New EU Customs Rules from 1 November 2026: What You Need to Know

From 1 November 2026, sending goods sold to EU customers involves two changes: extra product details for qualifying shipments worth €150 or less, and a new €2 customs handling fee.

We’ve updated Interparcel’s booking process to guide you through the information needed. You can enter the product details, check the available duties-and-taxes options and arrange your delivery in one place.

Which shipments are affected?

The changes mainly cover goods sold online or through other remote sales by businesses outside the EU to consumers in the EU. Customs calls these distance sales. They can also cover sales involving businesses that are not VAT registered, so the sender’s and receiver’s tax statuses matter.

Private gifts sent between individuals fall outside these sales rules. Sales to VAT-registered business customers generally follow the business import rules.

For the product-identifier requirement, the €150 limit applies to the combined goods value of the whole shipment, sometimes called a consignment. For example, two parcels containing €80 of goods each make a €160 shipment. That is above the PID limit, but the handling fee can still apply.

What product information do you need?

Product Identifiers, or PIDs, tell customs which products you are sending. They sit alongside the HS or commodity code, which describes the type of goods. For a qualifying shipment, provide these details for each product:

What if you don’t have the codes?

• No SKU yet? Use “Need a SKU? Click here to generate one” in the booking form, then keep that reference for the same product.
• Looking for the manufacturer’s ID? Check the product label, packaging or supplier’s paperwork. Ask the manufacturer or supplier for their reference if you cannot find it.
• Made the item yourself? Enter your own product reference, or select “I made this item - create a product ID for me” in the form.
• No product barcode? Leave that field blank if none exists. When there is one, copy the number from the product’s retail barcode, including any leading zeros.

How does the €2 handling fee work?

From 1 November, qualifying sales attract €2 for each item line on the customs declaration, including shipments above €150. A declaration line is an entry describing goods for customs. Identical goods can share one line; goods needing different customs classifications need separate lines.

The fee is based on the customs declaration, so it is not automatically €2 per parcel or per physical item. It is non-refundable, including if the goods are returned. Dutch Customs explains the fee and how lines are counted.

How does this fit with duty, VAT and IOSS?

The handling fee is separate from customs duty and VAT. The temporary €3 duty for eligible low-value imports began on 1 July 2026. Where both fixed charges apply, one declaration line attracts €3 duty + €2 handling = €5, before VAT and any other charges. Shipments above €150 use the applicable normal duty rates.

IOSS, the Import One Stop Shop, lets sellers or marketplaces collect VAT at the point of sale for qualifying imports. It does not remove the separate duty, handling fee or product-information requirements.

Sending before November? The handling fee can still apply if the customs declaration is submitted on or after 1 November, even if the parcel was sent earlier. See Estonian Customs’ explanation of the start date.

How Interparcel guides you through the booking

1. Compare services and enter the addresses

Get a quote using the destination, packed weight and parcel measurements. Choose a service, enter the collection and delivery addresses, and select a collection slot where required.

2. Tell us about the shipment

Enter the contents and total goods value, then choose the reason for export and the sender’s and receiver’s tax statuses. These details help us show the right customs fields. Enter VAT or EORI customs-registration numbers where requested.

3. Add the items and product identifiers

For each parcel, list its items with a clear description, quantity, value per unit and country of manufacture. Our built-in HS-code lookup helps you select the commodity code. Add the SKU, manufacturer product ID and available barcode when requested.

In the example below, two T-shirts at £25 each give a total goods value of £50. The product identifiers belong to that T-shirt product. Enter any requested marketplace or IOSS details after the item list.

4. Choose who pays the import charges

On an eligible service, choose DDP Guaranteed (Delivered Duty Paid) to pay the duties, taxes and import fees upfront, including the applicable EU handling fee. This gives you the cost during booking and avoids a customs bill for your customer on arrival.

With a recipient-paid option, the recipient pays the applicable import charges before delivery. Read more about our DDP services and guarantee.

5. Review, pay and prepare your parcel

Our checks flag missing or invalid information before you continue. After you review and pay, we pass the shipment and product details to your chosen courier and generate the required customs invoice. Follow the label and document instructions, then hand over your parcel for collection or drop-off.

Make repeat bookings easier

You can also prepare the new product details through our shipping tools:

• Inventory: save manufacturer product IDs and barcodes alongside each SKU, ready to reuse when the product is matched to an imported shipment.
• CSV imports: include the new fields in shipment imports. Inventory CSV import and export support them too.
• Shipping Manager: review and correct item details before booking, with checks that flag information needing attention.

Ready to send to the EU?

Have your product details ready, check the contents and values, and choose how the import charges will be paid. We’ll guide you through the rest of the booking.

Compare services and start your Interparcel quote.