Related Articles
The Post Office has issued a reminder to customers over a major change for anyone sending parcels to friends and family in the EU.
It has warned that parcels will be refused if they do not have the correct customs declaration documentation attached to them.
This applies to anyone sending any kind of parcel to the EU. That means not just businesses but also people sending personal gifts to friends and relatives in continental Europe.
READ MORE: HMRC issues Christmas pay warning to 24,000 Child Benefit and Tax Credit claimants
The change is because of Brexit and kicked in from January 2021.
And now, with the festive season meaning many households are sending gifts overseas, there is a timely reminder to make sure regulations are followed so that parcels can be shipped and get there in good time.
The new rules do not apply to letters, postcards and documents.
The Post Office said: “Customs forms are now mandatory for all gifts and goods sent to a country outside the UK, except when sending items from Northern Ireland to the EU.
“When you send items internationally, you must make sure those items abide by the shipping rules of the destination country. Customs forms allow local customs authorities to make sure the goods are allowed and to calculate if there are any duties or taxes to be paid.
“Customs forms need to be attached to the outside of your item with all relevant fields completed. You are responsible for ensuring a fully complete Customs Form is attached to your item. Any items with incomplete or absent customs forms are likely be returned to the sender so it’s important you get it right.”
READ MORE: Royal Mail delivery fee text scam hits Midlands – here’s what to look out for
It is mandatory to complete a customs form if:
- you are sending goods or gifts from England, Wales or Scotland to anywhere outside of the UK
- you are sending goods or gifts from Northern Ireland to any non-EU destinations (except UK)
You don’t need to complete a customs form if:
- you are sending goods within the UK
- you are sending from Northern Ireland to EU destinations
- you are sending letter or large letters only containing correspondence, commercial invoices or shipping documents
When the change came in this year, it was described as a major new burden for the Post Office and its customers. Around 45 per cent of total international parcel traffic received by the 11,500 Post Offices in Great Britain goes to EU destinations.
People posting a parcel from Northern Ireland to somewhere in the EU do not need to attach a customs declaration form. But one will still be necessary for parcels going to non-EU destinations.
READ MORE: All the Royal Mail and Parcelforce Christmas 2021 last posting dates
Post Offices are now also responsible for handing out £5.50 International Driving Permits, which are needed to get behind the wheel in the EU.
And there have also been new warnings from delivery companies including Royal Mail and Parcelforce over the potential impact of Covid.
Royal Mail said: “Allow plenty of time for posting. Please post items and gifts for Christmas early, particularly for International deliveries.
“Ongoing Covid restrictions, reduced air and freight capacity, high volumes and winter weather conditions are all impacting transportation and local delivery across the globe.”
Parcelforce has also advised people to send packages early due to delays and disruption.
It explained: “We are expecting unprecedented volumes over the Christmas period, please try to send your parcels as early as possible to ensure they arrive in time for Christmas.
“We are still experiencing delays due to increased pressure on airline capacity and additional local measures to help prevent Covid-19 spreading – all of which impact on delivery times and result in additional delays to many overseas destinations. We are also experiencing disruption to parts of Europe due to customs delays.
“Therefore, we strongly advise that you should allow an additional two to three days onto our last posting dates to Europe and allow an additional week for rest of the world destinations.”
Get the very latest news – including what’s going on in your part of the West Midlands – with our Email Updates. You can sign up here to get them delivered straight to your inbox
