# Receiving Parcels from UK to Spain



## Jmamp (Oct 13, 2021)

Hi, can anyone help please? We have an apartment in Spain Which we quite often send items to via post or direct from Amazon r other companies, so I don't have to pack them when visit. Since the EU a few of my parcels have been held for customs charges which has caused issues as the site management of the apartments usually hold these parcels for me but they obviously cannot be paying fees for each one. My question is, is this the norm now? Or is this just for companies sending items? If I parceled them up and posted myself would I have to pay a fee in Spain? Is there a way of pre-paying this in the UK?

Thanks in advance


----------



## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Jmamp said:


> Hi, can anyone help please? We have an apartment in Spain Which we quite often send items to via post or direct from Amazon r other companies, so I don't have to pack them when visit. Since the EU a few of my parcels have been held for customs charges which has caused issues as the site management of the apartments usually hold these parcels for me but they obviously cannot be paying fees for each one. My question is, is this the norm now? Or is this just for companies sending items? If I parceled them up and posted myself would I have to pay a fee in Spain? Is there a way of pre-paying this in the UK?
> 
> Thanks in advance


There are, potentially, customs fees to pay no matter who sends the items.

My wife had a small present (pencil) from a friend in Australia. Customs wanted 34€ to release it!


----------



## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Yes, it's a post-Brexit nightmare. They wanted me to pay €40 (including €20 "handling charge") for an item worth €27. Best to use Amazon.es now.


----------



## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

Alcalaina said:


> Yes, it's a post-Brexit nightmare. They wanted me to pay €40 (including €20 "handling charge") for an item worth €27. Best to use Amazon.es now.


To be honest its more of an EU nightmare. And something that the Uk helped with when part of it.
It was designed to get more IVA (VAT or whatever) in the country of receipt than just paying local tax in the US or Australia etc , which may have been lower and benefited the sellers location. 
Add in the lowering of the minimum amount before tax and import duties are enabled and that just means more money and more control over what is entering the EU. Now while I agree that locally produced items should benefit and be cheaper than imported, so much stuff these days is not made local, or could never be at the price point in, oh lets say China. 

My daughter wanted to send me some stuff from Australia and the post office there told her that there were now 'new charges' to send to the EU and we should expect import and customs charges before we received the goods, even though one was a birthday gift and as such worthless as it was personalised and could never be resold. 
Shipping from the Uk to here is around twice the price it was (but now its international postage), but how can it be cheaper for my son to send stuff to Australia than here in Spain???

I have some old car parts (small bits) that Ive owned for years and can prove with paperwork, instead of posting these, my son is bringing them with him when he comes over next week. If stopped he will show the original bills and we will see what happens.

Ive stopped buying from anywhere other than Amazon.es (or .de but there are shipping charges) or Ebay in the EU. BUT the choice is limited. 
In the Uk I would have had 30 plus choices for some of my art materials, here in Spain I have three and one of those ships from Bulgaria with high postage costs.


----------



## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Yep. I now buy only from the EU. If they don't sell it I don't buy it.

Previously I used to buy wool, roses and other plants etc from David Austin roses. I've now found an equivalent supplier of roses and plants in France and Germany who supply here.


----------



## Jmamp (Oct 13, 2021)

Thanks everyone you have confirmed what I thought. I will take a look at Amazon.es though so thanks very much


----------



## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Alcalaina said:


> Yes, it's a post-Brexit nightmare. They wanted me to pay €40 (including €20 "handling charge") for an item worth €27. Best to use Amazon.es now.


That doesn't help when the seller is in UK!

We bought stuff from amazon.es and then found it was coming from UK so customs duty had to be paid!


----------



## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

snikpoh said:


> That doesn't help when the seller is in UK!
> 
> We bought stuff from amazon.es and then found it was coming from UK so customs duty had to be paid!


Now thats strange. I had a parcel delivered today that originated in the UK, was some car bits and a set of earplugs. Was routed through Holland and no tax to pay. It said in large letters '*Goods not for resale within the EU'* It also only took three days to get here, I thought it had come from Germany until i checked the tracking..
Not the first time I've had stuff marked as such, some art bits arrived from the states via UPS and it had the same as above, also no duty and the customs label was for $120.00 so should have paid.


----------



## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Barriej said:


> Now thats strange. I had a parcel delivered today that originated in the UK, was some car bits and a set of earplugs. Was routed through Holland and no tax to pay. It said in large letters '*Goods not for resale within the EU'* It also only took three days to get here, I thought it had come from Germany until i checked the tracking..
> Not the first time I've had stuff marked as such, some art bits arrived from the states via UPS and it had the same as above, also no duty and the customs label was for $120.00 so should have paid.


I think it all depends on the person and on the day!


----------

