Prices
Shipping a Parcel to the UK in 2026: Prices, Customs and What to Watch
Since Brexit the UK is outside the EU: every parcel needs a customs declaration and the recipient pays 20% UK VAT. Up to £135 it is VAT only, above £135 duty applies too; a gift up to £39 is tax-free. A small parcel costs roughly €15–35. Carrier prices, customs and three things to watch.
Sending a parcel to the United Kingdom is no longer the same as sending one within the EU. Since Brexit, the UK is a “third country” for customs purposes — the same category as the USA or China. That means a customs declaration on every shipment and UK VAT that the recipient pays. Here’s what shipping actually costs, who pays duty and VAT, and the three things to watch so your parcel clears customs smoothly.
Brexit turned the UK into a “third country”
Until the end of 2020, the UK was part of the EU customs union — a parcel travelled there with no duty, no extra VAT and no paperwork, exactly like shipping from Germany to France. Since 1 January 2021 that’s over. Every shipment to the UK now needs a customs declaration, and the recipient may pay UK VAT of 20% — and possibly duty — on top of what they paid for the goods and shipping. The full process is in our guide to sending parcels to the UK after Brexit.
The practical consequence: even a cheap parcel that would cross an EU border without a single form now needs its contents, value and origin declared. Carriers handle the paperwork at drop-off, but responsibility for correct data sits with the sender.
How much it costs to ship to the UK
Price depends on weight, dimensions and speed. For a small parcel (say 30×20×15 cm, up to 2 kg) from within the EU, indicative prices look like this:
| Option | Indicative price | Delivery |
|---|---|---|
| Broker / consolidator (Eurosender, DPD, GLS) | ~€15–22 | 2–5 working days |
| National post (economy international) | ~€20–32 | 4–8 working days |
| Express (DHL Express, UPS, FedEx) | ~€35 and up | 1–3 working days |
Treat these as guidance, not a price list — the actual rate depends on current tariffs, fuel surcharges and any declared insurance value. A broker that resells capacity from the big carriers is usually cheapest, while an express courier is fastest and best insured. A fuller comparison and where to save is on our United Kingdom shipping page.
Duty and VAT: who pays what
This is where most surprises come from. UK rules split shipments by the value of the goods (excluding shipping):
- Goods up to £135 — no duty, but 20% VAT applies. For an online purchase the seller usually collects it at checkout; on a private shipment the carrier may charge it on delivery, plus a handling fee.
- Goods above £135 — customs duty is added depending on the product category (rates vary: around 12% for clothing, often 0% for electronics) plus 20% VAT on the total value, along with the carrier’s customs-handling fee.
- Gift between private individuals up to £39 — VAT-free, provided the parcel is correctly marked as a gift and it isn’t a commercial transaction disguised as one.
Note that “Gift” is not a universal trick to avoid tax — UK customs can tell a genuine gift from a new phone in its box, and under-declaring value is an offence. More on this and other mistakes in 5 common mistakes when shipping abroad.
The customs declaration and content description
Every parcel to the UK carries a customs declaration — a small CN22 sticker (for shipments up to roughly £270) or a larger CN23 form. The key field is the content description: write something specific like “cotton T-shirt”, not “clothes” or “gift”. A vague description is the single most common reason a parcel gets held for inspection. How to write it properly is in our guide to describing parcel contents.
For higher-value goods it pays to add the HS code (the tariff code for the goods) and a realistic value in pounds or euros. For how duty and VAT work in international shipping generally, see our customs and VAT guide.
What to watch out for
Three things decide whether your parcel to the UK arrives smoothly:
- Budget for the recipient’s VAT. If you’re sending a gift or goods, tell the recipient in advance they may pay 20% VAT and a handling fee on delivery — otherwise it’s an unpleasant surprise.
- Describe the contents honestly and specifically. That saves you more time at customs than any choice of carrier.
- For valuable goods, choose an insured courier. Basic postal insurance is token; above a few dozen euros an insured courier service is worth it.
If you’re unsure which carrier best fits your specific parcel, start with the weight-and-value logic above — a broker for cheap items, an insured express courier for anything worth protecting — and compare a couple of quotes before you send.
Quick facts
Shipping a Parcel to the UK in 2026: Prices, Customs and What to Watch
schedule Updated
Summary
Since Brexit, sending a parcel from the EU to the United Kingdom is a shipment to a non-EU country: it always needs a customs declaration, and the recipient pays UK VAT of 20% on top of the shipping price. For goods valued up to £135, VAT is usually collected by the seller or the carrier; above £135, customs duty is added depending on the product category. A gift between private individuals is exempt from VAT up to £39. A small parcel (up to 2 kg) costs roughly €15–35 depending on carrier, with courier delivery typically taking 2–5 working days.
- Status after Brexit
- UK is outside the EU → customs declaration always required
- UK VAT
- 20% (paid by the recipient on top of shipping)
- Duty threshold
- up to £135 VAT only, above £135 duty + VAT
- Gift relief
- gift between individuals up to £39 is VAT-free
- Small parcel cost
- roughly €15–35 depending on carrier
- Delivery time
- ~2–5 working days by courier