Apple EU trader status: declare it or leave the EU App Store
Sources checked
Apple asks every developer on the App Store to say whether they are a trader under the EU's Digital Services Act. Since February 17, 2025, apps without a trader status have been removed from the App Store in the European Union until their developer provides the status and, where needed, verifies it.
Why it matters
The app stays available everywhere else, which makes the gap easy to miss: it just isn't listed in the 27 EU countries. Apple also asks the question the next time you submit a new app if you haven't answered it, so it can hold up a first release.
The answer is public. If you declare as a trader, Apple checks your contact details and then shows your address or P.O. box, phone number and email on your app's product page in the EU. For an organization, the address tied to its D-U-N-S number is the one shown. Apple also asks traders to certify that they only offer products or services that comply with EU law.
If you declare that you are not a trader, you share no contact details. In that case Apple tells customers in the EU that EU consumer protection rights don't apply to their contracts with you.
Who it applies to
Apple asks every developer to declare a status, even one who doesn't distribute apps in the EU. The EU's definition of a trader is anyone acting for purposes relating to their trade, business, craft or profession.
Apple's list of signs that you are a trader includes earning revenue from the app, engaging in commercial practices toward consumers, being registered for VAT, and building the app in a professional or business capacity.
Common questions
Do I need to declare trader status if I don't sell in the EU?
Apple says yes. You still need to declare a trader status even if you don't distribute apps in the EU.
What does Apple show for a trader?
Once it has verified them, Apple publishes your address or P.O. box, phone number and email on your App Store product page in the 27 EU countries.
What happened to apps without trader status?
From February 17, 2025, Apple removed them from the App Store in the EU until their developers provided a trader status.
Where launchpad comes in
launchpad lists EU trader status among the App Store steps on its dashboard, once for your Apple account, until you mark it done.
Sources
- Apple Developer News: Trader status requirement in the EU
- App Store Connect Help: EU Digital Services Act trader requirements
Each source was read on the vendor's own site on October 17, 2026.
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