“The debtor is in Europe” is not enough to identify a procedure. You need the specific country, information about assets and an answer to whether you already have a judgment. European countries do not form one system for enforcing UK judgments.
Check the enforcement country
The 2019 Hague Judgments Convention concerns recognition and enforcement between states bound by it, subject to its conditions. It does not automatically cover every European country or every category of claim. Application must be established for the particular pair of states and commencement date. HCCH, Articles 1, 2 and 16.
Separate residence from asset location
A person may live in one country and hold assets in another. Each route needs assessment of its legal basis, local procedure and costs. Do not assume that one decision or form enables enforcement across Europe.
Start with a specific situation
For Poland, use our UK–Poland guide. For another country, first establish whether an appropriate specialist is available and what assistance they can provide. Confirm availability before starting a working relationship.
Next step
Start with our UK–Poland debt recovery guide. Briefly describe your situation so that the scope of possible assistance can be established. Do not post the debtor’s details or documents in a public comment. Requires individual legal assessment.
Unpaid invoice from a European business: identify the country first
Your UK business supplied goods or services to a customer elsewhere in Europe, but payment has not arrived. “Europe” is too broad to identify a court or recovery route. You need the specific country, correct legal entity and whether the matter concerns an unpaid invoice, disputed performance or an existing judgment.
This guide helps prepare a country assessment. It does not confirm that TwojaSprawa offers representation in every European state. Polish assistance requires an agreed practitioner scope; assistance in other countries remains unconfirmed.
Five steps to prepare the matter
- Identify the business. Record the full legal name, country of registration and contracting entity. The brand's headquarters, sales contact and delivery address may differ. Preserve the records showing who agreed to pay.
- Separate location from assets. Record known information about the registered office and assets, with its source. Do not assume that a bank account used for one payment or an office address establishes assets available for enforcement. You do not need to conduct an informal investigation to organise evidence already available.
- Identify the stage and dispute. Does the customer acknowledge the balance, dispute the work, propose instalments or report financial difficulty? Is there a judgment? Record the position and preserve correspondence. Unperformed work or a disputed advance payment differs from an uncontested invoice.
- Prepare the contract and chronology. Include terms about governing law, courts, arbitration, acceptance and payment. Record performance, invoice and payment dates. If there is a judgment, add the court's country and when proceedings commenced. Flag missing information rather than replacing it with assumptions.
- Check access to the right assessment. Before instructing anyone, establish who will review the law and procedure of the relevant country, in which language and with what responsibility. Ask for separate descriptions of review, further action and potential enforcement costs. An enquiry does not mean representation has been accepted.
Why is there no automatic European shortcut?
After Brexit, the European Payment Order and European Small Claims Procedure should not be advertised as an automatic UK-to-EU route. GOV.UK warns UK creditors against that assumption. Other procedural situations, including litigation before an EU court, require separate assessment; this does not assert that every UK party is excluded from every possible procedure. GOV.UK.
Nor does obtaining a judgment create a single straightforward enforcement form for the whole of Europe. A lawyer should assess the countries, legal basis and documents involved. Do not select a provider solely because it promises quick recovery without describing its scope and costs.
Business questions
Is the overseas invoice enough? Preserve evidence of the agreement and performance as well. A dispute may concern more than the fact that an invoice was issued.
Do I need a local lawyer? The need and scope of local assistance should be established for the particular country and stage. This pack has no confirmed Europe-wide practitioner network.
Do all EU countries use an identical procedure? Do not assume so. Identify the relevant country, court and requirements for the particular matter.
Local INVOICE UK–PL review
Start with the customer's country and whether you have a judgment. Record them before discussing the situation. For Poland, mark the INVOICE UK–PL route; other countries require an assessment of specialist availability.
Related guides
- UK–Poland debt recovery: where to start
- UK judgment or CCJ: can you pursue payment in Poland?
- Polish company has not paid your invoice? First steps for UK businesses
- UK–Poland business contracts: governing law and jurisdiction
About this information
Educational material, not legal advice. TwojaSprawa is an information and coordination platform, not a law firm or debt collection agency. We do not advise on UK law or conduct UK proceedings. Legal assistance in Poland requires a regulated Polish lawyer and confirmation of scope. Recovery and completion dates are not guaranteed. Legal details require individual verification; AI checks are not a lawyer’s approval. A provider and service scope for this category have not yet been confirmed.