A parcel from outside the EU?
Are you expecting a parcel sent from a country outside the European Union? You may need to pay VAT, import costs or administration fees. Find out which costs to take into account.
- You’re ordering from a webshop
- It’s a gift or a purchase from a private person
- You’re ordering for your company
Ordering from a webshop outside the EU
Gift or purchase from a private person
You’re ordering for your company
When and how do you pay import costs?
Ordering from a webshop outside the EU
Will you have to pay extra costs?
It depends on the webshop you’re ordering from.
Do you see VAT and import costs included in the total on the payment page? If they’re listed, you’re shopping at a registered webshop.
Registered webshop
- You pay an all-in price
- No additional payments required upon delivery
- Faster delivery
- Full cost is immediately clear
Unregistered webshop
- Extra costs upon arrival in Belgium
- VAT and import costs paid separately
- Possible delays
- Total cost only calculated later
- Then you’ll be charged the following costs:
Cost | What do you pay? |
|---|---|
Import duties | €3.00 per item New – As from 1 July 2026 |
VAT | Usually 21%. More about VAT rates |
Customs administration cost | €21.50 ** |
* Postage costs are not included when calculating the value of your order.
** Only applied if VAT and import duties are not paid in advance via the webshop.
- What does €3 per item mean?
You pay import duties of €3 for every different type of product in your shipment.
Example | Import duties |
|---|---|
2 identical T-shirts | €3 |
T-shirt + swimming shorts | €6 |
2 different T-shirts | €6 |
Good to know: The import duties are not paid back if you return the goods in your shipment.
- Example of an order valued at less than €150
You purchase a T-shirt for €25. The webshop charges €10 in shipping costs. You therefore pay the webshop a total of €35. Because the webshop did not charge VAT or import costs in advance, you will have to pay an extra amount – €37 in this case – when the parcel is imported.
Import costs:
Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
Import duties | €3.00 |
Bpost administration costs | €21.50 |
VAT (21% of €59.50 *) | €12.50 |
Total to be paid upon import | €37.00 |
* VAT is calculated on the value of the shipment, including sending costs, import duties and administration costs (€25 + €10 + €3 + €21.50 = €59.50).
Total cost of your purchase: €72.00
Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
Paid to webshop | €35.00 |
Paid upon import | €37.00 |
Total | €72.00 |
(Amounts used are an example only and may differ depending on the item being imported.)
- You haven’t paid yet?
You’ll receive notification from Bpost as soon as your parcel arrives in Belgium.
It’s easy to pay these costs via the My bpost app, Track & Trace or in a Post Office.
- You pay the following costs when your item arrives in Belgium:
Import duties Check the percentage based on the product type |
VAT |
€40 administration costs for handling by customs |
- Example for an order worth more than €150
You’ve purchased a jacket from a webshop in the United Kingdom, paying €160 (including shipping costs). The webshop did not charge VAT or import costs when you made the purchase. You therefore pay the following import costs:
Import duties :
Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
Value of the jacket (including shipping costs) | €160 |
Import duties on clothing (12%) | €19.20 |
Bpost customs administration costs | €40 |
VAT (21%) | €46.03 * |
Total import amount | €105.23 |
Total cost of the purchase | €265.23 |
* VAT is calculated using the following import value: €160 + €19.20 + €40 = €219.20. 21% VAT on €219.20 = €46.03.
Gift or purchase from a private person
Are you expecting a gift from family or friends outside the EU?
Maybe you’ve purchased something from a private person (as opposed to a company) via an online platform. VAT, import costs and administration charges may still be applicable.
Example:
- A gift from a family member from the United States.
- A purchase from eBay, Etsy, or a similar platform.
You do not pay any VAT or import costs if your shipment meets all the following conditions:
- It is a gift from a private individual (not a company) to an individual.
- The value of the gift is no more than €45.
- The gift is not commercial in character and is not sent regularly.
Please note: This exemption is not valid for purchases, even if they are marked as a ‘gift’ or ‘present’.
For a gift with a value of more than €45, sent from a private individual (not a company) to an individual, the same costs apply as for a purchase from a webshop outside the EU.
You need to pay the following costs:
- VAT
- Import duties
- Administration costs
Your shipment is a purchase made from a private individual
A purchase from a private individual (not a company) outside the EU is treated in the same way as a purchase from a webshop. You need to pay the following costs:
- VAT
- Import duties
- Administration costs
Does your gift consist of multiple articles?
An exemption may be applied to one or more articles with a total value of €45.
As a result, you pay fewer costs than when the total value of the parcel is taxed.
Exceptions
The following products can never be exempt from costs, regardless of their value:
- Alcohol
- Perfume
- Eau de toilet
- Tobacco and tobacco products
Administration costs
Administration costs are different based on the total value of the gift or purchase:
- €21.50 for gifts or purchases with a value of up to €150.
- €40.00 for gifts or purchases with a value above €150.
You’re ordering for your company
The following costs are charged for business shipments when they are imported into Belgium:
- Import duties (depending on the type of goods)
- VAT
- Administration costs for processing by customs
Your company orders machine parts from the United Kingdom, with a value of €500 (including shipping costs). The following costs may be charged:
Import duties
Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
Value of the parts | €500 |
Import duties (4% *) | €20 |
Bpost administration cost for customs processing | €40 |
VAT (21%) | €117.60 ** |
Total import cost | €177.60 |
Total cost of purchase | €677.60 |
* Import duties differ based on product category. The percentage used in this example is only for illustrative purposes.
** The VAT is calculated on the total import value: €500 + €20 + €40 = €560. 21% VAT on €560 = €117.60.
When and how do you pay import costs?
As soon as the import costs are known, you’ll receive a request for payment via email, SMS or letter. Pay this safely and securely via the My Bpost app, Track & Trace or in a Post Office. Your parcel will only be delivered after payment.
Unsure about a message from Bpost?
Fraudsters sometimes send false requests for payment using the Bpost name.
- Always check the sender.
- Do not click on any suspicious links.
- Only ever pay via our official channels.
Got questions? We’ve got answers!
In exceptional cases, you may have to pay VAT and import costs a second time on your shipment. This is because the IOSS webshop on which you ordered or the local postal company of the sender did not (correctly) register this information.
An IOSS shop is required to forward its IOSS number digitally. Customs uses this number to read out the necessary information about your shipment automatically. If this number is not transmitted or valid, the bpost customs clearance service is obliged to charge the recipient for VAT and customs formalities. (It is not enough to note the IOSS number on the package or to communicate it afterwards.)
If you are charged import costs and VAT a second time, then:
- You can refuse the shipment in the My bpost app or Track & Trace and request a full refund from the sender.
- You can pay the import costs and reclaim the VAT from the sender who wrongfully charged it. To do this, contact the sender and present your proof of payment from the My bpost app or Track & Trace.
Paying import costs is a legal obligation when you order something from outside the EU. In addition to paying, you have the following options:
I agree to pay but disagree with the amount
The calculated import costs are based on the estimated value of the contents (based on the invoice), the official VAT rates and the customs duties applicable on the goods being shipped. If you can prove that the value was not estimated correctly, you can request a recalculation.
In some cases, shipments are exempt from VAT and customs duties. You can request a recalculation in the following cases:
- shipments sent as a gift
- a diplomat receives a shipment
- a shipment is reimported
Enter the barcode of your shipment into Track & Trace or the My bpost app. You will find the dispute form above the payment button.
Once we receive your request, the payment deadline will be cancelled. Your request will be reviewed and either accepted or declined. You will be able to see the result in Track & Trace and in the My bpost app, and you will receive a new payment request with a payment deadline.
If the shipment can be imported free of charge, you will be notified. The shipment is then presented to Belgian customs for clearance.
I refuse to pay the import costs
If you refuse to pay the import costs, we will not be able to deliver your shipment and it will be returned to sender. You can contact the sender to see if the purchase value can be fully or partially refunded to you. You can refuse to pay online. To do so, enter the barcode of your shipment via Track & Trace or the My bpost app. You will find the 'refuse' button next to the payment button.
You will receive an invitation to pay import costs if your shipment does not meet all the conditions for a gift. Therefore, you first need to check when a parcel is considered a gift.
If you believe that your parcel does meet these conditions, you can apply for an exemption by contesting the import costs.
To do so, ask the sender to send you an e-mail confirming:
- the contents of the shipment
- the value (in €) of the shipment
- that your shipment is a gift
Afterwards, enter your barcode and postal code via Track & Trace or via the My bpost app. There you will find a link to an online form to dispute your import costs. Upload the sender's email to this form as proof.
