Customs Information (2024)

• If you buy goods from outside the EU  you may have to pay customs charges(Customs Duty, Excise Duty, VAT) to Irish Revenue.

• AnPost collect these customs charges from you and pay them to Irish Revenueon your behalf.

• It is mandatory forAnPost to collect customs charges, An Post cannot deliver your items until these charges have been paid.

• A team of Irish Revenue’s customs officials are based atAnPost’s Mail Centre and oversee the customs clearance of imported goods.   

Your customs charge can be paid either:
Online, using your credit/debit card and the Customs reference number detailed on the Postcard/SMS/Email; orat any post office, using your credit/debit card or cash. Please bring the email or the card you received in the post with you to the Post Office.

Once your payment is complete, we will arrange for your item to be delivered as soon as possible. Please note, you cannot pay customs charges via phone call.

• If your item has been returned to sender or you are awaiting an update on your item,it is likely thatthe electronic customs declaration made by the retailer/sender for your item may havebeen insufficient or invalid according to Customs regulations.AnPost cannot amend customs declaration so items with incomplete data must be returned.
• The goods within your parcel may be in a category of goods treated as prohibited or restricted by Irish Revenue.
• For non restricted/prohibited items, you will need to refer to the sender and request that they submit a customs declaration with full details when resending your item.OurTARIC code finderhelps retailers understand the required information needed.
• Your item will be returned to the sender if thecustomschargewasnot paid by the “pay by date".

• Compliant electronic customs data must be supplied for all incoming non-EU items by the sender. Many smaller, more specialist British retailers are simply not aware of these requirements and/or have not put in place the necessary online shopping systems for selling to Ireland, leading to Customs delays or returns when these parcels arrive in Ireland. Please hold tight, while we work to address this and ongoing queries.

After careful consideration and in alignment with regulatory guidelines, An Post shall no longer facilitate Transfer of Residence.

Effective as of the end of 2023, An Post has discontinued its support of Transfer of Residence requests. It's crucial to understand that Transfer of Residence is not an official service offered by An Post. For individuals seeking Transfer of Residence support, we recommend exploring international shipping services that specialise in facilitating international moves. Alternatively, the Citizens Information website, provides valuable guidance on calculating cubic meters and cubic feet- metrics commonly used by international moving companies.

• In line with the Northern Ireland protocol, parcels arriving from Northern Ireland into the Republic of Ireland will not be subject to VAT & customs chargesbut must still be cleared through Irish Customs.

If you sent an item to a non-EU country for repair and are requesting to have it returned to you, you need to provide the below information to An Post, who will request the removal/refund of the customs charge raised on your behalf:

• Copy of the original/repair invoice from the sender

• Proof of exporting (Tracking number used to the send the item)

• Correspondence from the sender regarding repair being done/return (if possible)

The information can be sent to An Post via email at ecommchargequery@anpost.ie

Customs charges arise on the importation of most items inaccordance with relevant laws. AnPost collectsthese charges and pays them to Irish Revenuefor you.​​

AnPost may apply a fee to handle, collect and process the item. Where applicable, this fee will be added tocustoms charges applied by Revenue to your item.The fee is in place to cover the administrative costs ofcollecting and processing the payment from the addressee.

If you lost personal belongings in a non-EU country and are requesting to have it returned to you, you need to provide the below information to An Post, who will request the removal/refund of the customs charge raised on your behalf:

• Copy of your travel itinerary (images of flight tickets/proof of flights)
• Proof of receipt/ownership
• Correspondence from the sender to the recipient (screenshots of an SMS are sufficient)

The information can be sent to An Post via email at ecommchargequery@anpost.ie

• An Post collect the customs charges on your behalf that are charged byRevenueon items delivered to Ireland from non-EU countries. In order for your parcel to be processed and delivered, these charges must be paid.
• If customs duty or VAT is due on the item, where possible, we will contact you by post, text or email. You can then pay the customs fee aboveor at your local Post Office. We will deliver your item as soon as possible after payment has been received.
• If there is no customs duty or VAT due on the item, then the item will be delivered as normal.

• AnPost will neversend a messagecontainingany links when contacting you about the payment ofcustomscharges.

• Also, withina few days of receiving anAnPost customsSMSor email you willreceive an official An Post postcarddetailing your customs charges (a customs charge notification card to which specific Terms & Conditions apply).

• You can pay above. You will need yourtrack & trace number and reference number provided in the SMS/email/ or by bringing your reference details to any post office.

• If you are ever in doubt about scam messages we have further information on our security page to help you identify legitimate and scam messages.

• A valid HS/Tariff Code
• A valid item description
• Country of origin
• Item value
• Postage, insurance, freight paid
• Sender name, address details
• Addressee name, address
• Packet/parcel weight

You should also ensure the items you are sending are not regarded as prohibited/restricted by An Post. You can do so by reviewing the list on our prohibited items page.

• You will not be paying any further shipping costs. You are required to pay customs charges related to customs clearance of the items.

• Some online retailers use a Delivery Duty Paid (DPP) model – This means that the retailer has included estimated customs charges in the total price payable at checkout when the buyer is ordering the item online, so no charges are expected to arise prior to delivery.
• If VAT is applicable to your item and was not charged in your shopping basket
  • It will be charged using electronic data captured by the sender before it is delivered to you in Ireland.
  • Customers must pay the VAT and applicable administration fees before the item is delivered.
  • If the sender has sent incomplete electronic data, additional charges will occur to ensure the item gets to you. A €10 charge will occur.

Great Britain is no longer a member of the European Union and in accordance with relevant VAT law, there is a requirement that VAT is calculated/charged on all non-EU goods.

• As of 1 July 2021: The European Union have removed the €22 VAT exemption on goods coming from countries outside of the EU (excl. NI) and requestthat all parcels coming into the EU are sent using electronic customs data.
• It is mandatory for An Post to collect these charges on behalf of Revenue.An Post is unable to deliver your item until this charge has been paid.

In addition, customs duties and excise duties may arise on the importation of certain postal items from Great Britain.

Returns can be sent using

or at your local Post Office. The Customs related electronic data and labelling (where required) should indicate that the item is a return. We recommend you retain your receipt of posting. Please note, An Post do not process any refunds of VAT or Customs Charges if you are returning goods after the item has been delivered.

Customs charges are calculated by Irish Revenue based on the electronic data provided by the sender. For further information please visitthe Revenue website.

• Depending on the value of your goods, these charges arise on the importation of your goods from outside of the EU, in accordance with relevant customs legislation, such as the European Union Customs Code. The EU VAT legislation also requires VAT to be paid on the importation of most third country (Non-EU) goods, regardless of value.

• As of 1 January 2021 it is mandatory for an electronic customs declaration to be filed for all goods imported by post from non-EU countries.  Where goods are imported by you through the postal system, where possible, An Post will lodge an electronic customs declaration on your behalf acting as your direct representative for customs purposes.

• The Customs Act 2015 applies to cross border mail.  Section 13(4) of such act authorises Revenue to carry out all necessary checks and examinations of cross border mail, while Section 13(7) provides for the collection of duties and taxes byAnPost.