Shipping a parcel to Ukraine in 2026: carriers, customs and prohibited items

Sending a parcel to Ukraine is easier today than it was three years ago. Nova Post has opened branches across the EU, couriers run regular routes, and a parcel to western Ukraine usually arrives in a little over a week. But Ukraine is still outside the EU. Every parcel goes through customs, and that is where it either clears on time or sits in a warehouse for weeks.

Below you will find the main carriers, indicative prices, the duty and VAT rules and the items that should stay out of the box. We also cover what the new Ukrainian law on taxing parcels changes, which matters to anyone sending gifts home or buying from foreign online shops.

Which carrier to use for a parcel to Ukraine

There are essentially three routes, and each suits a different kind of shipment.

• Nova Post is a Ukrainian carrier with its own branches in several EU countries, including Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. You drop the parcel off at a branch or partner point, and the recipient collects it from any Nova Post branch or parcel locker in Ukraine. For most people this is the most convenient option: the branch network in Ukraine is dense and the recipient gets a notification in the app.
• Your national postal operator accepts parcels to Ukraine as a standard international parcel with a CN 23 customs declaration. It is a sensible choice if the post office is around the corner and you are not in a hurry.
• A courier (DHL Express, UPS) is the fastest and the most expensive. It pays off for valuable or urgent shipments. A broker such as Eurosender lets you book a home collection and compare several carriers at once.

For a full overview of carriers, delivery times and paperwork for this destination, see our Ukraine country page.

How much does a parcel to Ukraine cost

Prices vary with the carrier, the weight and whether you want delivery to a branch or to the door. For a rough idea, these are the indicative levels we use on the country page:

Weight	Standard	Express
2 kg	about €18	about €42
5 kg	about €26	about €56
10 kg	about €40	about €80
20 kg	about €62	about €120

These are indicative figures, not a price list. Carriers adjust their rates during the year, so check the exact amount in the carrier’s calculator just before you ship. Nova Post tends to be cheapest for lighter parcels; for heavy or bulky ones it is worth comparing couriers too. If your box is large but light, work out what you will pay with our volumetric weight calculator.

How long does a parcel to Ukraine take

A standard parcel usually takes 6 to 12 days, and an economy service can take up to three weeks. A lot depends on the destination. Western Ukraine (Lviv, Uzhhorod, Ivano-Frankivsk) operates relatively normally, with parcels arriving in 7 to 10 days. For Kyiv and central Ukraine, allow 10 to 14 days.

Carriers do not deliver to occupied areas or active war zones. Before you send anything, check with the recipient that the address or branch is operating. Returning an undeliverable parcel costs both money and time.

Duty and VAT: when the recipient pays

It is worth separating the rules that apply today from those that are coming.

Current rules (November 2026): a parcel for a private individual in Ukraine worth up to €150 is free of duty and VAT. If the value exceeds the threshold, the recipient pays 10% duty and 20% VAT, but only on the amount above €150. For a parcel worth €200, only €50 is taxed, not the full value. The recipient pays, usually on collection.

What is changing: in October 2026 the Ukrainian parliament passed, and the president signed, a law abolishing the €150 exemption for purchases from foreign online shops and marketplaces. VAT of 20% will then apply from the first euro and will be collected by the platform itself. Non-commercial parcels between private individuals up to €45 will remain VAT-free. The law is due to take effect no earlier than 1 July 2027 and, according to Ukrainian media, still depends on a government decision. For gifts sent from the EU, nothing changes this year, but keep an eye on the final date.

For a general explanation of how duty and VAT work on shipments outside the EU, see our customs and VAT guide.

Customs declaration: where parcels most often get stuck

Every parcel to Ukraine needs a customs declaration. A postal parcel always uses CN 23; for small letter-class items a CN 22 may be enough. For commercial goods, add a pro forma invoice.

The most common mistake is a vague description. Customs will not accept “Gift” or “Clothes”. List each item separately with quantity, weight and value, for example “2x women’s sweater, 0.6 kg, 40 EUR”. Write the description in English or Ukrainian. And state a value even for a gift: zero is not a saving, customs simply treats it as missing information.

We cover the typical errors in detail in our CN22/CN23 customs declaration guide, and our CN22/CN23 form finder tells you quickly which form you need. Tips on wording are in how to describe parcel contents.

What not to put in a parcel to Ukraine

The list of prohibited items is similar to other non-EU countries, but the war has added a few sensitive categories:

• weapons, ammunition and their parts,
• drugs and narcotic substances,
• alcohol (only within strict limits, and most carriers refuse it entirely),
• tobacco products,
• electronics with batteries but no documentation,
• military and protective equipment, drones or optics. Always ask the carrier first, as these shipments are often refused.

Be careful with medicines and food, as the rules differ from carrier to carrier, so check in advance. A general overview is in our guide to prohibited items in parcels, and you can check a specific item with the prohibited items checker.

Summary

For an ordinary gift or clothes sent home, Nova Post is the most convenient choice; for urgent or valuable items, use a courier. A parcel worth up to €150 is still cleared without charges for the recipient; above the threshold they pay 10% duty and 20% VAT on the difference. Describe the contents item by item and confirm that the destination branch is operating. If you are not sure which carrier to choose, try our shipping advisor.

Quick facts

Shipping a parcel to Ukraine in 2026: carriers, customs and prohibited items

schedule Updated 13/11/2026

Summary

In 2026 you can send a parcel from the EU to Ukraine in three main ways: with Nova Post, the Ukrainian carrier that has its own branches in several EU countries and delivers to its branches and parcel lockers across Ukraine; with your national postal operator as a standard international parcel with a customs declaration; or by courier (DHL Express, UPS, or via a broker such as Eurosender). As a rough guide, standard delivery costs about €18 for 2 kg, €40 for 10 kg and €62 for 20 kg, with express roughly double. Delivery usually takes 6–12 days, 7–10 days to western Ukraine and 10–14 days to Kyiv; occupied areas are not served. Ukraine is not in the EU, so every parcel needs a CN 22 or CN 23 customs declaration with a detailed description of the contents. Under current rules a parcel for a private individual worth up to €150 is free of duty and VAT; above that threshold, 10% duty and 20% VAT are charged on the excess. In October 2026 Ukraine passed a law abolishing the €150 exemption for purchases from online shops and marketplaces; it is due to take effect no earlier than 1 July 2027, and non-commercial parcels between individuals up to €45 will stay VAT-free.

Indicative price 2 / 10 / 20 kg (standard)

about €18 / €40 / €62, express roughly double

Delivery time

usually 6–12 days; west 7–10 days, Kyiv 10–14 days

Duty- and VAT-free (2026 rules)

parcel for a private individual worth up to €150

Above €150

10% duty and 20% VAT on the amount above the threshold

New law of October 2026

20% VAT from the first euro on platform purchases, no earlier than 1 July 2027

Documents

CN 22 or CN 23, plus a pro forma invoice for commercial goods