Sending parcels to the EU after October 31st
No Deal
This outcome means that Britain leaves the European Union without any trade agreements in place. This will add several steps to the process of shipping goods to EU destinations. Each step is described in detail below:
1. VAT ImplicationsIn a No Deal scenario, consumers and businesses will no longer need to pay VAT on the shipping cost for any of their goods sent to the EU.
- Customs charges may still be applicable. These could include local VAT charges.
- As the sender, you will be responsible for the payment of any customs and Local VAT charges. This is the same process as shipping parcels to Non-EU destinations today.
As a current member of the EU, the UK benefits from access to the Customs Union, which allows goods to be shipped freely, without any lengthy inspections from local customs authorities.
- If you are sending goods to the EU, you will be required to complete a 'Customs Details' form before finalising your booking. The information provided in the form will be used to generate your Commercial Invoice.
- Once booked, you will need to attach your Commercial Invoice to your order, along with your labels.
Tariff Codes, such as the Harmonised System (HS) Codes, are used in international trade to identify goods.
From the 1st of November, you will be required to provide a HS code (or equivalent) for the item(s) you are shipping.
Deal or Extension
If the UK extends Article 50 - or - agrees a deal with the EU before October 31st, nothing will change.
In this scenario, you can ship parcels to the EU in the exact same way you do today.
- In the event of a deal being reached at a later date, the rules governing parcel delivery between the UK and the EU may change based on the nature of the agreement.