End of €150 Duty-Free Imports in the EU from July 2026 – What It Means for DHL Express Shipments

A significant change to EU customs practices will take effect on July 1, 2026, when the customs duty exemption for shipments valued under €150 is removed. The reform applies to all shipments arriving from outside the EU and will be directly reflected in deliveries handled by DHL Express to Finland.

Going forward, customs duties will be charged on all shipments arriving from outside the EU, regardless of their value. Customs duties are official charges determined and collected by Customs authorities based on EU legislation. DHL Express’s role is to handle customs clearance on behalf of customers and to pass on the charges imposed by the authorities. DHL Express does not influence the level or structure of customs duties.

Under the new model, customs duties are calculated per goods item. The fee is typically around €3 per item. In customs terms, a “goods item” refers to a group of products that share the same tariff classification and country of origin.

In practice, this means that different products included in the same shipment may increase the total charges, as the fee applies to individual goods items rather than the total value of the shipment alone. As a result, the total cost of a shipment containing multiple products may rise compared to before.

In addition to customs duties, shipments may incur other costs. If the total amount of customs duties exceeds €5, DHL Express Finland will charge a customs clearance service fee of €20.

A shipment can only be delivered once all customs duties and any other applicable charges have been paid. DHL Express will provide the customer with a payment link, allowing for convenient online payment. Payment is part of the delivery process, so its timing may affect the delivery schedule.

You can track the progress and arrival of your shipment on the DHL website.

For questions related to the EU customs reform, you can contact our customer service by email at tulliuudistus@dhl.com. For other matters related to customs clearance or your shipment, please contact DHL Express through its regular customer service channels.

For more information about the reform, visit the Finnish Customs website.