ROUTE
Parcel from abroad: customs and charges
The 150-euro threshold is gone: since 1 July 2026 a flat three euros per position applies. What is payable now, what may not be sent, and how clearance works.
β Checked: 02/08/2026
Until 1 July 2026 parcels from outside the EU came with a simple rule of thumb: a consignment worth less than 150 euros arrived without import charges. Council Regulation (EU) 2026/382 amended Regulation 1186/2009 and that exemption has fallen away entirely. In its place stands a flat customs duty of three euros per position of the customs declaration β positions are counted, not items. Almost everything written about parcels before the summer of 2026 is wrong on this point.
COSTS AND DEADLINES
What you pay for on this route
- Flat customs duty per declared positionIn force since 1 July 2026, replacing the former 150-euro exemption3 β¬
- Gift from one private person to another, unpaidFree of import charges up to this total consignment valueup to 45 β¬
Deadlines you cannot miss
- The deadline to attend is stated in the notification; after it the consignment goes back to the senderHow clearance works and what to do after the notificationhard deadline
- The objection must be lodged within one month of the decision being notifiedIf the charge is too high, or fraudsters get in touchhard deadline
Amounts follow official fees as of each stepβs verification date. Your city may charge a different rate β check the step itself.
βΊ More about this route
Import VAT sits alongside the duty, and its calculation base is wider than the price of the goods: transport costs count towards it. On top of that the carrier charges its own fee for filing the declaration on your behalf. Three separate lines in one bill are the usual reason for the feeling that an unclear amount was taken.
This five-step route covers the whole path: what changed and what is payable now, what the bill consists of, what may not be sent at all, how clearance works after a notification, and what to do when the charge is too high. A separate step deals with fake demands in the name of customs β the authority warns expressly that it does not deliver assessments by SMS or messenger.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
All possible documents for this route
- Order confirmation showing the price
- Tracking number and the carrier notification
- Sender invoice
- Order confirmation showing the final amount
- A precise list of contents from the sender
- Identity document
- Notification from the carrier or customs office
- Evidence of price and payment
- The assessment
- Evidence of the actual price
- Proof that the goods were returned to the seller
WHERE PEOPLE MOST OFTEN LOSE MONEY AND TIME
- Assuming a parcel under 150 euros stays free of charges. The exemption was removed entirely on 1 July 2026 and older articles stay silent about it.
- Asking the sender to understate the value. It saves nothing and leads straight to inspection, a trip to customs and weeks of delay.
- Putting medicines or homemade food into a gift parcel. Prohibitions do not depend on value or on the parcel being free of charge.
- Paying in response to an SMS or messenger request. Payment is made only after the assessment is issued, at the customs cash desk.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ROUTE
Where do I start if the parcel is already stuck?βΎ
With the notification: it states what customs is missing and by when a response is required. After that you gather evidence of value and choose between attending the office and postal clearance from home.
How long does the whole procedure take?βΎ
Where the carrier declares the goods, the recipient does nothing and simply receives a bill. Where the recipient is drawn in, the timing depends on how quickly they respond: a missed deadline sends the consignment back to the sender.
Is ordering from outside the EU still worth it now the threshold is gone?βΎ
Do the sum in advance and in full: price plus shipping, import VAT on that total, three euros per position and the carrier fee. Sometimes it still works out, but the decision rests on the final figure rather than the price tag.
Does this route apply to parcels within the EU?βΎ
No. No import charges arise inside the customs territory and the whole procedure falls away. The route concerns consignments from countries outside the European Union only.