The EU’s new €2 customs handling fee on parcels from outside the bloc does not apply to orders delivered to Great Britain. The UK runs its own, separate system – and that system is itself about to change.
Key points
- Since 1 November 2026, the EU charges a €2 customs handling fee per declared “item” on distance sales from non-EU countries – but this only applies to parcels entering the EU’s customs territory, not Great Britain.
- UK shoppers ordering from outside the EU and UK still fall under the UK’s own Low Value Consignment Relief, which currently waives customs duty on goods worth up to £135.
- The UK government has confirmed it will scrap that £135 relief, but not before October 2028 at the earliest.
Anyone who has seen headlines about a new EU parcel charge may wonder whether it applies in Great Britain. It does not: the fee only covers goods that clear customs into the European Union, a separate customs territory since Brexit.
The EU charge is set out in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2152 and the new Union Customs Code (EU) 2026/2108: a flat €2 per customs “item” (which can cover several identical goods in one declaration), owed mainly by the seller, platform or their customs representative rather than the buyer. It applies regardless of the parcel’s value and sits alongside a separate, temporary €3 EU customs duty for shipments worth up to €150 that has run since 1 July 2026. Neither charge touches goods shipped to UK addresses, because such parcels never enter EU customs territory.
What applies instead in the UK
UK shoppers ordering from outside the UK still benefit, for now, from Low Value Consignment Relief: parcels worth up to £135 are generally free of customs duty, though import VAT can still apply. Following its consultation response on reforming the customs treatment of low value imports, HM Treasury and HMRC confirmed they intend to remove this £135 relief, citing concerns that retailers such as Shein and Temu exploit it to undercut UK high-street prices. The government’s own announcement says the change will happen “by October 2028 at the latest” – meaning the £135 threshold still stood as of this article’s publication, with no EU-style per-item handling fee in sight for UK shoppers.
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay the EU’s new €2 fee if I order something delivered to the UK?
No. The fee applies only to goods declared for free circulation in the EU’s customs territory, which Great Britain left after Brexit.
Is the UK’s £135 duty-free threshold still in place?
Yes, as of this article’s research date. The government has confirmed it will be abolished, but not before October 2028 at the earliest.
Could the UK introduce a similar per-item handling fee later?
The consultation response does not announce one. It focuses on removing the £135 relief itself; any further charge would need its own separate announcement.
Sources and status
- Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2152 – EU handling fee, amount and date of application.
- Regulation (EU) 2026/2108, notably Articles 5 and 20 – definition of “item” and debtor.
- HM Government, consultation response: reforming the customs treatment of low value imports into the United Kingdom – UK £135 relief and its planned removal.
Research and data as of 13 November 2026.
Transparency note: AI-assisted tools were used in researching, structuring and writing this article. The sources used are listed in the article. Publication takes place only after manual editorial approval. UK edition researched independently for Great Britain, based on an article by Net Trends. Illustration: original schematic representation, based on the structure of the original German article.
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