It’s been just over a year since the UK voted to leave the EU, and one of the biggest questions on everyone’s mind is – what does this mean for cross-border ordering?
Now that we’re officially out of the EU, there are some new regulations and rules to consider when ordering from Europe. However, this does not include Northern Ireland, as they remain in the EU singles market.
In this blog post, we’ll be looking at how far in advance you should order something from Europe and how long it will take for goods to arrive by courier.
We will explain:
- Customs clearance process and how does it impact delivery?
- How have customs charges impacted deliveries from Europe?
- Which courier services are the fastest? (insights from our latest case study)
- How far in advance should you order during the holiday season?
Moreover, we will show you in detail how you can reclaim customs charges on any goods you’ve ordered from abroad but decided to return.
This will be a tad bit longer piece, so buckle up and let’s start!
Customs clearance, how does it impact delivery?
Imagine you want to order a pair of shoes from Italy. The goods would need to be cleared by customs officials to be allowed to enter the UK.
That process is called customs clearance, and it happens upon the arrival of goods to the country.
Customs clearance is the process of declaring goods to customs authorities and paying any duties or taxes that are due. It’s in place to ensure that all parcels arriving in the UK comply with international trade law.
UK customs officials usually complete the process in a couple of hours if no information is missing.
Customs processes often start even before the parcel arrives in the UK to avoid unnecessary traffic and delay. So, the changes in the customs clearance process don’t have to scare you!
Which courier is the fastest?
As you probably know, we liaise with courier services in our work regularly.
We recently conducted a case study on parcel delivery times from Europe and some countries overseas to the UK, and we’re sharing our insights with you. We looked at five different couriers and compared their delivery times.
You will also learn how long the customs clearance took for each parcel.
Without further ado, let’s break down the results.
| Courier Service | Country of origin | Number of days to deliver a package | Customs clearance time |
| DHL | Netherlands Portugal France | 4 business days 4 business days 2-3 business days | 1-2 hours 1 hour 40-48 hours |
| FedEx | Italy Germany | 4-7 business days 1 business day | 2 hours 45 minutes |
| UPS | Sweden Italy Netherlands | 4-6 business days 5 business days 3 business days | N/A N/A N/A |
| Parcelforce | Australia Germany Hong Kong | 14 business days 10 business days 11 business days | 1 hour 30 minutes 20 minutes |
| DPD | France | 4-7 business days | 4-15 hours |
Here is a brief overview:
As you can see, some courier services are doing slightly better than others.
For instance, DHL delivery times range from 2 to 4 business days on a sample of five orders from Europe, while UPS delivered four parcels in 3 to 6 business days.
DHL also did its best to minimise the impact on shipping services after Brexit by sending parcels to the UK via air to avoid delays and save time.
FedEx with 1-7 business days and DPD with 4-7 business days are also acceptable options when delivering parcels to the UK.
On the other hand, Parcelforce is staying a bit behind, with a range between 10 and 14 business days for parcel deliveries. Or it just seems like that at first glance? We should give them credit, considering that these are international shipments sent from other countries outside Europe.
Conclusion: no matter which courier service delivers your parcel from a European country, you can expect to receive it in 2-5 business days on average.
If you have a specific date in mind until you want to obtain your order and want to be sure, you can place your order 10 business days in advance. You might want to consider ordering from a non-EU country 14 days prior.
With that in mind, it’s highly likely that everything will go smoothly!
What happens if you refuse to pay customs charges?
You can always refuse to pay customs charges. However, this will result in not getting your package.
If customs charges are too high, we recommend paying them, receiving the parcel, and then returning it to the retailer. Once the goods are returned, and you’ve been refunded by the retailer, you can claim a refund of customs charges from HRMC.
Bear in mind that deciding not to pay customs fees, then changing your mind and agreeing to pay them will cause a slight delay in the delivery of your parcel.
How far in advance should you order something from Europe during the holiday season?
The holiday season is always stressful. From preparing the food and decorating your home to ordering gifts. Especially if you are considering a last-minute purchase.
Those shoes from Italy you just remembered to put in the cart three days before the Christmas party probably won’t arrive on time because of the high influx of goods shipped from Europe.
All couriers advise planning your holiday purchases a bit in advance to make sure the goods are delivered on time.
Also, we advise you to check the holiday working hours on the couriers’ websites to check whether it would be possible to receive your parcels on the day of a big holiday like Christmas.
For example, UPS works on the 24th of December, but only until 2 pm. On the other hand, FedEx works regular hours on the 24th, so they are more reliable for international orders during the Christmas season.
How do customs duties impact deliveries after Brexit?
Any orders you place outside the UK will be subjected to customs charges. To receive a parcel from Europe, you will first need to pay customs charges associated with your import.
If you refuse to pay your duties, the courier won’t deliver your order, and you won’t be able to pick up your goods.
These charges can sometimes reach the price of your parcel, so please be aware of all costs before ordering.
This is what you need to know with the current, up-to-date information.
Customs duty
Customs duty or import duty is a tariff or tax charged on imported goods outside the United Kingdom. This includes items sent from outside the EU and items made abroad but exported from the EU countries.
The import duty rate is determined by the type, value, and origin of imported goods.
It is usually at a 2.5% rate but can differ based on the types of goods.
Import duty is charged for any orders worth more than £135. This applies to the goods intended as gifts worth more than £39, too.
The good news is that if the imported commercial goods are produced in the European Union, you do not have to pay duty on them as the UK has a Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU!
This is thanks to the Rules of Origin that are still in place between the UK and the EU customs union, even after Brexit. Make sure to obtain Proof of origin from the retailer, stating that the goods were produced in the European Union.
Import VAT
The import tax is also known as the value-added tax or import VAT, and it is a tax paid on imported goods. This tax is imposed by the UK government to protect the domestic economy. The VAT charges are applied to all imports, no matter the country of origin.
The import VAT rate is usually the same as the domestic VAT and is calculated as 20% of the total purchase price (including delivery costs).
To sum it up, you will need to pay VAT and duties when you receive your parcel as it is usually included in the price.
However, if a business is not VAT-registered, which can happen to small retailers, the VAT should not be included in the price. In that case, the VAT number will not be listed on a commercial invoice.
Handling fees
Do you remember that we mentioned you would need to pay customs charges for a courier to deliver your parcel?
You can already assume how big of a role courier services and parcel delivery play in this process.
When a retailer is sending parcels to the UK, the receiver is obliged to pay customs duties and fees on behalf of HM revenue. These charges are handled by the courier services.
Delivery service will pay customs charges to HMRC on your behalf and then ask you for reimbursement. They will also ask you the pay the courier fee – a fee for handling the customs on your behalf.
Please bear in mind that handling fees and shipping costs are not refundable even if you return goods to Europe, as they’re service fees.
The courier fees rate depends on the courier service.
| Courier company | Handling fee |
| DHL | £11 or 2.5% of duty+VAT, depending on which amount is higher |
| DPD | £5 |
| Parcelforce | £11 |
| Royal Mail | £8 |
| FedEx | £12.5 or 2.5% of duty+VAT, depending on which amount is higher |
| UPS | £11.50 or 2.5% of duty+VAT, depending on which amount is higher |
To wrap it up:
To receive goods from Europe, you will need to pay:
- Import duty (except for the goods produced in the EU)
- Import VAT
- Handling fee (non-refundable service fee charged by the courier).
You will receive a receipt from your courier with an accurate breakdown of customs charges and a payment link. You can quickly pay the customs charges online by following the link.
Suppose you are suspicious of being overcharged or are still thinking about ordering something from abroad but are unsure how much the import charges would be.
In that case, you can use our Import Duty Calculator to get an accurate breakdown of customs duties. It’s a free, simple-to-use tool that will provide you with how much duty, VAT, and courier charges you would need to pay in just a few clicks.
The sooner you pay your duties, the sooner you receive the parcel.
Are you thinking of returning goods to Europe?
We’ve all been there, awaiting a special order, only to learn that goods are not what we expected or don’t fit us as we hoped.
Disappointment. But what next?
The good news is that in most cases, you can return the goods to the retailers and ask for a refund.
You don’t even have to use the same courier service that delivered your goods when shipping to Europe. We recommend Royal Mail as their services are the cheapest.
Also, don’t forget to fill out the CN22 form and tick the “Returned goods” box.
Even better news, anyone who returns goods to Europe in 365 days from purchase worth over £135 is eligible for a refund of import charges!
Once you return the goods and obtain the confirmation of returned goods from the seller, you can start preparing the claim for the HMRC.
Many UK customers never go through the process because they don’t have the patience or any guarantee that they can get a refund. We prepared this step-by-step guide to make the process easier to understand and encourage UK citizens to claim back their money.
Still, collecting the necessary paperwork, such as import and export documentation, as well as any other customs documents, and filling out the forms can take a lot of time. Not to mention that if you make even the smallest mistake, your claim will be denied, and HMRC might not even send you a message.
We understand that claiming a refund on your own can feel like too much of a job.
That’s why we are here.
We can help you get your money back!
If you return goods to the EU retailers for any reason, we can help you start the process of reclaiming customs charges in just a few minutes.
We have gathered a team of experts with the sole purpose of helping UK customers order parcels from Europe with confidence, knowing that they can easily reclaim customs charges through our service.
If something doesn’t fit or work for any reason, you can return the goods and reclaim customs charges through our fast and secure service.
All we need from you is your tracking or waybill number, which you can find on your shipping label.
We will liaise with HMRC and the courier service to process the claim on your behalf and get you your money back in three weeks. You can easily check the status of your claim at any moment just by logging into your account.
We know that it sounds better than it seems, but it’s true. And we’re inviting you to join many of our happy customers and allow us to help you claim back your refund!
Reclaim customs charges with Duty Refunds
We hope that now you know the best time to order from Europe and that the entire process has been made easier.
If you have decided to return your parcel, don’t forget that you might be eligible for a refund of customs charges.
All you need to do is:
- Visit our website.
- Fill out our short online claim form.
- Sit back and relax!
We will get your money back to your bank account in three to six weeks!