What is the EU Right to Repair Directive?

The EU Right to Repair Directive (Directive 2024/1799) was formally adopted in June 2024. It requires manufacturers of covered product categories to provide spare parts, repair manuals, and repair services at fair prices for a minimum period after sale. Member states must implement it in national law by July 31, 2026.

Which products does the EU Right to Repair Directive cover?

The Directive covers products already regulated under EU Ecodesign rules: smartphones, tablets, laptops, washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators, televisions, vacuum cleaners, and more. Tablets and laptops are phased in from 2027.

What rights do EU consumers get under the Right to Repair Directive?

EU consumers gain the right to request repairs beyond the standard warranty, to access repair services at non-discriminatory prices, to buy original spare parts from the manufacturer, and to receive a loan device during repairs. Manufacturers cannot void warranties for third-party repairs using genuine parts.

When does the EU Right to Repair Directive take effect?

The Directive must be transposed into national law by July 31, 2026 in all EU member states. From that date, the new repair rights are legally enforceable for consumers in all 27 EU countries.

EU Consumer Warranty by Country: What You're Entitled to Right Now

Every consumer product sold in the EU comes with a legal guarantee, a mandatory protection that exists independently of any extended warranty or insurance you buy from the retailer. Under EU Directive 2019/771, the minimum is 2 years from delivery. But 12 member states go further, and the differences matter when your washing machine breaks on day 731.

This guide covers what you're legally entitled to in every EU country right now, before the Right to Repair Directive adds another layer of protection in July 2026.

💡Quick answer: The EU minimum is 2 years from delivery. The seller, not the manufacturer, is legally responsible. Free repair or replacement is your right, not a goodwill gesture.

The EU Legal Guarantee: What It Covers

The EU legal guarantee covers any defect that existed at the time of delivery, even if it only becomes apparent later. If your product develops a fault within the guarantee period, the seller must offer you, in order of preference: (1) repair, (2) replacement, (3) a price reduction, or (4) a full refund. You don't need a receipt to a separate warranty card or premium support contract. The right is automatic.

Applies to all tangible consumer goods (electronics, appliances, clothing, furniture)
Covers physical goods with digital elements (smart appliances, software-dependent devices)
Seller is responsible, not the manufacturer
Defects presumed to have existed at delivery if they appear within 1 year (2 years in most countries)
You can choose repair or replacement, seller can only refuse if it's disproportionately costly

Warranty Duration by EU Country (2026)

EU law sets the floor at 2 years, but member states can, and many do, extend this. Here is the current legal guarantee duration for consumer goods in every EU member state:

6 Years

Ireland, 6-year protection under the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act
Finland, up to 6 years depending on expected product lifespan; courts assess based on how long a 'reasonable consumer' would expect the product to last
Sweden, 3 years statutory, but courts have interpreted 'reasonable lifespan' to extend protection to 5–6 years for major appliances
Scotland (UK rule no longer applies, but equivalent protections remain under Scots common law for durability), note: Scotland is not in the EU, but noted for context

5 Years

Sweden, 3-year statutory guarantee under Konsumentköplagen (Consumer Sales Act), with 'reasonable lifespan' doctrine extending protection in practice
Portugal, 3-year statutory minimum under Decreto-Lei n.º 67/2003, with extended protections for products sold as durable goods

3 Years

Germany, 2-year statutory minimum under BGB §438, but many retailers voluntarily offer 3 years; judicial precedent often extends to 5 years for major appliances based on expected lifespan
Portugal, 3 years minimum since 2022 under the transposition of EU Directive 2019/771
Sweden, 3 years minimum under Konsumentköplagen
Estonia, 2 years minimum plus 'reasonable lifespan' doctrine

2 Years (EU Minimum, All Member States)

All 27 EU member states guarantee at minimum 2 years from delivery. These include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain.

ℹ️France exception: French law also applies the 'hidden defects' (vices cachés) doctrine under Article 1641 of the Civil Code, which can extend protection to 5 years from the date you discovered the defect, even after the statutory 2-year guarantee expires.

The Burden of Proof Rule

This is where many consumers lose claims they should win. Under EU Directive 2019/771, during the first 12 months after delivery, any defect is legally presumed to have existed at the time of purchase. The seller must prove otherwise. After 12 months (up to the end of the guarantee period), the burden flips, you may need to show that the defect wasn't caused by misuse.

Some countries are more consumer-friendly here. Portugal, Finland, and Sweden maintain the reversed burden of proof for the full guarantee period. This means if your refrigerator fails at 18 months, you don't have to prove it was a manufacturing defect, the seller has to prove it wasn't.

What 'Repair' Means Under EU Law

If a product is defective, repair is your default right, and it must be free. The seller cannot charge for:

Labour costs
Parts required for the repair
Collection, shipping, or postage
Temporary replacement units if the repair takes more than 30 days (in some countries)

If the seller claims repair is 'disproportionately costly' and offers replacement instead, they must justify this in writing. You can dispute it. And if the product fails a second time for the same defect, you generally have the right to request a full refund rather than another repair attempt.

When the Manufacturer's Warranty Differs from the Legal Guarantee

Manufacturers often advertise a '1-year warranty' or '2-year warranty', and many consumers mistakenly believe this is all they're entitled to. It isn't. The manufacturer's commercial warranty is separate from and additional to your statutory legal guarantee against the seller. You have both, simultaneously.

Legal guarantee: Against the seller. Cannot be waived or reduced. Minimum 2 years.
Commercial warranty: From the manufacturer. Can have conditions, exclusions, registration requirements.
If the manufacturer's warranty is shorter than your legal guarantee, the legal guarantee still applies in full.
If the manufacturer's warranty extends beyond your legal guarantee, you have both protections, whichever is more favourable.

What Changes in July 2026

The EU Right to Repair Directive (Directive 2024/1799) adds a new layer on top of the existing legal guarantee. Once it becomes national law across all 27 member states by July 31, 2026:

Manufacturers must offer repair for covered products even after your legal guarantee expires, at a 'reasonable' price
You get a 12-month warranty extension on anything repaired after July 2026
Refurbished products must come with a minimum 12-month guarantee (not just 2 years, this is a seller requirement)
EU member states must each operate an online repair platform matching consumers to repairers
Manufacturers must provide a standardised European Repair Information Form so you can compare repair costs before committing

Crucially, the Directive applies on top of, not instead of, the existing legal guarantee framework. In countries with already-strong consumer protection (Finland, Ireland, Sweden), the combined effect will be substantial.

How to Use Your Guarantee Rights

Step-by-step process if a product fails within the guarantee period:

Contact the retailer, not the manufacturer. Your contract is with the seller.
State that you're invoking your rights under EU Directive 2019/771 and national consumer law.
Request repair as your first choice (or replacement if repair is not feasible).
If refused, escalate to your national consumer protection authority (see the EU Consumer Rights network at ec.europa.eu/consumers).
As a last resort, use the EU Online Dispute Resolution platform at ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr.

✅Tip: Keep proof of purchase, but note that under EU law you don't always need the original receipt. Bank statements, order confirmation emails, or delivery notes all count as evidence of purchase date.

RepairScore and Your Guarantee Rights

RepairScore's scoring algorithm includes parts availability and manufacturer support duration as key factors, precisely because these determine whether your guarantee right to repair can actually be fulfilled. A product with a RepairScore below 50 may be difficult or impossible to repair under guarantee, because the parts don't exist or because the repair requires proprietary tools unavailable to independent repairers.

Checking a product's RepairScore before you buy tells you whether your statutory rights are likely to be enforceable in practice, not just in theory.

Check Your Product's RepairScore