Exactly. If your Seller Central says "Mueller GmbH" and your invoice says "Müller GmbH," that mismatch can get you rejected. Fix your Seller Central info or get your supplier to match it before applying.

The Invoice Requirements (Get This Right)

Invoices are the single most important part of any ungating application. Get them wrong and you'll get rejected instantly.

Here's what a qualifying invoice needs:

Your business name and address — matching Seller Central exactly. Down to the street name, postal code, and company format.

Supplier's business name, address, and contact details — including a phone number and website. Amazon sometimes calls suppliers to verify.

Product identifiers — EAN, UPC, or ASIN for each product. Generic descriptions like "assorted beauty products" won't work.

Quantities — Amazon typically wants to see at least 10 units per product. Buying 2 units of something doesn't look like a wholesale operation.

Date within the lookback window — invoices generally need to be from the last 90 to 180 days. Old invoices get rejected.

VAT information — in Europe, legitimate B2B invoices include VAT numbers for both parties. If the invoice doesn't show VAT, it looks suspicious.

Amazon typically asks for at least three invoices. Not three invoices for the same product — three separate invoices showing a pattern of wholesale purchasing. This proves you're a real business, not someone who bought one batch to flip.

Restricted Categories in Europe: The Full Picture

Not all categories require approval, and the requirements change periodically. As of 2026, here's the landscape in European marketplaces:

Always restricted (need approval everywhere):

Grocery & Gourmet Food — food safety compliance, proper labeling, and FBA requires products to have more than 105 days of shelf life remaining when they arrive at the warehouse. This is a big one that catches people off guard.

Topicals (skincare, cosmetics applied to skin) — requires compliance documentation and often safety data sheets.

Health & Personal Care (subcategories) — varies widely; basic hygiene products might be open, but anything making health claims needs approval.

Dietary Supplements — heavy documentation. You'll need safety certificates, ingredient compliance proof, and EU-compliant labeling.

Watches — brand sensitivity. Most watch brands are individually gated too.

Fine Jewelry — high documentation requirements plus additional quality assurance conditions.

Partially restricted (some subcategories gated):

Beauty — the top-level category is actually open for most sellers. But many subcategories (Luxury Beauty, Professional Beauty) and most big brands are individually gated.

Toys & Games — the category itself is often open, but selling toys in Q4 (October-December) requires additional approval. In Europe, toys also need CE marking and EN 71 safety compliance.

Automotive — some subcategories require approval, particularly anything safety-related.

Pet Food — similar to Grocery, needs food safety compliance.

Generally open (no approval needed):

Home & Kitchen, Books, Office Products, Sports & Outdoors (most subcategories), Industrial & Scientific, Garden & Outdoor, Camera & Photo.

Keep in mind: even in "open" categories, individual brands can still be gated. You might be free to sell in Home & Kitchen but blocked from selling a specific brand like Philips or Bosch within that category.

Europe-Specific Complications

Selling in Europe adds layers that US sellers don't deal with:

CE marking. Many product categories in the EU require CE marking — a declaration that the product meets EU safety standards. This includes toys, electronics, personal protective equipment, medical devices, and construction products. If you're wholesale selling products that should have CE marking and they don't, Amazon can suppress your listings. The good news: if you're buying from legitimate EU distributors, the products should already be CE compliant.

Marketplace differences. Getting ungated on amazon.de doesn't automatically ungate you on amazon.fr or amazon.it. Each marketplace has its own gating system. The good news is that the documentation you use for one marketplace usually works for the others — but you still need to apply separately for each.

Language on invoices. Amazon's European teams can read invoices in most European languages. You don't need to translate German invoices to English. But the product names and descriptions should be clear enough that the reviewer can match them to Amazon listings.

Made in Italy (amazon.it only). This is a special category that only exists on the Italian marketplace. Products must be manufactured entirely in Italy or have undergone substantial processing there. If you're selling Italian brands on amazon.it, this might come up.

The Easiest Categories to Ungate First

If you're new and want to build your "ungating resume," start with categories where the bar is lower:

Grocery & Gourmet Food (basic subcategories). Sounds counterintuitive since it's restricted, but Amazon approves grocery sellers relatively quickly if you have proper invoices from established food distributors. The category is restricted mainly for food safety, not to keep sellers out. Start with non-perishable packaged goods.

Beauty (mainstream products). The top-level category is mostly open. For gated subcategories, clean invoices from known beauty distributors usually get approved within a week or two.

Toys (outside Q4). If you're applying before September, Toys is relatively easy. The Q4 holiday gate is tighter because Amazon wants to prevent quality issues during peak season. Apply early in the year.

Pet Supplies (non-food). Pet accessories, toys, and non-ingestible products are often easier to get ungated for than pet food.

The hardest categories: Fine Jewelry, Watches (premium brands), Collectible Coins, and anything in the alcohol or tobacco space. Unless you have established relationships with luxury distributors, save these for later.

Step-by-Step: Applying for Ungating

Here's the actual process:

Step 1: Go to Seller Central, click "Inventory" > "Add a Product." Search for a product in the restricted category using its ASIN or EAN. Amazon will tell you if approval is required and show an "Apply to sell" button.

Step 2: Click "Apply to sell." Amazon will show you what documentation they need. Read it carefully — the requirements differ per category.

Step 3: Gather your invoices. Make sure they meet every requirement from the section above. Triple-check that your business name matches Seller Central exactly.

Step 4: Upload your invoices and any required compliance documents. Take clear photos or scans — blurry documents get rejected. If uploading product images, show the actual product with visible barcodes, brand labels, and packaging.

Step 5: Submit and wait. Timeline varies: some applications get approved in 24-48 hours. Others take 1-4 weeks. Complex categories with compliance requirements take the longest.

Step 6: If rejected, read the rejection reason carefully. Most rejections come from: mismatched business details (fixable), invoices that don't show enough quantity (buy more units), missing product identifiers on the invoice (ask your supplier to include EANs), or invoices from retailers instead of wholesalers.

You can reapply after fixing the issues. Don't just resubmit the same documents — Amazon flags repeat submissions of identical applications.

Dealing With Brand Gating

Brand gating is trickier than category gating because it's controlled by the brand, not by Amazon's general policies.

Some brands gate their listings through Brand Registry and actively restrict third-party sellers. You'll see "You cannot list against this product" with no application option. When this happens, your options are:

Get authorization directly from the brand. Contact the brand or their authorized distributor and ask for a letter of authorization. Some brands will provide this if you can show you're a legitimate retailer. Many won't. It depends entirely on their distribution strategy.

Work with distributors who have brand relationships. Some wholesale distributors have agreements with brands that extend selling rights to their customers. Ask your distributor if their invoice is sufficient for Amazon brand approval.

Move on. Seriously. Some brands don't want third-party sellers on Amazon. Period. Nike, Apple, many luxury brands — they've locked their listings down. Spending weeks trying to get authorized is time you could spend finding products from brands that welcome wholesale sellers.

A good rule of thumb: smaller and mid-sized European brands (especially those without their own Amazon presence) are much more likely to authorize wholesale sellers than large multinationals with dedicated Amazon teams.

Red Flags: Brands That Will Cause Problems

Even if you can technically sell a product, some brands are known for filing IP complaints against authorized sellers. Common warning signs:

The brand has very few sellers on the listing (1-2) and aggressively removes new ones. Multiple seller forums mention IP complaints from this brand. The brand has a strong direct-to-consumer presence and clearly doesn't want Amazon resellers.

Before buying inventory for any brand, search Amazon seller forums for "[brand name] IP complaint" or "[brand name] complaint." Five minutes of research can save you from an account health hit.

Account Health Requirements

Amazon won't even consider your ungating application if your account health is poor. You need:

Order Defect Rate (ODR) under 1%. Pre-fulfillment cancellation rate under 2.5%. Late shipment rate under 4%.

If you're a brand new seller with zero orders, these metrics are technically at 0%, which is fine. Amazon cares more about your documentation quality than your sales history for ungating purposes. But if you've been selling and your metrics are bad, fix them before applying.

Ungating Services: Worth It or a Scam?

You'll find companies offering "ungating services" for €100-500 per category. They claim to get you approved within days. Should you use them?

Most of these services work by providing invoices from their own supplier contacts. Some are legitimate — they genuinely have relationships with wholesalers and can produce valid documentation on your behalf. Others are selling fake or recycled invoices, which is a fast track to account suspension.

My take: if you're a serious wholesale seller, you'll need your own supplier relationships anyway. Paying someone to ungate you with their invoices solves today's problem but doesn't build your business. You'll still need to find your own suppliers for the actual inventory you want to sell.

That said, if you're stuck on a specific category and you've been rejected multiple times, a reputable ungating service with transparent methods (they should tell you which supplier they use and it should be verifiable) can save you time. Just make sure they're using real commercial invoices, not fabricated ones. Ask them directly: "Which distributor will the invoice come from?" If they won't tell you, walk away.

Timing Your Ungating Strategy

There's a smart order to approach ungating, and most beginners get it backwards.

Start selling in open categories first. Build up your seller account with real sales, positive feedback, and clean metrics. A seller with 50+ orders and 4.8+ feedback rating looks much more credible to Amazon's approval team than a brand new account with zero history.

Ungate easy categories in months 1-2. Grocery basics, mainstream Beauty, and Pet Supplies are good early targets. Use invoices from your first wholesale suppliers.

Tackle harder categories in months 3-6. Once you have a track record and more supplier relationships, go after Topicals, Dietary Supplements, or niche subcategories. Your applications are more likely to succeed when you can show established business activity.

Brand ungating is ongoing. You'll encounter brand restrictions throughout your selling career. Develop a habit: every time you find a profitable product that's brand-gated, note it down. When you build a relationship with a distributor who carries that brand, circle back and apply using their invoice.

Also, timing within the year matters. Amazon tends to be stricter about Toys ungating from September onwards as they prepare for the holiday season. Apply for Toys in Q1 or Q2 when the bar is lower. Grocery and Beauty don't have strong seasonal patterns.

Building Your "Ungating Portfolio"

Think of each ungated category as an asset. The more categories you have access to, the more supplier price lists become profitable for you.

I've seen sellers pass on entire supplier catalogs because "half the products are in gated categories." Meanwhile, a seller who spent a few weeks getting ungated in Grocery, Beauty, and Topicals suddenly has access to products that 80% of their competition can't sell. That's a real competitive advantage.

Track your ungating progress. Keep a simple spreadsheet with: category name, marketplace (DE, FR, IT, ES), status (open/approved/rejected/pending), date applied, documents used, and notes on what worked. When you apply for a new marketplace, you'll know exactly which documents to use because they worked somewhere else already.

Every few months, revisit categories you were previously rejected from. Amazon's requirements and review processes change. A category that was impossible to enter six months ago might have relaxed its requirements. Or you might now have better invoices from newer supplier relationships.

What to Do When You Keep Getting Rejected

Getting rejected once isn't the end. Getting rejected three times with the same documentation means something is fundamentally wrong.

Common fixes:

Ask your supplier for a more detailed invoice that specifically lists EAN numbers and uses your exact Seller Central business name. Get invoices from a different (ideally larger, more established) supplier. Make sure the products on your invoice are the exact same ASINs you're trying to ungate. If you're getting rejected for compliance documents, consult with a product safety specialist — the cost of a consultation (€100-300) is worth it if the category is profitable for you.

And if all else fails? Find other products. Amazon has millions of listings. Getting fixated on one gated category or brand when there are thousands of profitable ungated products is a classic beginner trap. Ungate the easy categories first, build your sales history, and come back to the tough ones later when you have established supplier relationships and a proven track record.

Frequently Asked Questions

What documents do I need to get ungated on Amazon Europe?

You need commercial invoices from authorized distributors showing: your business name and address, supplier business details, product names matching the Amazon listing, at least 10 units per product, dated within the last 180 days, and an invoice number. The invoice must be in the language of the marketplace or in English.

How long does it take to get ungated on Amazon EU?

Most ungating applications are reviewed within 24-72 hours. Simple category approvals (like Grocery or Office Products) can be instant. Brand-gated approvals typically take 2-5 business days. If rejected, you can reapply immediately with corrected documentation.

Which categories are easiest to get ungated on Amazon Europe?

The easiest categories to ungate on Amazon Europe are: Grocery and Gourmet Food, Office Products, Industrial and Scientific, and Musical Instruments. These typically require just one compliant invoice from an authorized supplier with 10+ units.

Can I use the same invoices for ungating across multiple European marketplaces?

Yes, in most cases. Since Amazon Europe operates under a unified account, ungating approval on one marketplace (like Amazon.de) often carries over to other EU marketplaces. However, some brand-gated products may require separate approval per marketplace.

Why does Amazon keep rejecting my ungating application?

The most common rejection reasons are: invoice does not match your seller account name, supplier is not recognized as an authorized distributor, invoice is older than 180 days, quantities are too low (need 10+ units), or the invoice format looks suspicious (handwritten, missing details, or edited). Make sure your supplier provides professional typed invoices.

Does Amazon charge a fee for category or brand approval?

No, Amazon does not charge any fee for ungating or category approval. The process is completely free. Be cautious of third-party "ungating services" that charge EUR 50-200 per category — most of them simply submit invoices you could submit yourself.