When do I pay customs clearance costs?
Only when you buy something from a country outside the European Union (EU). The exact amount you have to pay depends on the value of your parcel and whether you pay online or at a PostNL point.
| Value of parcel | VAT | Handling fees per parcel | Import duties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paying online | Paying at a PostNL point | |||
| up to € 150.00 | yes | € 6.00 | € 11.00 | no |
| from € 150.00 | yes | € 10.00 | € 17.00 | yes |
Why are the handling charges higher at a PostNL point?
If we have to take your package to a PostNL-point, it is more work. And there are extra costs involved. For storage and transport, for example. And the costs for the pick-up notice that we send to you when your parcel is ready at the PostNL point. To keep costs for you and for PostNL as low as possible, we recommend you pay online.
Wondering how much VAT and import duties you will have to pay?
That depends on what you bought. On the website of the customs authorities you will find a list of products that people often buy from foreign webshops. For each product, you will find the percentage of VAT and import duty you will have to pay.
Is it a gift?
In that case, you will only have to pay clearance charges if the value is higher than EUR 45. We can only make a declaration once the parcel has arrived in the Netherlands. That is why we always charge the clearing costs to the recipient of the gift.