EU customs thresholds explained: the complete guide for 2025

The European Union's customs framework applies to goods entering from any non-EU country. For Sendways travelers arriving at EU airports with sender packages, understanding these rules is essential.

The EUR 150 customs duty threshold. Goods with a customs value below EUR 150 are exempt from customs duties. This is the most commonly cited figure. Note: this applies per shipment, not per item.

VAT rules from EUR 1. In theory, VAT applies to all imports into the EU regardless of value. The EUR 22 VAT de minimis was abolished in July 2021. VAT now applies from EUR 1. However, enforcement on personal-use imports below EUR 150 remains inconsistent across member states.

Goods above EUR 150. Both customs duty and VAT apply. Duty rates vary by product category. Clothing: 12%. Shoes: 17%. Consumer electronics: 0-14% depending on category.

The EUR 22 de minimis is gone. Some senders still believe that goods valued below EUR 22 enter the EU duty and VAT-free. This changed in July 2021. Do not rely on this.

Country-of-origin matters. EU tariff rates depend on where goods were manufactured, not where they were shipped from. A US-made phone shipped from Nigeria still attracts the standard EU-USA tariff rate.

Prohibited and restricted goods. Beyond duty thresholds, some goods cannot enter the EU at all: certain plant products (biosecurity), counterfeit goods (intellectual property), CITES-listed animal products (wildlife protection). Value is irrelevant for these.