Customs Information

All shipments are subject to security screening, regardless of destination. Shipments will be X-Rayed and their contents inspected to ensure that they are safe for transit.

All parcels shipped to and from territories outside of the European Union will be subject to Customs Clearance. This also applies to special and overseas territories linked to EU Member states (e.g. Channel Islands, Canary Islands, Falkland Islands, etc).

Due to the large number of destinations, we are unable to give country-specific customs advice. For more detailed information on customs documentation, please get in touch with the relevant customs authority. However, we have provided some general customs advice below to help you.

Your Responsibilities

As the shipper, you are responsible for the following:

Ensuring you send no prohibited items:

Click here for our list of prohibited items. Individual carriers also have their own restrictions which you should check before shipping.
Ensuring you send no commodities that are restricted in your destination country:

Some governments prohibit or restrict the entrance of certain items into the country. There are often laws prohibiting certain foodstuffs, for example. Restrictions can vary vastly from country to country and you should check the customs websites of your destination to ensure your items can be sent.
Completing all relevant documentation required for customs clearance:

With the exception of documents, all shipments bound for, or imported from, destinations outside of the European Union must be accompanied by four copies of a customs invoice. This is a document detailing the contents and value of each of the items in your shipment.

When you book with Transglobal Express, a customs invoice is generated automatically for you during the order process. If you have your own invoice, you can use that instead of the document generated by our system. Please see our documentation section for more information.

Please note: Certain countries may require additional documentation depending on what you are sending. Please check for full customs information. You can usually refer to a country's government website, or contact customs directly. As with restrictions, please check with the relevant customs authority.
Explaining to the receiver their liability for import duties, taxes and charges

Import duties and taxes may be payable by the receiver depending on the commodity and value of the goods. In some (but not all) countries, personal effects are exempt from these charges.

Import duty is usually charged as a percentage of the declared value of your goods. A customs clearance administration fee may also be charged. All customs charges will need to be paid before your goods are released for delivery.

Failure to pay customs charges will result in the return or disposal of the shipment. Any charges applied as a result of this will be billed to the account holder.

Please note that the €22 exemption (if goods are valued below 22€) when shipping to the EU from a non-EU country no longer apply since 2021. However, now you are able to use the EU's Import One-Stop Shop (IOSS) to declare and pay VAT so that the receiver doesn't have to pay on import.

Export License for goods value above 1000 Euro

All shipments to destinations outside of the EU valued above 1000€ will need an Export License from German customs, which you can request from them directly.

For more information about import to and export from the EU, please refer to the European Commission Website.

Personal Effects

If you are shipping personal effects to the USA, Australia or New Zealand, completing the following forms in advance can help speed-up the customs clearance process. If you do not send them with your shipment, they will need to be completed by the receiver.

Personal effects to the USA

Personal effects to Australia

"Unaccompanied personal Effects Statement" [1 copy]

Personal effects to New Zealand

"Unaccompanied personal Effects Statement" [1 copy]

Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI)

The EORI Number was introduced in July 2009 to improve security and speed up the customs clearance of goods entering and leaving the states of the European Union.

All German companies exporting outside of the EU should have an EORI number.

You can check if your EORI number is valid by entering it into the EORI Number Validator in the format described above. If your number is valid, please enter it into the box provided. If it is not valid, you can download and complete an EORI Application Form and submit this to Customs. If you have any queries regarding the EORI application process then please visit the German customs website.

Launch EORI Number Validator