New €2 fee per item on packages shipped into EU coming in November 

Handling fee is on every distinct item shipped to Ireland and is no top of the customs duty introduced in July

A new handling fee for goods coming from outside the EU will see an extra €2 postage cost on every item coming from outside the economic bloc.

A new handling fee for goods coming from outside the EU will see an extra €2 postage cost on every item coming from outside the economic bloc.

Revenue said the new Union Handling Fee for goods bought from outside the EU and Britain will come into effect on November 1. The handling fee of €2 is on every distinct item shipped to consumers in Ireland. This fee is separate from, and in addition to, the €3 Customs Duty per item that has applied since July 1.

The new charges are part of an EU-wide action in response to the growth of goods entering Europe, particularly from Chinese retailers. The number of Low Value Consignments (valued at less than €150) imported into the EU has risen from 660m in 2022 to 5.7bn in 2025. Low Value Consignments now represent 97% of all physical consignments into the EU, but only 2% of overall value. In Ireland, they account for approximately 88% of total consignments.

There were over 60m import declarations to Ireland in 2025, of which 53m were Low Value Consignments, according to Revenue. The volume of eCommerce packages with a value greater than €150 is much lower and is less than 500,000 packages a year.

The new Union Handling Fee is intended to cover the increased costs being incurred by Europe's customs authorities as a result of the huge growth of eCommerce. The charge will apply to all eCommerce goods, regardless of the value, where a seller ships goods from outside the EU to a consumer in Ireland.

The fee will be paid by the eCommerce seller or by the business delivering the goods. However, they may pass on the charge to the end consumer. The fee is not refundable, so if a consumer decides to return an item, they will not be refunded the new fee, even where goods are later found to be faulty.

The fee is €2 per distinct item in a package, and not per package - so if a package contains three different items, it will incur the additional Union Handling Fee of €6. This will be on top of the customs charge paid since July. 

“This is the second change affecting eCommerce this year," said Revenue spokesperson Ray Ryan. "It is important that online shoppers are aware of these changes so that they understand the total cost of their online purchases before making a decision to buy. We want to help people avoid unexpected costs either at checkout or when the goods are delivered to their doorstep."