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Shipping boxes to and from Ireland

Ireland follows EU customs rules. Boxes from other EU countries and from Northern Ireland arrive with no customs at all. Boxes from outside the EU, including Great Britain, owe VAT from the first euro, and the old €150 duty-free limit ended on July 1, 2026. Gifts up to €45, and belongings you move here with under Revenue's Transfer of Residence relief, can still arrive tax-free.

Typical transit: 1-3 business days from the UK and EU; 2-5 from North America; 3-6 from Asia
Currency: EUR
Duty-free up to: From another EU country there is no customs clearance and usually nothing to pay, and boxes from Northern Ireland also move with no customs declaration or duty
Receiver ID: Not usually needed

Price a shipment to Ireland

From

Boxes

Weight each (lb)

Box size

Choose where it's from and where it's going.

What it costs to ship boxes from the US to Ireland

1 medium box (16 × 16 × 16 in, 20 lb)$137.75delivered in 3 to 5 business days
5 medium boxes (30 lb each)$688.75 totalabout $137.75 a box

Includes pickup at your door, express delivery, fuel and prepared customs paperwork. Import duties and taxes, if any, are set by Ireland and paid by the receiver. Prices updated November 2, 2026.

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Popular routes to Ireland

Popular routes from Ireland

Sending to Ireland

Duties and taxes1 2 3 4 5 7 10

Duty-free threshold: From another EU country there is no customs clearance and usually nothing to pay, and boxes from Northern Ireland also move with no customs declaration or duty. From outside the EU, including Great Britain, there is no longer a value below which a box is automatically tax-free: VAT applies from the first euro, and the €150 (about $175) customs duty relief ended on July 1, 2026. Gifts from one private person to another worth up to €45 (about $53) are still free of duty and VAT. Most online purchases worth €150 or less now pay a flat €3 (about $3.50) duty per item type until July 1, 2028.
Import tax: VAT at the rate that applies in Ireland: 23% standard, with reduced rates of 13.5% and 9%, and 0% for a few goods such as some medical devices. VAT is charged on the customs value (goods plus transport and insurance) plus any duty. Customs duty depends on the item, for example 0% for laptops and 12% for adult clothing, and non-commercial goods worth up to €700 (about $820) may be charged a flat 2.5% instead. Alcohol and tobacco also pay excise duty.
How value is worked out: Duty is charged on the customs value: the price or value of the goods plus transport (including postage) and insurance to Ireland, a CIF-style basis. VAT is charged on the customs value plus any duty. The €45 gift limit uses the intrinsic value, meaning the goods alone without postage, insurance, or freight. Courier administration fees are not part of the customs value. Give a fair current market value for used items; the Transfer of Residence form asks for the current market value of anything valuable. In a gift box worth more than €45, duty relief goes only to whole items adding up to €45 or less, because one item's value can't be split. Values in other currencies are converted to euro at the customs exchange rate, so list values in the currency you know and let the courier convert them.
Who pays: Shipments are sent DAP. If duty or VAT is due, the receiver pays it before or on delivery. The courier may add a clearance or disbursement fee for handling the payment.
Moving there?: Transfer of Residence relief lets you bring used personal and household belongings in free of customs duty and VAT when you move to live in Ireland from outside the EU, including from Great Britain. You must have lived outside the EU for at least 12 months in a row, owned and used the goods for at least 6 months, and paid tax on them where you bought them. Import them within 6 months before or 12 months after your move, and email form C&E 1076 with your proof to Revenue two weeks before they arrive. Don't sell, lend, or hire them out for 12 months. Alcohol, tobacco, trade tools, and commercial vehicles are not covered. Moving from another EU country or Northern Ireland? No relief is needed, because there is no customs.

Worked example

Illustrative: your sister in the United States sends you a new winter coat as a birthday gift, worth €200 (about $235), with €30 for shipping and insurance. Assumes Revenue applies the flat 2.5% duty rate for non-commercial goods up to €700, charged on the customs value.

Customs value: €200 + €30 = €230. The gift is over €45, so there is no gift relief. Duty: 2.5% x €230 = €5.75. VAT: 23% x (€230 + €5.75) = €54.22. Total €59.97.

About €60 (about $70), plus any courier administration fee. At the normal 12% duty rate for adult clothing, the total would be about €86.85 (about $102). The same coat sent from another EU country would owe nothing.

How customs clearance works in Ireland1 3 6 8 9 10

Express couriers clear every box from outside the EU with Revenue. They file the customs declaration, pay any duty and VAT, and collect it from the receiver before delivery, usually with an administration fee. Boxes from the EU and Northern Ireland skip customs. Relocation boxes clear under the Transfer of Residence claim you've emailed to Revenue.

Formal entry: Every box from outside the EU gets a customs declaration, which the courier files, whatever its value. Since the €150 relief ended, duty is worked out item by item under the normal tariff, or at the flat 2.5% rate for non-commercial goods worth up to €700. Above that, normal rates apply to each item.
How long it takes: Often 1-2 business days after arrival when values and paperwork are in order. Longer if Revenue, the Department of Agriculture, or the HPRA needs to check something, or if a relief claim needs review.
Inspections: Revenue can examine any box from outside the EU. Plants and plant products need a phytosanitary certificate checked by the Department of Agriculture, animal products must pass a veterinary border check, and medicines found in parcels are detained and may be destroyed.
If duties go unpaid: The courier won't release the box until charges are paid. If they stay unpaid, the courier may return the box to the sender or treat it as abandoned after its holding period, and abandoned goods can be destroyed or sold. Ask the courier how long it will hold the box.

Moving to Ireland: claiming duty relief4 7 10

01
Check you qualify
You must be moving to live in Ireland after at least 12 months in a row outside the EU. Irish citizens coming home qualify on the same terms. The goods must be yours, owned and used for at least 6 months, with tax paid where you bought them.
02
Time the shipment
Goods must arrive within 6 months before or 12 months after your move. You can send them in several shipments within that window.
03
Complete form C&E 1076
Group used clothing, toiletries, and accessories as 'personal items' instead of listing each one. Give the current market value of anything valuable.
04
Gather your proof
Proof you lived abroad (a utility bill or a letter ending your job), proof you're moving here (a letter from an Irish employer, or papers for buying or renting a home), and invoices or receipts for the goods. Add form CU 56 for gold or silver plate.
05
Email Revenue two weeks ahead
Send the form and proof to the Revenue office at the port or airport where the goods arrive. Do this even for smaller boxes sent by courier or post.
06
Tell the courier
Let the courier know the boxes are a Transfer of Residence claim and share your C&E 1076 and any reply from Revenue, so relief is claimed when the boxes clear.
07
Keep the goods for 12 months
If you hire out, lend, sell, or give away relieved goods within 12 months, you must pay the import charges.

Documents to have ready2 4 10

Itemized packing list with a fair current value for each item, marked as used personal effects or gift
For a gift: mark it as a gift from one private person to another, valuing the goods only, not the postage
For Transfer of Residence: form C&E 1076, emailed to Revenue two weeks before the boxes arrive
Proof you lived abroad (a utility bill or a letter ending your job), proof of your move (a letter from an Irish employer, or papers for buying or renting a home here), and receipts showing you own the goods
Form CU 56 for items of gold or silver plate claimed under Transfer of Residence relief
The receiver's phone number and email, so the courier can arrange clearance and any payment

Onvoyo prepares the commercial invoice from your contents list. You print three copies, sign them, and send them with your boxes.

Official forms10

Form C&E 1076 (Rev 2): Declaration form for transfer of residence (opens in a new tab)
Claims relief from customs duty and VAT on used personal and household goods when you move to Ireland from outside the EU.
Form CU 56: Declaration for articles of gold or silver plate (other than electroplated) (opens in a new tab)
Sent with form C&E 1076 when your relocation goods include items of gold or silver plate.
Declaration of goods imported on marriage (opens in a new tab)
Claims relief on wedding clothes and wedding presents when you move to Ireland to marry.

What you can pack, category by category1 2 6 8 9 10

What you can pack, by category
Category	Status	What to know
Clothing and shoesMore on clothes	Allowed	Used clothing is fine. In a Transfer of Residence claim, group it as 'personal items'. Without a relief, adult clothing from outside the EU pays 12% duty (or the 2.5% flat rate for non-commercial goods up to €700) plus 23% VAT.
Books and papersMore on books	Allowed	Books and printed papers are fine. Indecent or obscene publications are banned.
ElectronicsMore on electronics	Conditions	Personal devices are fine with batteries installed. Laptops carry 0% duty, but VAT applies from outside the EU unless a relief fits. Loose lithium batteries and power banks are refused.
MedicationMore on medicine	Not allowed	Leave medicines out. Supplying prescription-only medicines by mail order is illegal in Ireland, customs can seize them, and other medicines generally need an Irish or EU authorization. Carry what you need when you travel.
FoodMore on food	Conditions	From outside the EU, including Great Britain: no meat, milk, or products made from them, only listed low-risk items such as bread, biscuits, chocolate, and plain pasta. Fresh produce needs a plant health certificate. From the EU or Northern Ireland, sealed, shelf-stable food is fine.
Cosmetics and toiletriesMore on cosmetics	Conditions	Creams and toiletries are fine. Aerosols, nail polish, and flammable perfumes are refused. In a gift, only 50 g of perfume or 0.25 liters of toilet water gets duty relief, and VAT still applies.
Alcohol and tobaccoMore on alcohol or tobacco	Not allowed	Couriers generally refuse alcohol and tobacco for individuals. Excise duty and VAT apply even to gifts, and Transfer of Residence relief never covers them.
Sports and outdoor gearMore on sports and outdoor gear	Conditions	Clean gear is fine. Remove soil from boots, bikes, and tents, since soil from outside the EU needs a plant health certificate. No gas canisters, flares, or fuel. Check knives and martial-arts gear against Ireland's offensive weapons list.
Children's items and toysMore on toys and baby gear	Allowed	Used toys are fine. Remove loose batteries. Realistic toy weapons can be refused.
Documents and photosMore on documents and photos	Allowed	Personal papers and photos are fine. Leaving Ireland, historic documents of national interest may need an export license.
Other	Conditions	Plants and seeds need a plant health certificate, live animals can't be sent from outside the EU, and items made from endangered species need CITES clearance. Gold or silver plate in a relocation claim needs form CU 56.

Quantity limits2 4 6 7 8

Quantity limits for Ireland
Item	Limit
Gifts (shipments)	Gifts from one private person to another worth up to €45 (about $53), counting the goods only and not postage, arrive free of duty and VAT. Above €45, VAT is due on the whole gift.
Alcohol, tobacco, and perfume in gifts	Duty relief covers only 50 cigarettes, 25 cigarillos, 10 cigars, or 50 g of tobacco; 1 liter of spirits (or 1 liter of sparkling or fortified wine or drinks up to 22%) plus 2 liters of still wine; and 50 g of perfume or 0.25 liters of toilet water. VAT and excise duty are always due.
Transfer of Residence	Used personal and household goods you've owned and used for 6 months, imported within 6 months before or 12 months after your move, in one or several shipments.
Prescription medicines	No shipping allowance: mail-order supply of prescription-only medicines is illegal. Personal-use exemptions may cover medicine you carry yourself, not medicine sent to you.
Cash (travelers)	Declare cash of €10,000 (about $11,700) or more, including gold coins and bars, when entering or leaving the EU. Couriers won't carry cash.
Meat and dairy	None from outside the EU, including Great Britain. Only listed low-risk foods, such as chocolate, biscuits, and plain pasta.

What you can't send to Ireland2 4 6 7 8 9 10

Not allowed

Aerosols, spray cans, and compressed gas cylinders
Flammable liquids and solids: fuel, lighter fluid, paint, nail polish, matches
Loose or spare lithium batteries and power banks not installed in a device
Cash, gift cards, checks, and other negotiable items
Firearms, ammunition, replicas, and weapon parts
Perishable food, and meat, dairy, or fresh produce
Cannabis, CBD, and THC products, even where they are legal at origin
Meat, milk, and products made from them, sent from outside the EU (including Great Britain)
Live animals, including insects, sent by post or courier from outside the EU (including Great Britain)
Prescription-only medicines supplied by mail order, which customs can seize
Controlled drugs, unless authorized by the Minister for Health
Offensive weapons listed in Ireland's 1991 and 2009 Offensive Weapons Orders
Explosives and fireworks, which can't be imported without a license
Indecent or obscene prints, photos, books, and other articles, and child sexual abuse material
Counterfeit and pirated goods, which customs can detain

Allowed with conditions

Non-prescription medicines: Medicines generally need an Irish or EU authorization to be imported. Personal-use exemptions may apply to medicine you carry yourself, but not to mail order. Customs can detain illegal medicines, and the HPRA says they may be destroyed and can't be returned.
Plants, fruit, vegetables, cut flowers, seeds, soil, and timber: From outside the EU, including Great Britain, they need a phytosanitary (plant health) certificate presented to the Department of Agriculture at entry. Bananas, dates, pineapples, coconuts, and durians are exempt.
Other food of animal origin: From outside the EU, including Great Britain, the Department of Agriculture lists only low-risk products as exempt, such as bread, biscuits, chocolate and sweets, plain pasta, packaged soup stocks, and coffee or tea extracts. Animal products must otherwise go through a veterinary border check.
Alcohol, tobacco, and perfume: Gift relief covers customs duty only, and only within set quantities. VAT and excise duty are always due. Transfer of Residence relief never covers alcohol or tobacco.
Gold, silver, and platinum items: Add form CU 56 if you claim Transfer of Residence relief on items of gold or silver plate. Gold, silver, and platinum articles must be hallmarked before they can be sold in Ireland.
Items made from endangered species: Protected animals and plants, and items made from them, are regulated under CITES. Ask the National Parks & Wildlife Service (cites@housing.gov.ie) before shipping.
Goods brought in under Transfer of Residence relief: If you hire out, lend, sell, or otherwise dispose of them within 12 months, you must pay the import charges.

Sending from Ireland

Shipping boxes out of Ireland3 6

Boxes going to other EU countries or to Northern Ireland leave Ireland with no customs formalities. For destinations outside the EU, including Great Britain, the courier handles the export paperwork from your packing list, and the receiving country decides any duties. A few items need a license to leave, mainly archaeological objects and some old documents and paintings.

Documents

Itemized packing list with a fair value for each item, marked as used personal effects or gift
The receiver's tax or ID number if the destination country requires one
An export license from the National Museum of Ireland for any archaeological object
A license through the National Gallery or National Library for documents and paintings covered by the National Cultural Institutions Act 1997
An EU export license for cultural goods leaving the EU, and CITES permits for items made from endangered species

Can't leave the country

Archaeological objects can't leave Ireland without a license from the National Museum of Ireland.
Old documents and pictures of national, historical, genealogical, or literary interest may need a license to leave, even for another EU country.
Leaving the EU, cultural goods may also need an EU export license under Regulation (EC) 116/2009.
Cash can't go by courier. Travelers carrying €10,000 (about $11,700) or more must declare it when leaving the EU.
Firearms and dual-use goods need export licenses, and offensive weapons may need clearance from the destination country.

Before pickup

Moving abroad? Check whether your destination offers relief for used household goods, and apply before the boxes ship.
Buying antiques, old maps, or manuscripts to take home? Ask the seller whether an export license is needed.
Book pickup early in the week so boxes don't sit in a depot over the weekend.
Keep photos of what went in each box for customs questions and claims.

Addresses, delivery and timing

Writing the address

Write the name, house number and street, area or townland, town or city (with the Dublin district number if there is one), county, and Eircode on separate lines. The Eircode matters most in rural areas, where many homes share an address. Add a mobile number.

Sean Example12 Sample TerraceBallsbridgeDublin 4D04 Z9Z9Ireland

Example only; not a real address.

Delivery coverage

Fastest to: Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford, Kilkenny.

Remote areas: Offshore islands and remote parts of Donegal, Mayo, Kerry, and Connemara can take 1-2 extra days.

Most urban addresses are delivered the day after clearance. A correct Eircode avoids failed deliveries in the countryside.

When things slow down

Expect slower service from mid-November through New Year, around St. Patrick's Day (March 17) and Easter, and on public holidays, including St. Brigid's Day in early February and the bank holiday Mondays in May, June, August, and October.

Advice for your situation

Students

Transfer of Residence relief is for people moving to live in Ireland, so students here for a course may not qualify. EU law also has a customs duty relief for students' clothing, study materials, and room furnishings, but Revenue's pages don't explain how to claim it, so ask Revenue before you ship. Otherwise, gifts over €45 and your own belongings from outside the EU pay VAT.

Returning home

Irish citizens coming home after 12 months or more outside the EU can use Transfer of Residence relief like anyone moving here. Email form C&E 1076 two weeks before the boxes arrive, and ship within 6 months before or 12 months after your return. Coming home from another EU country or Northern Ireland? No customs at all.

Expats and relocations

Moving to Ireland from outside the EU? Transfer of Residence relief applies whatever your nationality, once you've lived outside the EU for 12 months. Leaving Ireland for another EU country or Northern Ireland? No customs. Going further, check the destination's rules for household goods before you pack.

Tips for a smooth delivery

Only pay customs charges to the courier. Revenue never contacts you asking for customs charges, so treat texts or emails that do as scams.
Sending from Great Britain? It's outside the EU, so VAT is due and you need a full packing list. Northern Ireland is different: no customs.
Mark real gifts as gifts from one private person to another and value only the goods. At €45 or less, nothing is due.
Moving here? Email form C&E 1076 to Revenue two weeks before the boxes arrive, and keep receipts showing you've owned the goods for 6 months.
Leave out meat, dairy, plants, and prescription medicines. They can be seized at the border.
Give the Eircode and a mobile number so the courier can collect any charges and deliver on the first try.

Shipping to and from Ireland: questions

Is there still a €150 duty-free limit for Ireland?

No. The €150 customs duty relief ended on July 1, 2026. Most online purchases worth €150 or less now pay a flat €3 duty per item type until July 1, 2028. Other boxes from outside the EU pay normal duty rates, or a flat 2.5% for non-commercial goods worth up to €700, plus VAT. Gifts up to €45 are still free.

Do I pay VAT on used belongings sent to Ireland?

Not from another EU country. From outside the EU, VAT is due from the first euro unless the box is a gift worth €45 or less or you qualify for Transfer of Residence relief. The rate is the Irish one: 23% for most goods.

Do I pay customs on boxes from the UK to Ireland?

From Great Britain, yes. The UK is outside the EU, so a customs declaration, VAT, and any duty apply, and the usual reliefs can help. Boxes from Northern Ireland move like boxes from the EU, with no customs declaration or duty. Food rules follow the same split.

What is form C&E 1076?

Revenue's Transfer of Residence declaration. If you've lived outside the EU for at least 12 months and are moving to Ireland, including as a returning Irish citizen, email it with your proof to Revenue two weeks before your boxes arrive. It lets used belongings in free of duty and VAT.

Can I send medicine to Ireland?

Not prescription medicine. Irish law bans supplying prescription-only medicines by mail order, and customs can seize them. The HPRA says detained medicines can't be returned and may be destroyed. Carry your own medicine when you travel, with the prescription.

How long does shipping boxes to Ireland take?

Express door-to-door usually takes 1-3 business days from the UK and EU, 2-5 from North America, and 3-6 from Asia, plus any customs time.

How do I ship boxes from Ireland to another country?

List every item with a fair value and book a pickup. Boxes to other EU countries and to Northern Ireland need no customs paperwork. For other destinations, including Great Britain, the courier handles the export formalities, and the receiver pays any import charges at the other end.

What can't I ship out of Ireland?

Archaeological objects can't leave without a license from the National Museum of Ireland, and some old documents and paintings need a license too. Couriers also refuse dangerous goods, weapons, and cash.

Official help in Ireland

Revenue: Transfer of Residence offices (opens in a new tab)
Email form C&E 1076 to the port or airport where your boxes arrive, for example TORSDublinAirport@revenue.ie or TORSShannonAirport@revenue.ie. Ask the courier where they will land.
Revenue: Customs Information Office (opens in a new tab)
General customs questions. New Custom House, Promenade Road, Dublin.
Revenue: eCommerce and Customs VAT (opens in a new tab)
Questions about the end of the €150 relief and the €3 duty: E-CommerceandCustomsVAT@revenue.ie.
Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) (opens in a new tab)
Questions about medicines in parcels: 01 634 3871 or 01 634 3434.

Official sources

Every section above is checked against these official pages. Rules change, and customs in Ireland makes the final decision on every shipment. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

1.
Revenue (Office of the Revenue Commissioners)
Buying goods from outside the European Union (EU) (Excluding Northern Ireland) (opens in a new tab)
Customs · checked September 26, 2026
2.
Revenue (Office of the Revenue Commissioners)
Rules for duty relief on gift consignments (opens in a new tab)
Customs · checked September 26, 2026
3.
Revenue (Office of the Revenue Commissioners)
Removal of the De Minimis Relief for Low Value Consignments - FAQs (opens in a new tab)
Customs · checked September 26, 2026
4.
Revenue (Office of the Revenue Commissioners)
What rules apply to the relief? (opens in a new tab)
Customs · checked September 26, 2026
5.
Revenue (Office of the Revenue Commissioners)
Current VAT rates (opens in a new tab)
Tax authority · checked September 26, 2026
6.
Revenue (Office of the Revenue Commissioners)
Prohibitions and restrictions (opens in a new tab)
Customs · checked September 26, 2026
7.
Publications Office of the European Union (EUR-Lex)
Council Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009 of 16 November 2009 setting up a Community system of reliefs from customs duty (codified version) (opens in a new tab)
Legislation · checked September 26, 2026
8.
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Information on Personal Consignments in Luggage or through Postal, Courier & Online Services (opens in a new tab)
Biosecurity · checked September 26, 2026
9.
Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA)
Dangers of buying prescription medicines online (opens in a new tab)
Health regulator · checked September 26, 2026
10.
Citizens Information (Citizens Information Board)
Shipping your personal belongings back to Ireland (opens in a new tab)
Government · checked September 26, 2026

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