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Shipping boxes to and from the Netherlands

Boxes sent to the Netherlands from another EU country move freely, with no customs and nothing to pay. From outside the EU, including the UK, btw (Dutch VAT) applies from the first euro, and since July 1, 2026 customs duty can apply to even a small box. Gifts between private people worth up to €45 stay free, and people moving to the Netherlands after at least 12 months outside the EU can bring their used household goods in free of duty and btw.

Typical transit
1-3 business days within the EU; 2-5 from the UK or North America; 3-7 from Asia
Currency
EUR
Duty-free up to
From another EU country, boxes clear no customs and nothing is due on arrival
Receiver ID
Not usually needed

Price a shipment to the Netherlands

Box size

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

What it costs to ship boxes from the US to the Netherlands

  • 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 the Netherlands and paid by the receiver. Prices updated November 2, 2026.

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Sending to the Netherlands

Duties and taxes123456

Duty-free threshold
From another EU country, boxes clear no customs and nothing is due on arrival. From outside the EU (including the UK), there is no tax-free limit anymore. Btw has applied from the first euro since the old €22 exemption ended in 2021, and the €150 (about $175) customs duty exemption ended on July 1, 2026. Gifts sent by one private person to another, worth up to €45 (about $53) per box, remain free of duty and btw. Online purchases worth up to €150 now pay a flat €3 duty per product category until July 1, 2028.
Import tax
Btw (omzetbelasting) at 21%, or 9% for some goods such as books and magazines, charged on the price of the goods plus shipping, insurance, and any duty. Duty follows the EU tariff: Douane lists, for example, 0% for laptops, phones, and books, up to 12% for clothing, and up to 17% for shoes. Non-commercial boxes sent from one private person to another can instead be charged a flat 2.5% duty when the dutiable goods are worth no more than €700 (about $820). Tobacco is left out of the flat rate, and the receiver can ask for normal tariff rates instead. Alcohol and tobacco also carry excise.
How value is worked out
Roughly CIF. Duty is charged on the price of the goods plus shipping and insurance. Btw is then charged on the goods, shipping, insurance, and the duty. The €45 gift limit and the €700 flat-rate limit are based on what the goods are worth. Douane says import charges apply to second-hand goods too, so declare a fair second-hand value for each used item. Gifts can be new or used. Values in other currencies are converted to euros at the customs exchange rate, which Douane publishes in its knowledge base. Goods with 0% duty, such as books and laptops, don't count toward the €700 flat-rate limit.
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?
If you move your normal residence to the Netherlands after living outside the EU for at least 12 consecutive months, your household goods can enter free of duty and btw. You must have owned and used them for at least 6 months, use them for the same purpose here, and import them within 12 months of moving, in one or more shipments. For 12 months after import you can't lend, pledge, rent out, or transfer them. Alcohol, tobacco, commercial vehicles, and work equipment (other than portable instruments for the arts and crafts) don't qualify. You can't file the relief declaration yourself: a moving or transport company files it in Douane's system, with your signed inventory and proof that you live in the Netherlands. Students, newlyweds, and heirs have their own reliefs: wedding goods can come in from 2 months before to 4 months after the wedding, and inherited goods within 2 years of acquiring them.

Worked example

Illustrative: a box of your own used clothes worth €120 (about $140), shipped to you in the Netherlands by express courier from outside the EU, with €40 of freight and insurance. It isn't a gift and doesn't qualify for moving relief. Assumes the 12% top rate Douane lists for clothing applies to every item and that the box is charged at normal tariff rates.

Customs value: €120 + €40 = €160. Duty: 12% x €160 = €19.20. Btw: 21% x (€160 + €19.20) = €37.63. Total €56.83.

About €57 (about $66), plus the courier's handling fee. Before July 1, 2026, the €150 duty exemption would have left only €33.60 of btw. If the box qualified for moving relief, nothing would be due.

How customs clearance works in the Netherlands1257

For every box from outside the EU, the courier's clearance team files the customs declaration with Douane for the receiver and works out the btw and any duty. The box stays in the courier's warehouse until the receiver pays those charges and the courier's handling fee, usually before or at delivery. Postal parcels work the same way through the postal company. Douane itself doesn't hold parcels or send payment requests.

Formal entry
There's no value below which a box from outside the EU skips customs: the courier declares every box. Moving relief needs its own import declaration with an exemption, filed by a moving or transport company in Douane's system; you can't file it yourself. Online purchases up to €150 made through the EU's IOSS scheme or sent by post pay the flat €3 per product category. For other boxes, and anything over €150, duty is a percentage that depends on what the goods are, what they're made of, and where they come from.
How long it takes
With complete data, express clearance usually adds about 1-2 business days. Douane notes that handling can take several weeks when the courier needs payment or more information, or when a box is checked.
Inspections
When a box's description or contents don't match, the courier contacts Douane, and Douane inspects boxes it suspects hold illegal goods, in the courier's warehouse. Goods not allowed in the EU may be sampled for lab tests, released once you supply missing documents, or destroyed or returned to the country they came from. Food, plant, and animal products that break the NVWA's rules are refused.
If duties go unpaid
The box stays with the courier until the charges are paid. If the receiver doesn't respond in time or doesn't pay, the courier sends it back to the sender; storage periods follow the courier's terms. If you were charged too much, or a gift or moving relief was missed, the courier can object to Douane within 6 weeks of billing you, or request a refund within 3 years.

Moving to the Netherlands: claiming duty relief56

  1. 01

    Check you qualify

    You're moving your normal residence to the Netherlands after at least 12 consecutive months outside the EU. If you came back sooner than planned, proof that you clearly meant to stay abroad 12 months or more may be accepted.

  2. 02

    Check your goods

    Furniture and other household goods, household provisions in normal amounts, and portable instruments for your profession qualify if you owned and used them for at least 6 months. Alcohol, tobacco, commercial vehicles, and other work equipment don't.

  3. 03

    Register with your municipality

    Proof of municipal registration shows the date you settled here and is the proof Douane prefers. If you can't register yet, use proof of deregistration abroad plus an employment contract, employer's statement, work permit, or housing contract.

  4. 04

    Write and sign your inventory

    List every personal item you're sending, with its value, and sign the list. Add proof of your time abroad, such as a residence record from that country or an employment contract.

  5. 05

    Let a moving or transport company file

    You can't file the relief declaration yourself. Hand all documents to the moving or transport company, which files it in Douane's system. In some cases it can start before every document is in, and you send the rest as soon as you can.

  6. 06

    Import within 12 months and keep the goods

    Ship within 12 months of moving, in one or more shipments. Keep the goods for 12 months after import. Shipping before you move is possible if you commit to moving within 6 months, and Douane may ask for a security.

Documents to have ready156

  • Contents list with a plain description and a fair value for each item, marked as used personal belongings or as a gift
  • For moving relief: a signed inventory of all the personal goods you're bringing or sending
  • Proof that you live, or will live, in the Netherlands: ideally your municipal registration. Without it, proof of deregistration from the country you left plus an employment contract, employer's statement, work permit, or rental or purchase contract for your new home
  • Proof that you lived outside the EU for at least 12 months, such as a residence record from that country or an employment contract
  • For student relief, proof of enrollment at a Dutch school or university. For wedding goods, a marriage certificate or proof of notice of marriage. For inherited goods, a notary's statement with the date of death and the date you acquired the goods
  • Receiver's phone number and email, so the courier can arrange payment and delivery

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

Official forms111

What you can pack, category by category1268910

What you can pack, by category
CategoryStatusWhat to know
Clothing and shoesMore on clothesAllowedUsed clothing is fine. From outside the EU, duty (Douane lists up to 12% for clothing) and 21% btw apply unless moving relief, student relief, or the €45 gift rule covers the box.
Books and papersMore on booksAllowedBooks are welcome. Douane lists 0% duty for books, and btw is the reduced 9%.
ElectronicsMore on electronicsConditionsUsed personal devices are fine with batteries installed. Douane lists 0% duty for laptops, tablets, phones, and headphones, but 21% btw applies from outside the EU unless a relief fits.
MedicationMore on medicineConditionsNot from outside the EU and EEA: private people can't receive medicines by post or courier, and Opium Act medicines may only travel with the patient. From another EU or EEA country, the import-license ban doesn't apply.
FoodMore on foodConditionsNo meat, milk, or dairy from outside the EU, though chocolate, cookies, and candy are fine. Fish is limited to 20 kg and honey to 2 kg. Fresh fruit and vegetables need a phytosanitary certificate, and couriers refuse perishables.
Cosmetics and toiletriesMore on cosmeticsConditionsToiletries for personal use are fine. No aerosols or nail polish. Products with ingredients from protected plants or animals aren't allowed.
Alcohol and tobaccoMore on alcohol or tobaccoNot allowedDon't pack them. Tobacco needs a Dutch excise stamp, excise is due on alcohol even from the EU, neither qualifies for moving relief, and couriers generally refuse them.
Sports and outdoor gearMore on sports and outdoor gearConditionsGear is fine. Clean off soil and plant matter. No gas canisters, flares, or fuel.
Children's items and toysMore on toys and baby gearAllowedUsed toys are fine. Remove loose batteries. Douane lists up to 4.7% duty for toys from outside the EU when no relief applies.
Documents and photosMore on documents and photosAllowedPersonal papers and photos are fine.
OtherConditionsPlants, seeds, and bulbs need phytosanitary certificates from outside the EU, and your own house plants can't come with a move. Protected species need CITES papers. Antiques leaving the EU may need an export license.

Quantity limits12389

Quantity limits for Netherlands
ItemLimit
Gifts from private peopleUp to €45 (about $53) per box, free of duty and btw, if it's a one-off gift, free of charge, for the personal use of the receiver or their household, and not for resale. New or used makes no difference.
Flat-rate dutyNon-commercial boxes from one private person to another, with dutiable goods worth up to €700 (about $820): 2.5% duty instead of the tariff rate, plus btw. Not for tobacco or trade goods, and the receiver can ask for normal tariff rates instead.
AlcoholNo excise-free amount for parcels. Excise is due on any alcohol the sender hasn't paid Dutch excise on, even from another EU country, and you pay it with a day return in Mijn Douane.
TobaccoNone for parcels: cigarettes and tobacco must carry a valid Dutch excise stamp, even as a gift.
Animal productsFrom most countries outside the EU: no meat or dairy, fish products up to 20 kg, and other animal products such as honey up to 2 kg. Baby formula and special medical food up to 2 kg.
MedicinesNone for shipments from outside the EU and EEA. Travelers only: medicines for their own use in their luggage, with a Schengen certificate or English-language medical statement for Opium Act medicines.
Cash (travelers)Declare cash or gold worth €10,000 (about $11,700) or more when entering or leaving the EU. Couriers won't carry cash.

What you can't send to the Netherlands1268910

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
  • Counterfeit goods, such as a fake designer watch, whether you bought it or received it as a gift
  • Cigarettes and other tobacco without a valid Dutch excise stamp, even when a friend sends them as a gift
  • Meat, milk, and dairy products from outside the EU, except from Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino, Northern Ireland, and Switzerland
  • Medicines sent by post or courier to private people from outside the EU and EEA
  • House and garden plants from outside the EU, including your own plants when you move

Allowed with conditions

Alcohol
Dutch excise is always due on alcohol that arrives by parcel, wherever it comes from, unless the sender already paid it. You declare and pay it yourself with a day return in Mijn Douane after the box arrives. From outside the EU, btw and duty are added, and alcohol never qualifies for moving relief.
Fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers, plants, seeds, nuts, and bulbs
From outside the EU, including Great Britain and the Canary Islands, they need a phytosanitary certificate from the sending country's plant health authority. Bananas, coconuts, dates, pineapples, durians, processed fruit (cooked, frozen, or pureed, for example), and seeds and nuts packed for eating are exempt, as is everything from Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Northern Ireland. Some plants are banned outright.
Fish, honey, and other animal products
From most countries outside the EU, the personal limits are 20 kg of fish products and 2 kg of other animal products such as honey. Baby formula, baby food, and special medical food are allowed up to 2 kg if they're branded, sealed, and don't need refrigeration. Products in which milk is no longer recognizable, such as chocolate, cookies, and candy, are fine.
Protected plants and animals
Items such as caviar, queen conch shells, cacti, and orchids, and products made from protected species, need a CITES permit and sometimes an EU certificate.
Medicines under the Opium Act
Strong painkillers, some sleeping pills, ADHD medication, and similar medicines may only travel with the patient, in their own name, with a Schengen certificate or an English-language medical statement. Don't ship them.
Art and antiques
Cultural goods can't always be sent to the Netherlands freely. If in doubt, ask the Dutch embassy or the customs office in the country where you bought the item whether you need a permit.
Household goods claimed under moving relief
They must be on your signed inventory and stay with you for 12 months after import. Lending, pledging, renting out, or transferring them sooner ends the relief, and the duties become due. Tell Douane in writing first if you plan to. People in your household may use them.

Sending from the Netherlands

Shipping boxes out of the Netherlands1112

Sending boxes from the Netherlands to another EU country involves no customs at all. To countries outside the EU, including the UK and the Caribbean Netherlands, the courier handles the export formalities from your contents list. If you're moving out of the EU, Douane requires an export declaration for your household goods, with an inventory list.

Documents

  • Contents list with a plain description and a fair value for each item, for the export and for the destination's customs
  • Inventory list of your household goods if you're moving to a country outside the EU
  • Sender's ID and contact details, if the courier asks for them
  • EU export license for cultural goods that need one, applied for through Douane's Central Import and Export Office (CDIU), with provenance documents such as purchase receipts, catalogs, and earlier export certificates

Can't leave the country

  • Cultural goods, from paintings and books to photographs, often need an export license to leave the EU. In many categories this applies to items over 50 or 100 years old worth at least €15,000 (about $17,500). Archaeological objects and archives need one whatever their value.
  • Objects on the Dutch register of protected cultural goods may need special permission to leave the country, even for another EU country.
  • A standard export license can be used once, within a year of issue. Temporary licenses cover items that will come back, such as loans for exhibitions.
  • Couriers won't carry cash. Travelers carrying €10,000 (about $11,700) or more in cash or gold must declare it when leaving the EU.

Before pickup

  • Moving out of the EU? Make the inventory list as you pack. Douane needs it with the export declaration.
  • Antiques or art? Check the license rules before you book. The heritage inspectorate reviews each application, so allow time.
  • Check the destination's customs and moving-relief rules before you pack. Many countries need their own forms.
  • Sending to Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, or Saba? They're outside the EU, so the receiver may owe ABB there.

Addresses, delivery and timing

Writing the address

Write the street name before the house number, with any letter or addition right after the number. Put the postal code (4 digits, a space, and 2 capital letters) before the city. Add the receiver's phone number.

Sanne ExampleTulpstraat 18A3512 AB UtrechtNetherlands

Example only; not a real address.

Delivery coverage

Fastest to: Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, Eindhoven, Groningen, Tilburg, Almere, Breda, Nijmegen.

Remote areas: The Wadden Islands, such as Texel, Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland, and Schiermonnikoog, are reached by ferry and can add a day or more. Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba (the Caribbean Netherlands) are outside the EU with their own customs and tax rules, so boxes there go through customs even from the European Netherlands.

Delivery is fast nationwide once a box has cleared. If no one is home, the courier may leave it with a neighbor or at a pickup point. Give the receiver's phone number and email so the courier can arrange any payment.

When things slow down

Expect slower handling around the official holidays: New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Monday, King's Day (April 27), Liberation Day (May 5), Ascension Day, Whit Sunday and Monday, and December 25 and 26. Whether a business closes depends on its employment agreements. Late November through December, including the Sinterklaas season, is peak time for couriers.

Advice for your situation

Students

Coming from outside the EU to study? If you have a place to live here and are enrolled in a full program at a Dutch school or university (full-time or part-time; short courses don't count), your clothing, linen, study supplies, and used furniture for a normal student room can enter free of duty and btw. Send proof of enrollment with your other documents. Cars and motorbikes never qualify under this relief.

Returning home

Dutch citizens coming home after at least 12 consecutive months outside the EU use the same moving relief as anyone else. What counts is where you lived, not your nationality. Register with your municipality, sign an inventory, and ship within 12 months of your return.

Expats and relocations

Leaving the Netherlands? Boxes to other EU countries need no customs. Moving outside the EU, you'll need an export declaration with an inventory list of your household goods. Check your new country's moving-relief rules too, since many have their own forms.

Tips for a smooth delivery

  • Sending from another EU country? There's no customs and no duty or btw on arrival. The one catch is alcohol: Dutch excise is still due unless the sender paid it.
  • Moving from outside the EU? Register with your municipality, sign an inventory, and give both to the moving or transport company that files your relief declaration. Ship within 12 months of your move.
  • Leave medicines, meat, dairy, and plants out of boxes from outside the EU. The rules apply to moving boxes too.
  • Sending a gift? Keep it to €45 or less per box, sent free of charge, and describe it clearly as a gift.
  • Douane never sends payment requests. Pay import charges only through the courier's own website or app.
  • Keep the courier's bill. If a gift or moving relief was missed, ask the courier to object within 6 weeks, or to request a refund within 3 years.

Shipping to and from the Netherlands: questions

Is there a duty-free limit for packages to the Netherlands in 2026?

Not for boxes from outside the EU. Btw applies from the first euro, and the €150 customs duty exemption ended on July 1, 2026. The main exception is a gift from one private person to another worth up to €45 per box, which pays nothing. Boxes from other EU countries owe nothing on arrival, except excise on alcohol.

How much will the receiver pay on used belongings from outside the EU?

Usually duty at the EU tariff rate (for example up to 12% for clothing and 0% for books and laptops) plus 21% btw (9% for books), on the value plus shipping and insurance, plus the courier's handling fee. Non-commercial boxes between private people worth up to €700 can be charged a flat 2.5% duty instead. Online purchases up to €150 pay a flat €3 per product category.

Can I bring my household goods to the Netherlands tax-free when I move?

Yes, if you lived outside the EU for at least 12 consecutive months, owned and used the goods for at least 6 months, and import them within 12 months of moving. A moving or transport company files the declaration with your signed inventory and proof of residence; you can't file it yourself. Dutch citizens coming home qualify on the same terms.

Can I send medicine to the Netherlands?

Not from outside the EU and EEA. Importing medicines without a manufacturer's license is banned, and the personal-use exception covers only travelers carrying their own medicines. If you need a medicine that isn't available in the Netherlands, a Dutch pharmacy can ask the health inspectorate (IGJ) for an exemption based on your doctor's statement.

Who collects the charges, and will Douane contact me?

The courier or postal company files the declaration for you and collects btw, any duty, and its handling fee before or at delivery. Douane doesn't hold parcels or send payment requests. If the receiver doesn't respond or pay in time, the box goes back to the sender.

Do Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba follow the same rules?

No. The Caribbean Netherlands have their own customs and tax rules, with a general spending tax (ABB) instead of btw. A box sent there, even from the European Netherlands, is an import. Occasional gifts between private people worth up to USD 70 including shipping are free of ABB.

How do I ship boxes from the Netherlands to another country?

Within the EU, just pack and send: there's no customs. Outside the EU, the courier handles the export formalities from your contents list, and the destination's rules decide what the receiver pays. If you're moving out of the EU, Douane requires an export declaration for your household goods, with an inventory list.

What can't I send out of the Netherlands?

Art, antiques, and other cultural goods above set age and value limits need an export license to leave the EU, and nationally protected objects may need permission even within the EU. Couriers also refuse aerosols, flammables, loose batteries, weapons, and cash.

Official help in the Netherlands

  • Douane Contact Center (DCC) (opens in a new tab)

    Call 0800-0143 from within the Netherlands or +31 55 538 53 89 from abroad. Phone lines are open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., and 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays (Dutch time). Email is for businesses only. For a box in clearance, contact the courier: Douane doesn't hold parcels.

Official sources

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

  1. 1.

    Douane Nederland

    Cadeau uit het buitenland (opens in a new tab)

    Customs · checked September 26, 2026

  2. 2.

    Douane Nederland

    Extra kosten bij online bestellingen (opens in a new tab)

    Customs · checked September 26, 2026

  3. 3.

    Douane Nederland (Kennisbank)

    2 Forfaitaire tarieven en wettelijke tarieven | Handboek Douane (HDU) (opens in a new tab)

    Customs · checked September 26, 2026

  4. 4.

    Official Journal of the European Union (EUR-Lex)

    Council Regulation (EU) 2026/382 of 11 February 2026 amending Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009 as regards the elimination of the threshold-based customs duty relief (opens in a new tab)

    Legislation · checked September 26, 2026

  5. 5.

    Douane Nederland

    Spullen verhuizen van buiten de EU (opens in a new tab)

    Customs · checked September 26, 2026

  6. 6.

    Douane Nederland

    Verhuisgoederen en vrijstellingen (opens in a new tab)

    Customs · checked September 26, 2026

  7. 7.

    Douane Nederland

    Waar is mijn pakket? (opens in a new tab)

    Customs · checked September 26, 2026

  8. 8.

    Douane Nederland (Kennisbank)

    5 Fabrikantenvergunning geneesmiddelen | Handboek Veiligheid, Gezondheid, Economie en Milieu (VGEM) (opens in a new tab)

    Customs · checked September 26, 2026

  9. 9.

    Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit (NVWA)

    Ik wil vlees, zuivel of andere dierlijke producten meenemen naar Nederland (opens in a new tab)

    Biosecurity · checked September 26, 2026

  10. 10.

    Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit (NVWA)

    Ik wil planten of plantaardige producten meenemen naar Nederland (opens in a new tab)

    Biosecurity · checked September 26, 2026

  11. 11.

    Inspectie Overheidsinformatie en Erfgoed

    Uitvoer van cultuurgoederen (opens in a new tab)

    Government · checked September 26, 2026

  12. 12.

    Douane Nederland

    Spullen verhuizen naar het buitenland (opens in a new tab)

    Customs · checked September 26, 2026

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