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EU customs duty explained

What changed?

From 1 July 2026 the European Union charges a flat customs duty of 3 euros on parcels entering the EU with a goods value up to 150 euros. This applies to every business outside the EU shipping to EU customers, not just us.

We collect this duty at checkout and pay it on your behalf, together with EU VAT under the IOSS scheme. That means your order arrives like a normal delivery: no customs bill, no handling fee, nothing to pay at the door.

It is charged per product type, not per sticker

The duty applies once per type of product in your parcel, no matter the quantity. A "product type" is what shares the same customs classification.

Some worked examples:

  • 500 vinyl stickers of one design: one product type, so the duty is 3 euros in total. Not 500 x 3 euros.
  • 300 stickers across five different designs: still one product type (they are all printed vinyl stickers), so still just 3 euros.
  • Stickers plus a display stand: two different product types, so 6 euros.

Tip: bigger orders of the same product type are better value, because the duty stays at 3 euros however many you add.

Orders over 150 euros

The flat duty and the IOSS scheme only cover orders with a goods value up to 150 euros. Above that, we cannot prepay the charges for you: the carrier in your country collects import VAT and any customs charges before delivery. The checkout tells you clearly when your order is in this bracket, and those charges are not included in our total.

Business customers with a VAT number

If you order on a trade account with an EU VAT number, your order is a zero-rated export: we charge no UK VAT and no duty, and your business acts as the importer of record, accounting for VAT and any duty through your normal returns.

A note on some EU territories

A few territories use an EU country's postcodes but sit outside the EU VAT area, for example the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla, Heligoland and the Aland Islands. Deliveries there are treated like the rest of the world: we do not charge the duty and any local import charges are collected on arrival.

Questions?

Email us at contact@decalempire.co.uk and we will be happy to help.