Shipping made simple

Shipping to Italy from outside the EU

If you are shipping from the UK and other countries outside the EU, your parcel may be liable for Customs charges. These charges will be forwarded to your receiver, unless you pay them in advance. For more information, you can visit the Italian customs agency, ADM.

Sending parcels to the EU has got more expensive and more data-heavy this year. Here is what you need to know.

1 July 2026: the EU introduced a flat €3 customs duty on most business-to-consumer (B2C) parcels worth €150 or less. The old duty-free treatment for low-value parcels has ended.

1 November 2026: three more changes arrive.

1. A new €2 EU handling fee per item, on top of the €3 duty.

2. Mandatory Product Identifiers (PIDs) for every item in a B2C parcel, whatever its value.

3. The new €2 handling fee applies to parcels over €150 too, although the €3 duty introduced in July does not.

• Gifts: genuine personal gifts worth €45 or under, sent from one person to another, are still exempt from the €3 duty.

• What's next? The EU is calling the current rules temporary. A full customs reform, including the removal of the €150 threshold, is expected around mid 2028.

If your delivery is from outside the EU and worth more than €150, you will be charged value added tax – known as IVA in Italy – of 22% on the value of your goods. Some goods, like books, are only charged 4% IVA, and some service industry goods are charged 10%. You will also have duties and fees applied to your shipment, which will be charged to the recipient.

Shipping within the EU

There is no Customs clearance or charges for shipments sent within the EU and you don’t need to produce any additional paperwork. Remember, however, the UK is no longer inside the EU.

The most popular exports from the UK include:

• crude petroleum

• basic chemicals, fertilisers and nitrogen compounds, plastics and synthetic rubber

• motor vehicles

• pharmaceutical products and preparations

• natural gas

The average household wage in Italy is only around £22,000 a year, but it is also one of Europe’s premier luxury goods manufacturers. This means that there is little home market for luxury items, but there other niches that have yet to be fully explored. To find export opportunities, you can visit Parcelhero’s Government partner, Exporting is Great, who have a unique opportunity listing tool. One such interesting opportunity is in books and periodicals, which have a lower rate of tax – just 4% - than other goods, which are taxed at around 22%.

It is recommended that you build your UK business through a local intermediary. Although the Italian legal system and administration is similar to that of the UK’s, there are some changes that could catch you out. Working with a local professional is the best practice, as this also means that you will be kept abreast of any developments, and that you keep up with your corporation tax.

In order to get the best rates and service when shipping to Italy, you can open a business account with Parcelhero.

In Italy they speak both English and Italian, and you can address your parcel in either language – just pick one and stick with it. Italy uses a postcode format that is known as Codice di Avviamento Postale, or CAP. These codes are generally five digits long, and relate to a specific town or village. Large cities like Rome have a multi-CAP system, but these are rare.

If you’re shipping the other way, or are receiving a shipment from Italy, you ought to know that “Regno Unito” means United Kingdom in Italian.