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UK Expands General Licensing for Dual-Use Exports

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On June 25, 2026, the UK published a new Open General Export Licence (the “New OGEL”), permitting the export of a wide range of dual-use items to various low-risk destinations. The New OGEL consolidates existing open licensing routes for certain dual-use exports and adds coverage for several new destinations, reducing the need for individual license applications for eligible exports.

The New OGEL is particularly relevant for UK exporters of dual-use goods, software and technology that currently rely on the OGEL for dual-use exports to EU Member States (the “EU Dual-Use OGEL”), General Export Authorization (GEA) 001 or individual licenses for exports to lower-risk destinations.

Key Takeaways

  • The New OGEL permits exports of certain dual-use items to a broad list of destinations already covered by the EU Dual-Use OGEL or GEA 001.
  • The EU Dual-Use OGEL and GEA 001 remain available for now, but guidance notes that exporters relying on these authorizations should register for the New OGEL going forward.
  • The New OGEL also adds coverage for Chile, South Korea, Singapore, Uruguay and certain British Overseas Territories.
  • Not all dual-use items are covered, as detailed below, and some are only out of scope for certain destinations.
  • To rely on the New OGEL, exporters must confirm that the proposed exports comply with the license conditions and restrictions, register on SPIRE before exporting, and comply with applicable documentation, notification, recordkeeping and audit requirements.

Permitted Destinations
Subject to the applicable exclusions and conditions, the New OGEL covers exports to EU Member States, Australia, Canada, Chile, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, the United States and Uruguay. It also covers specified British Overseas Territories, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man.

The New OGEL therefore substantially consolidates the destinations previously covered by the EU Dual-Use OGEL and GEA 001. The main expansion is the addition of Chile, South Korea, Singapore, Uruguay and certain British Overseas Territories. Exports to those destinations may previously have required individual licenses, unless another OGEL or authorization was available.

Items Covered
The New OGEL authorizes exports of items in Annex I to the applicable dual-use regulation, subject to exclusions. For exports from England, Wales and Scotland, the applicable regulation is assimilated Council Regulation (EC) No. 428/2009. For exports from Northern Ireland, the applicable regulation is Regulation (EU) 2021/821 as it has effect by virtue of the Windsor Framework.

The excluded items are:

  1. For exports to any destination: items classified under 0C003, and items listed in Annex IIg to assimilated Council Regulation (EC) No. 428/2009 or Section I of Annex II to Regulation (EU) 2021/821, depending on which regulation applies. These annexes include all items in Annex IV of the relevant dual-use regulation, and various items classified under 0C001, 0C002, 0D001, 0E001, 1A102, 1C351, 1C353, 1C354, 1C450.a.1, 1C450.a.2, 7E104, 9A009.a and 9A117.
  2. For exports to Chile, Singapore, South Korea, Uruguay and the specified Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories: items classified under 1A004a, 1A004b, 1A005, 4D004, 4E001c, 5A001f, 5A001j, 5A004, 6A002c and 6A003b, as well as the items in (1) above.

Exporters should therefore check the New OGEL by reference to the applicable control entry and destination, rather than assuming that coverage under the EU Dual-Use OGEL or GEA 001 automatically maps across.

Restrictions, Conditions and Notification Requirements
The conditions and restrictions in the New OGEL are largely consistent with the EU Dual-Use OGEL. These include requirements to register on SPIRE and exclusions depending on the destination and end-use, including where the exporter knows or suspects that the items may be intended for certain prohibited WMD or military end-uses. Other conditions and exclusions are set out in the New OGEL itself. Users also remain subject to compliance audits.

The EU Dual-Use OGEL requirement to notify the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero before exporting Category 0 goods does not apply to the New OGEL. However, the New OGEL introduces a notification requirement for permanent exports to non-Wassenaar destinations (Chile, Cyprus, Iceland, Singapore and Uruguay) where the items are included in the Wassenaar Arrangement’s Sensitive List or Very Sensitive List.

Exporters that have relied on GEA 001 or the EU Dual-Use OGEL should review the scope, conditions and obligations of the New OGEL carefully before switching.

What This Means for Exporters
The New OGEL is designed to make exports to trusted partners easier and reduce the administrative burden of applying for individual licenses for eligible shipments. In practice, it may allow exporters to rely on a single open license for exports that previously required multiple routes, including the EU Dual-Use OGEL, GEA 001 and, in some cases, individual licenses.

The notice published alongside the New OGEL states that the new license consolidates the EU Dual-Use OGEL and GEA 001, and that exporters registered for those authorizations should register for the New OGEL going forward. Although the notice does not announce the revocation of either authorization, exporters should treat this as a signal that the New OGEL is intended to become the primary open licensing route for many lower-risk dual-use exports.

The expansion also reflects the UK’s intention to simplify lower-risk dual-use exports while maintaining necessary safeguards. The notice estimates that the expanded OGEL coverage could save exporters from applying for more than 500 individual licenses each year and notes that further destinations may be added.

Next Steps
UK exporters should assess whether exports to Chile, South Korea, Singapore, Uruguay or the specified British Overseas Territories may benefit from the New OGEL. They should also review whether existing licensing arrangements for destinations already covered by the EU Dual-Use OGEL or GEA 001 can be simplified. Exporters may also wish to monitor the New OGEL for any addition of further destinations.

Before using the New OGEL, exporters should confirm that the proposed export falls within the license terms and whether any other restrictions or approvals apply, including sanctions, customs requirements and, where relevant, F680 or other MOD/security-clearance requirements for classified items. Exporters should then register for the New OGEL on SPIRE, and ensure that export documentation and customs declaration system references reflect use of the New OGEL.

Once using the New OGEL, exporters should continue to conduct appropriate end-use, end-user, sanctions and onward-export screening, retain records showing compliance with the license, and ensure those records are clear, complete and ready for compliance audits.