The first question any courier asks you, because almost everything else follows from the answer.
People usually frame this as a binary — is the parcel staying in the country or leaving it — but for anyone shipping from an EU member state there are really three tiers, and the jump between the second and third is far larger than the jump between the first and second.
Domestic shipping stays within one country. Intra-EU shipping crosses a border but stays inside the single market, which means goods remain in free circulation: no customs declaration, no duty, no clearance stage. Non-EU shipping leaves the customs territory entirely, and that is where paperwork, duty, VAT and unpredictable clearance times enter the picture.
Understanding which tier you are in tells you how much lead time to leave, what documentation to prepare, who is going to pay what, and how tightly you can promise a delivery date.
| Domestic | Intra-EU | Non-EU | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customs declaration | None | None — free circulation | Always required |
| Import duty and VAT | None | None | Charged on arrival, usually to the recipient |
| Typical documentation | Label only | Label only | Label plus commercial invoice |
| Transit predictability | High | High | Lower — clearance time varies |
| Relative cost | Lowest | Moderate | Highest |
| Restricted items list | Carrier rules only | Carrier rules only | Carrier rules plus national import rules |
| Tracking depth | Full | Full | Full, with a clearance gap in the middle |
Within the European Union, goods that are already in free circulation move between member states without customs formalities. Sending a parcel from Lisbon to Berlin involves no declaration, no duty, no VAT at the border and no clearance step. From a paperwork perspective it is the same as sending from Lisbon to Porto — only the distance and the price change.
This is why intra-EU shipping feels so much simpler than people expect, and why the practical planning difference between domestic and intra-EU is mostly just transit time. You still need to respect carrier rules on dangerous goods — an aerosol is still an aerosol — but there is no border authority to satisfy.
The United Kingdom is the exception people most often get wrong. Since Brexit it sits outside the EU customs territory, so UK shipments need full customs documentation despite the short distance and long-standing trade links. Switzerland and Norway have always been in this position despite being geographically surrounded by the EU.
Every item described specifically, with quantity, value and country of manufacture. Vague descriptions such as 'gift' or 'personal items' are the leading cause of parcels being held.
The destination country charges import duty and VAT on arrival. By default the recipient pays before release; you can instead settle it upfront with a delivered-duty-paid arrangement.
Customs clearance sits between departure and delivery, and its duration is not fully within the carrier's control. This is why non-EU delivery dates should be treated as estimates rather than commitments.
The destination country's import rules apply on top of the carrier's own prohibited list. Food, alcohol, medicines, plants and used goods are the categories that most often differ.
Commercial shipments leaving the EU require an EORI number to identify the exporter in customs systems. Private individuals sending personal parcels generally do not.
The commercial invoice goes in a document wallet attached to the parcel, not sealed inside it, so customs can read it without opening the box.
Book close to the date if you need to. Transit is short and predictable, paperwork is a label, and the main decision is drop-off versus collection.
Read more →Book with a few days' margin so an economy road service becomes viable. No customs work at all — the planning is purely about transit time and price.
Read more →Leave real margin for clearance, prepare the commercial invoice carefully, and decide in advance who is paying duty and VAT.
Read more →Check the destination guide for the specific country — it sets out the customs position, restrictions and carrier coverage.
Read more →Treating the UK as an EU destination and shipping it without customs paperwork.
Promising a delivery date on a non-EU shipment as though clearance time were predictable.
Letting a recipient receive a surprise duty bill on a gift instead of paying it upfront.
Reusing an intra-EU contents description on a non-EU shipment, where far more specificity is required.
Assuming an item legal to send within the EU is legal to import elsewhere — food, alcohol and medicines are the usual traps.
Sealing the commercial invoice inside the box where customs cannot read it.
No. Goods in free circulation move between EU member states without a customs declaration, without duty and without a clearance stage. You need the shipping label and nothing more.
No. Since Brexit the United Kingdom sits outside the EU customs territory, so UK-bound parcels need a full customs declaration and are subject to import duty and VAT on arrival, exactly like any other non-EU destination.
Distance is only part of it. The bigger factor on non-EU routes is customs clearance, which sits between departure and delivery and whose duration depends on the destination's authorities rather than the carrier. Intra-EU shipping has no clearance stage, which is why it is usually far closer to domestic speeds.
By default the recipient, on arrival, before the parcel is released. You can instead choose a delivered-duty-paid arrangement at booking so the charges are settled upfront by you — which is usually the better choice for gifts and customer orders.
No. Carrier rules on dangerous goods apply universally, but each country adds its own import restrictions on top. Food, alcohol, medicines, plants, seeds and used goods vary the most from country to country, so always check the destination as well as the carrier.
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