Selling on Amazon Europe — Shipping Guide
FBA vs FBM, Pan-EU vs EFN, seller-fulfilled prime and how to ship products across Amazon's European marketplaces efficiently.
Amazon operates eight EU/EEA marketplaces: amazon.de (Germany), amazon.fr (France), amazon.es (Spain), amazon.it (Italy), amazon.nl (Netherlands), amazon.pl (Poland), amazon.se (Sweden) and amazon.co.uk (UK, post-Brexit separate). Sellers have two main fulfilment models: FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon — you send stock to Amazon warehouses, Amazon ships orders) and FBM (Fulfilled by Merchant — you ship directly from your warehouse to customers). Each model has profoundly different implications for shipping costs, Prime eligibility, VAT registration requirements and inventory management. Understanding which model — or which combination — is right for your products and volume is the most important decision for Amazon EU sellers.
FBA vs FBM: Which to Choose for Amazon EU
Pan-EU FBA: One Programme, Seven Countries
Seller-Fulfilled Prime for Amazon EU
Amazon EU Shipping Rates and FBA Fees
Quick Comparison
| Factor | FBA Pan-EU | FBA EFN | FBM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prime badge | Yes (all 7 markets) | Yes (slower delivery) | SFP only |
| Delivery speed | 1–2 days (local) | 3–7 days (cross-border) | Seller controls |
| VAT registrations | 7 EU countries required | Home country only | Home country + OSS |
| Fulfilment cost | FBA fee + storage | FBA fee + cross-border | Your carrier cost |
| Operational burden | Low (Amazon handles) | Low | High (you ship all) |
| Returns | Amazon handles | Amazon handles | You handle |
| Best for | Fast movers, Prime-required | Smaller sellers, low VAT admin | Heavy/custom/slow items |
Expert Tips
- ▸Always check FBA fee profitability before sending inventory: use Amazon's Revenue Calculator (available in Seller Central) or tools like Helium 10 or Jungle Scout to model FBA fees vs your selling price. A product selling for €15 with €6 FBA fee + €3 storage costs leaves very little margin — may be better as FBM.
- ▸For Pan-EU FBA, use a third-party VAT compliance service (hellotax, taxually, Avalara, TaxJar) from day one — filing 7 EU VAT returns manually is extremely burdensome. Budget €100–€400/month for a compliance service, and include this in your Pan-EU profitability calculation.
- ▸Ship inbound FBA inventory using Amazon's Partnered Carrier Programme (available in Seller Central under Send to Amazon) — Amazon's negotiated rates with DHL/UPS/DPD are typically 20–40% cheaper than booking directly, especially for LTL pallet shipments to Amazon FCs.
- ▸Monitor your FBA Inventory Health Report weekly (Seller Central → Inventory → FBA Inventory) — aged inventory (90+ days) incurs higher storage fees, and inventory over 365 days is hit with long-term storage fees that can eliminate profitability. Use removal orders or liquidation to clear slow-moving stock before the fee thresholds.
- ▸For UK selling post-Brexit: Amazon UK (amazon.co.uk) is completely separate from EU FBA. You need a separate FBA shipment to Amazon UK FCs, separate EORI and UK VAT registration (mandatory for all Amazon UK sellers regardless of value), and separate inventory allocation. Pan-EU FBA does NOT include the UK.
- ▸Use Amazon's Remote Fulfilment with FBA (where available) to test new marketplaces before committing to Pan-EU VAT registration — Amazon fulfils from your existing FC to customers in a new marketplace using EFN, letting you validate demand before incurring the cost and admin of local FBA inventory and local VAT registration.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Amazon FBA Pan-EU and do I need to register for VAT in every country?
Amazon Pan-EU FBA automatically distributes your inventory across Amazon Fulfilment Centres in Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Poland and Sweden. This means Amazon stores goods in all 7 countries, creating a VAT obligation in each. Yes — Pan-EU FBA requires VAT registration in all 7 EU countries. Amazon verifies VAT registration as a condition of Pan-EU enrolment. Third-party services (hellotax, taxually, Avalara) handle multi-country EU VAT registration and filing for approximately €100–€400/month depending on volume and number of countries.
What is the difference between FBA EFN and Pan-EU FBA?
FBA EFN (European Fulfilment Network) means your inventory is stored in one country's Amazon FC, and Amazon cross-border fulfils to customers in other EU marketplaces. You only need one VAT registration (your home country), but delivery takes 3–7 days to cross-border customers (not same-day/next-day Prime local speed) and cross-border fulfilment fees apply per order. Pan-EU stores inventory locally in each marketplace country for fastest delivery and domestic fulfilment fees — but requires 7 VAT registrations. Most sellers start with EFN and upgrade to Pan-EU once VAT compliance is sorted.
Can I sell on Amazon.de and Amazon.fr from Portugal without FBA?
Yes — through FBM (Fulfilled by Merchant) you ship orders yourself from your warehouse in Portugal to customers across all Amazon EU marketplaces. You list on amazon.de, .fr, .es, .it etc. and ship each order from Portugal. Key considerations: (1) You are not automatically Prime eligible — customers see longer delivery times which reduces conversion. (2) You pay your own carrier costs per order (€7–€18 cross-border). (3) VAT: if your aggregate EU cross-border B2C sales exceed €10,000/year, register for EU OSS and charge destination-country VAT. (4) Apply for Seller-Fulfilled Prime where available to get the Prime badge while shipping yourself.
What are Amazon FBA fees in Europe?
Amazon EU FBA fees are charged per unit fulfilled: Small standard (up to 400g) approximately €2.30–€3.20; Large standard (400g–12kg) approximately €3.50–€7.00; oversize items €7–€50+. Add monthly storage: ~€0.22–€0.37/unit Jan–Sep, higher in Q4. Plus inbound shipping cost (you to Amazon FC: typically €0.50–€2/kg). Use Amazon's Revenue Calculator in Seller Central with your ASIN to get exact current fees — rates change periodically. Always model total landed cost (product + FBA fees + storage) against your selling price before committing to FBA for a product.
How do Amazon returns work for EU FBA sellers?
Amazon handles all customer returns for FBA orders — the customer ships the return to an Amazon FC, Amazon inspects and either returns to sellable inventory or grades as damaged. As a seller: (1) Amazon charges a refund administration fee for some categories. (2) You can request 'removal orders' to get returned inventory shipped back to you — costs €0.25–€0.60/unit. (3) Unsellable returned inventory can be liquidated through Amazon's Liquidations programme. For FBM, you handle all returns yourself — set your return policy in Seller Central to comply with Amazon's policy (minimum 30 days for EU consumer law compliance, though EU consumer law requires 14 days).
Do I need an EORI number to sell on Amazon EU with FBA?
Yes — you need an EORI number to import goods into the EU. If you are an EU seller, you likely already have one (or can get one from your national customs authority for free). If you are a non-EU seller sending inventory to Amazon EU FCs: you need an EU EORI to be the importer of record for your inbound FBA shipment. Non-EU sellers typically appoint a customs broker (or Amazon's preferred carriers) to handle import customs, using the seller's EU EORI or establishing a fiscal representative. Amazon provides guidance on inbound FBA customs in Seller Central under 'Shipping inventory to Amazon Europe'.
Related Guides
Compare Shipping Rates for Your Online Store
Instant quotes from DHL, UPS, FedEx and more — find the best rate for every order.
Get Rates Now