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Shipping boxes to and from Portugal

Portugal follows EU customs rules, so boxes from other EU countries clear no customs at all. From outside the EU, including the UK, IVA (VAT) is due from the first euro unless a relief fits, such as the €45 gift rule or relief for people moving to Portugal. Since July 2026, customs duty can apply too. Give the receiver's NIF when you book, and leave medicines, meat, and dairy out of the box.

Typical transit: 2-4 business days from Europe; 3-5 from North America; 4-7 from Asia
Currency: EUR
Duty-free up to: Boxes from other EU countries clear no customs and owe nothing on arrival
Receiver ID: NIF (Número de Identificação Fiscal)

Price a shipment to Portugal

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 Portugal

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

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Sending to Portugal

Duties and taxes1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Duty-free threshold: Boxes from other EU countries clear no customs and owe nothing on arrival. From outside the EU (including the UK), IVA is due from the first euro unless a relief applies. Occasional, unpaid gifts from one private person to another worth up to €45 (about $51) are free of duty and IVA. Since July 1, 2026, the EU's €150 (about $171) duty relief no longer exists. Low-value online purchases now pay a flat €3 duty per item, and other boxes that no relief covers can owe duty: a flat 2.5% for non-commercial boxes between private persons worth up to €700 (about $800), or each item's normal tariff rate.
Import tax: IVA (Imposto sobre o Valor Acrescentado) at 23% on the mainland, with reduced rates of 13% and 6% for goods on the IVA Code's lists. Imports cleared in the Azores pay 16%, 9%, or 4%, and in Madeira 22%, 12%, or 4%. Small non-commercial boxes sent to private individuals that pay the flat-rate duty are taxed at the standard rate, whatever the goods. IVA is charged on the customs value plus any duty and the transport and insurance costs to the first destination in Portugal. Duty, when due, is the 2.5% flat rate for eligible private boxes, or each item's tariff rate.
How value is worked out: CIF. IVA is charged on the customs value plus any duty and the transport, insurance, packing, and commission costs up to the first destination in Portugal, so the full shipping cost normally counts. The €45 gift limit, the €150 limit for online purchases, and the €700 flat-rate limit apply per box, to the value of the goods. Declare a fair second-hand value for used goods. Values in other currencies are converted to euros under the EU exchange-rate rules used for customs value. For moving relief, list every item in the inventory for the baggage certificate.
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?: People moving their normal residence to Portugal from outside the EU can bring their personal and household belongings free of duty and IVA, whatever their nationality. You must have lived outside the EU for at least 12 consecutive months, owned and used the goods there for at least 6 months, and use them the same way in Portugal. Goods bought free of customs duty or tax don't qualify. Declare them within 12 months of settling, in one shipment or several; you can also clear them before you settle if you commit to settling within 6 months and give a guarantee. Portuguese consulates issue a baggage certificate (certificado de bagagem) for this. Alcohol, tobacco, commercial vehicles, and work equipment other than portable tools are excluded, and the goods can't be lent, pledged, rented, or sold for 12 months without telling customs first. Similar duty relief covers students' belongings and inherited belongings declared within 2 years of receiving them.

Worked example

Illustrative: a friend in the United States sends a box of used clothes to Lisbon as a gift, worth €300 (about $342), with €60 (about $68) shipping. Assumes the clothes don't carry a 0% tariff rate, the receiver doesn't ask for item-by-item duty rates, and the full shipping cost counts in the customs value.

The gift is worth more than €45, so the gift relief doesn't apply. It is a non-commercial box between private persons worth under €700, so the 2.5% flat rate applies. Duty: 2.5% x (€300 + €60) = €9.00. IVA at the standard rate: 23% x (€360 + €9.00) = €84.87. Total €93.87.

About €94 (about $107), plus any courier fee for handling the payment. In the Azores the IVA would be 16% (total €68.04), and in Madeira 22% (total €90.18). The same gift worth €45 or less would owe nothing, and from another EU country nothing is due.

How customs clearance works in Portugal2 9 10 11

The courier presents arriving boxes to customs and files the import declaration for the receiver, then pays any duty and IVA and bills them with its fee. Gifts between private individuals can go on AT's reduced-data declaration for low-value boxes. Goods under prohibitions or restrictions, excise goods such as alcohol and tobacco, and precious-metal articles can't, and need a standard import declaration.

Formal entry: AT's reduced-data declaration covers only boxes that qualify for a duty relief and hold no restricted goods. Everything else needs a standard import declaration, which the courier usually files. Moving relief is claimed on the import declaration with the baggage certificate.
How long it takes: Often 1-3 business days once the receiver's ID and values are in order. Longer if customs checks the box, or if it holds food or medicines.
Inspections: Customs can check any box. Products of animal origin that aren't allowed are seized and destroyed, and a fine or legal proceedings can follow. Medicines from abroad are held, then destroyed or returned.
If duties go unpaid: The courier sets its own deadline for paying duties and clearing the box. After it, boxes are usually returned to the sender or left to customs, and storage charges can build up. Medicines are destroyed or returned to the sender, and food that breaks the rules is seized and destroyed.

Moving to Portugal: claiming duty relief7 9

01
Check you qualify
You need at least 12 consecutive months living outside the EU, and goods you owned and used there for at least 6 months that you'll use the same way in Portugal. Goods bought free of customs duty or tax don't qualify.
02
Get the baggage certificate
Ask the Portuguese consulate for the country you're leaving, in person or through the Consulado Virtual. Bring proof of when your residence there began and ended, proof you used the goods for at least 6 months, and a list of the goods. Any nationality can apply.
03
Get a NIF
Customs declarations must identify the receiver. If you don't have a Portuguese tax number yet, consulates can assign one.
04
Build the inventory
List every item with a fair value. Leave out alcohol, tobacco, commercial vehicles, and work equipment other than portable tools.
05
Ship within the window
Declare the goods within 12 months of settling, in one shipment or several. Clearing them before you settle needs a commitment to settle within 6 months and a guarantee.
06
Hand the papers to the courier
Send the certificate and inventory with the booking so the relief is claimed on the import declaration.
07
Keep the goods for 12 months
Don't lend, pledge, rent, sell, or give away relieved goods for 12 months without telling customs first, or duty becomes due.

Documents to have ready2 9

Itemized packing list with a fair second-hand value for each item, marked as used personal effects or as a gift
Receiver's NIF (Portuguese tax number), or another ID number if they don't have one yet
For moving relief: the certificado de bagagem from the Portuguese consulate for the country you're leaving
For the certificate: proof of when your residence abroad began and ended, proof you used the goods there for at least 6 months, and a list of the goods
Receiver's phone number and email, so the courier can arrange clearance and any payment

NIF (Número de Identificação Fiscal): Customs declarations must identify the receiver. AT's simplified declaration for gifts makes the receiver's ID number mandatory and accepts an EU customs (EORI) number, a non-EU ID number recognized by the EU, or another personal ID number. Give the NIF if the receiver has one; Portuguese consulates can assign one to people still abroad. If the receiver has none, ask the courier before shipping whether a passport number will do. We ask for it during booking.

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

Official forms2 9 12

Certificado de Bagagem (consular baggage certificate) (opens in a new tab)
Issued by Portuguese consulates, in person or through the Consulado Virtual, so people moving to Portugal from outside the EU can claim duty and IVA relief on their belongings.
Declaração aduaneira para remessas de baixo valor (H7) (opens in a new tab)
AT's reduced-data customs declaration for low-value boxes that qualify for a duty relief, such as gifts between private individuals. Restricted goods, excise goods, and precious-metal articles need a standard declaration instead.
Comunicação prévia e licença de exportação de bens culturais (opens in a new tab)
Notice to the heritage authority, on its own form with proof of ownership, at least 30 days before cultural goods 50 years or older leave Portugal. For goods leaving the EU, the authority issues the export license on the EU form.

What you can pack, category by category2 7 10 11 12

What you can pack, by category
Category	Status	What to know
Clothing and shoesMore on clothes	Allowed	Used clothing is fine. Moving relief covers it if you qualify. Otherwise IVA, and possibly duty, applies unless it's a gift worth €45 or less.
Books and papersMore on books	Allowed	Books are welcome. Books 50 years or older can count as cultural goods and may need heritage notice before they leave Portugal.
ElectronicsMore on electronics	Conditions	Personal devices are fine with batteries installed. Outside moving relief or the €45 gift limit, IVA and possibly duty apply.
MedicationMore on medicine	Not allowed	INFARMED warns that medicines sent from abroad are held by customs and destroyed or returned to the sender. In Portugal, medicines may be bought only from pharmacies and licensed shops.
FoodMore on food	Conditions	No meat, milk, or products made from them from outside the EU. Send only sealed, labeled, shelf-stable food and declare it.
Cosmetics and toiletriesMore on cosmetics	Conditions	Personal toiletries in normal amounts. A gift can include up to 50 g of perfume or 0.25 liters of toilet water within the €45 limit. Couriers refuse aerosols and nail polish.
Alcohol and tobaccoMore on alcohol or tobacco	Not allowed	Most express carriers refuse alcohol and tobacco in personal boxes. A gift is relieved only within small limits, and moving relief never covers them.
Sports and outdoor gearMore on sports and outdoor gear	Conditions	Clean off soil and plant matter. No fuel canisters or gas cartridges.
Children's items and toysMore on toys and baby gear	Allowed	Used toys are fine. Remove loose batteries.
Documents and photosMore on documents and photos	Allowed	Personal papers and photos are fine. Historic archives and photographs 50 years or older can count as cultural goods when they leave Portugal.
Other	Conditions	Plants face plant-health rules, precious-metal jewelry needs a standard import declaration, and antiques, art, and collections need heritage notice to leave Portugal.

Quantity limits1 2 3 6 7 8 10 11

Quantity limits for Portugal
Item	Limit
Gifts between private individuals	Up to €45 (about $51) per box: no duty and no IVA, if occasional, unpaid, and for personal use. Within that: 50 cigarettes, 25 cigarillos, 10 cigars, or 50 g of tobacco; 1 liter of spirits or of drinks up to 22%; 2 liters of still wine; 50 g of perfume or 0.25 liters of toilet water.
Private boxes up to €700	Non-commercial boxes from one private person to another worth up to €700 (about $800) pay a flat 2.5% duty, unless the receiver asks for item-by-item rates. Goods with a 0% tariff rate stay duty-free. IVA is charged at the standard rate.
Online purchases up to €150	A flat €3 (about $3.40) duty per item, plus IVA, until July 1, 2028.
Meat and milk products	None from outside the EU, in any amount.
Medicines	None by shipment from outside the EU. INFARMED says customs holds them and destroys or returns them.

What you can't send to Portugal1 2 3 6 7 8 10 11 12

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
Medicines sent from outside the EU, which customs holds and destroys or returns to the sender

Allowed with conditions

Online purchases up to €150: A flat €3 (about $3.40) duty per item, plus IVA, from July 1, 2026 until July 1, 2028. Purchases worth more than €150 pay each item's tariff rate.
Private boxes worth more than €45: Non-commercial boxes from one private person to another worth up to €700 pay a flat 2.5% duty unless the receiver asks for item-by-item rates, and goods with a 0% tariff rate stay duty-free. IVA is charged at the standard rate. Above €700, or for commercial goods, each item's tariff rate applies.
Food: No meat, milk, or products made from them from outside the EU: customs seizes and destroys them, and a fine or legal proceedings can follow. Send only sealed, labeled, shelf-stable food and declare it.
Plants, seeds, and soil: EU plant-health rules apply to plants and plant products from outside the EU. Ask DGAV before sending any, and don't send soil.
Alcohol and tobacco: Excise goods, so they can't go on AT's simplified low-value declaration. A gift is relieved only within the €45 limit and up to 50 cigarettes (or 10 cigars or 50 g of tobacco), 1 liter of spirits, and 2 liters of still wine. Moving relief never covers them.
Precious-metal articles, such as gold or silver jewelry: Goods under Portugal's rules for precious-metal articles (ourivesaria e contrastarias) can't go on AT's simplified low-value declaration, so expect a standard import declaration.
Belongings imported with moving relief: Can't be lent, pledged, rented, sold, or given away for 12 months without telling customs first, or duty becomes due at that point.
Cultural goods leaving Portugal: Art, antiques, and other cultural goods 50 years or older need notice to the heritage authority at least 30 days before they leave, even for other EU countries, and an export license to leave the EU.

Sending from Portugal

Shipping boxes out of Portugal12

Boxes going from Portugal to other EU countries travel with no customs paperwork. To anywhere outside the EU, including the UK, the goods leave the EU customs territory, and the courier handles the export formalities from your packing list. Cultural goods 50 years or older are the big exception: they need notice to Portugal's heritage authority first.

Documents

Itemized packing list with a fair value for each item, marked as used personal effects or as a gift
Sender's Cartão de Cidadão, residence card, or passport
The receiver's tax or ID number if the destination country requires one
For cultural goods 50 years or older: the heritage authority's notice form, with proof that you own the items, filed at least 30 days before shipping
For cultural goods leaving the EU: the export license issued by the heritage authority

Can't leave the country

Cultural goods 50 years or older, such as art, antiques, and archaeological, ethnographic, archival, photographic, or bibliographic items, need notice to the heritage authority at least 30 days before they leave Portugal, even for other EU countries
Collections of zoology, botany, minerals, or anatomy, and collections of historical, fossil, ethnographic, or coin interest, need that notice whatever their age
The heritage authority has 15 days to review a notice and can block the export while it considers protecting the item. For destinations outside the EU it also issues the export license, and a fee applies
Classified or inventoried cultural goods need an authorization, and goods classified as of national interest that aren't state property can't leave Portugal permanently
Couriers will not carry cash, negotiable items, weapons, or dangerous goods

Before pickup

Moving abroad? Check the destination's relocation relief before you pack.
Sending art, antiques, old books, or a coin collection? File the heritage notice at least 30 days before pickup. Works that still belong to the artist need no notice.
Sending from Madeira or the Azores? Allow extra days for the island leg.
Describe contents clearly. Vague lists slow checks at the destination.

Addresses, delivery and timing

Writing the address

Write the name, then the street and number, then the floor and side (for example 2.º Esq. or 3.º Dto.). Then write the postal code (four digits, a dash, three digits) and the town. Add a mobile number, and give the receiver's NIF when you book.

Maria ExemploRua do Exemplo 45, 2.º Esq.1000-999 LisboaPortugal

Example only; not a real address.

Delivery coverage

Fastest to: Lisbon, Porto, Braga, Coimbra, Faro, Aveiro, Setúbal, Funchal, Ponta Delgada.

Remote areas: Madeira and the Azores take a few extra days, and the smaller Azores islands can take longer. Rural parts of the interior, such as Trás-os-Montes and the Alentejo, can add a day.

Lisbon and Porto are usually delivered the day after clearance. Give the receiver's phone number and email so the courier can reach them about the NIF and any duties.

When things slow down

Service slows around Easter, April 25, May 1, June 10, the June city festivals (Lisbon on June 13, Porto on June 24), much of August, and from Christmas to New Year. Other national holidays, such as October 5, November 1, and December 1 and 8, can add a day.

Advice for your situation

Students

Full-time students coming to study in Portugal can bring their clothes, study materials, and the used furniture of a normal student room free of customs duty, at least once per school year. Ask AT whether IVA relief also applies before you ship, and keep proof of enrollment with the packing list.

Returning home

Portuguese citizens coming home after more than a year working and living outside the EU can bring their household goods free of duty and IVA. Ask your consulate for the certificado de bagagem, in person or through the Consulado Virtual, and ship within 12 months of settling.

Expats and relocations

The baggage certificate is open to any nationality, so foreigners moving to Portugal from outside the EU can use moving relief on the same terms. Leaving Portugal for another EU country? There is no customs at all. Going further, check the destination's relocation relief before you pack.

Tips for a smooth delivery

Get the receiver's NIF before you book. Portuguese consulates can assign one if you're still abroad.
Moving to Portugal? Get the certificado de bagagem from your consulate first, then ship within 12 months of settling, in as many lots as you need.
Keep gifts occasional, unpaid, and honestly valued. At €45 or less a gift owes nothing, and up to €700 a private box pays a flat 2.5% duty plus IVA.
Leave out medicines, meat, and dairy. Customs holds or destroys them.
Check whether the address is in Madeira or the Azores. IVA is lower there, but boxes take longer.
Sending antiques, art, or old books out of Portugal? File the heritage notice at least 30 days before pickup.

Shipping to and from Portugal: questions

Do I pay customs on a box sent to Portugal from the US or the UK?

Usually IVA at 23% on the mainland, charged on the goods plus shipping, unless a relief fits, such as a gift up to €45 or moving relief. Since July 2026, duty can apply too: a flat 2.5% on non-commercial boxes between private persons up to €700, or each item's normal rate. From another EU country, nothing is due.

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

No. The EU's €150 customs-duty relief ended on June 30, 2026. Low-value online purchases now pay a flat €3 duty per item until July 2028, and other boxes that no relief covers can owe duty. IVA applies from the first euro, except for gifts up to €45.

Can I bring my belongings to Portugal tax-free when I move?

Yes, if you lived outside the EU for at least 12 consecutive months, owned and used the goods there for 6 months, and declare them within 12 months of settling. Get the certificado de bagagem from the Portuguese consulate for the country you're leaving. It's open to any nationality.

Do I need a NIF to receive a package in Portugal?

Customs declarations must identify the receiver, so give the NIF if you have one. Portuguese consulates can assign a NIF before you move. Without one, ask the courier before shipping whether another ID number, such as a passport number, will do.

Is shipping to Madeira or the Azores different?

Boxes from mainland Portugal or other EU countries clear no customs there either. From outside the EU, imports cleared in the islands pay lower IVA: 16% standard in the Azores and 22% in Madeira. Allow extra days for delivery.

Can I send food or medicine to Portugal?

Not meat, milk, or products made from them from outside the EU: customs seizes and destroys them. Leave medicines out too. INFARMED, the medicines regulator, warns that medicines sent from abroad are held by customs and destroyed or returned to the sender.

How do I ship boxes from Portugal to another country?

Within the EU, there is no customs. For other countries, list every item with a fair value and the courier handles the export formalities. The receiver pays any import charges at the destination.

Can I ship antiques or art out of Portugal?

Cultural goods 50 years or older need notice to the heritage authority at least 30 days before they leave, even for other EU countries. It has 15 days to review them, and leaving the EU you also need its export license. Works still owned by the artist are exempt.

Official help in Portugal

Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (AT) (opens in a new tab)
Customs and IVA questions. Phone center (Centro de Atendimento Telefónico): +351 217 206 707. General line: +351 218 812 600.
Portal das Comunidades Portuguesas: Certificado de Bagagem (opens in a new tab)
Consular baggage certificate for moving relief, and NIF assignment for people abroad. Requests can go through the Consulado Virtual.
INFARMED: medicines bought abroad (opens in a new tab)
Portugal's medicines regulator. General email: infarmed@infarmed.pt.
DGAV: personal consignments of animal products (opens in a new tab)
Rules for food and other products of animal origin sent or carried into the EU.

Official sources

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

1.
Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (AT)
Mercadorias eCommerce (opens in a new tab)
Customs · checked September 26, 2026
2.
Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (AT), Direção de Serviços de Regulação Aduaneira
STADA-Importação - CAU - Remessas de Baixo Valor (eCommerce): Manual de preenchimento da declaração aduaneira para remessas de baixo valor (opens in a new tab)
Customs · checked September 26, 2026
3.
Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (AT)
Código do IVA, Artigo 18.º: Taxas do imposto (opens in a new tab)
Tax authority · checked September 26, 2026
4.
Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (AT)
Código do IVA, Artigo 17.º: Valor tributável nas importações (opens in a new tab)
Tax authority · checked September 26, 2026
5.
Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (AT), Direção de Serviços do IVA
Ofício Circulado n.º 25045/2024: IVA - Taxas aplicáveis às Regiões Autónomas (opens in a new tab)
Tax authority · checked September 26, 2026
6.
Jornal Oficial da União Europeia (EUR-Lex)
Regulamento (UE) 2026/382 do Conselho, de 11 de fevereiro de 2026, que altera o Regulamento (CE) n.º 1186/2009 no que diz respeito à eliminação da franquia aduaneira com base em limiares (opens in a new tab)
Legislation · checked September 26, 2026
7.
Jornal Oficial da União Europeia (EUR-Lex)
Regulamento (CE) n.º 1186/2009 do Conselho, de 16 de novembro de 2009, relativo ao estabelecimento do regime comunitário das franquias aduaneiras (versão codificada) (opens in a new tab)
Legislation · checked September 26, 2026
8.
Jornal Oficial da União Europeia (EUR-Lex)
Regulamento de Execução (UE) 2025/1926 da Comissão, de 22 de setembro de 2025, que altera o anexo I do Regulamento (CEE) n.º 2658/87 do Conselho relativo à nomenclatura pautal e estatística e à pauta aduaneira comum (opens in a new tab)
Legislation · checked September 26, 2026
9.
Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros, Portal das Comunidades Portuguesas
Certificado de Bagagem (opens in a new tab)
Government · checked September 26, 2026
10.
Direção-Geral de Alimentação e Veterinária (DGAV)
Envio ou transporte para a União Europeia (opens in a new tab)
Biosecurity · checked September 26, 2026
11.
INFARMED, I.P. (Autoridade Nacional do Medicamento e Produtos de Saúde)
Aquisição de medicamentos no estrangeiro (infografia) (opens in a new tab)
Health regulator · checked September 26, 2026
12.
Diário da República Eletrónico
Decreto-Lei n.º 148/2015, de 4 de agosto (Diário da República, 1.ª série, n.º 150) (opens in a new tab)
Legislation · checked September 26, 2026

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