20/10/2026
Changes are coming, that will affect our EU customers from November 1st. Completely ridiculous changes if you ask me, just a stealth cash grab, much like Net Zero.
EU Handling Fee Introduction
An additional €2* EU Handling Fee per HS code will be introduced. This is in addition to the current €3 duty per HS code.
The €2* Handling Fee will apply to all items containing goods. It will also apply to gifts above €45.
Product Identification (PIDs)
The EU is introducing Product Identifiers to give customs more accurate information about each product entering the EU. This will help customs check product safety and compliance, calculate charges correctly and identify goods that may require further checks.
PIDs apply to both goods and gifts, and the information will be requested as a part of the customs data input when using Click & Drop (including the 'send' feature at royalmail.com) or buying postage at a Post Office.
How you can send to the EU
EU Handling Fee
Goods can be sent using either Postal Delivered Duty Paid (PDDP) or Delivery Duty Unpaid (DDU), provided one or either option is accepted by the receiving country. When using the PDDP service, the EU Handling Fee will be calculated as part of the overall amount required to be paid alongside postage. When using the DDU service, the EU Handling Fee will be added to the amount recipients are requested to pay, by their local postal provider, prior to delivery.
For procedural reasons, most gifts need to be sent as DDU to most EU countries and where this occurs the EU €2* Handling Fee will be charged to the recipients.
Product Identification (PIDs)
Gifts valued at €45 or less do not require PID information. For gifts above €45, and for all goods, PID data is required regardless of value. Other customs information will continue to be required for all items containing goods or gifts of any value, as today.
Each goods item entering the EU from 1 November 2026 will need a minimum of two additional pieces of information, namely Merchant Product Identifier (M-PID) and Non-Standardised Manufacturer Product Identifier (NS-PID) as mandatory. A third piece of information is optional, which is Standardised Manufacturer Product Identifier (S-PID).
