From November 1, buying goods from outside the EU will cost more
Starting November 1, a two-euro fee will apply to every item purchased from online stores outside the European Union, charged to shopping platforms rather than buyers directly.
From November 1, a new fee of two euros will apply to each item bought through online stores based outside the European Union. The charge will be collected by EU member states' authorities, but responsibility for payment will fall on the online shopping platforms themselves, not on the recipients of the parcels.
The new fee is linked to the rapidly growing volume of e-commerce shipments arriving from outside the EU. In 2025, EU customs authorities processed roughly six billion parcels from online retailers outside the bloc, with 90% of them originating from China. The fee is intended to cover the rising costs associated with handling this growing volume of shipments.
Legal basis
The introduction of the new charge stems from amendments to e-commerce and customs rules adopted by the European Parliament in September of this year. Setting the exact amount of the fee falls within the European Commission's authority.
Another fee already in place
It is worth noting that in July, a separate three-euro customs duty was already introduced, applying to goods residents purchase through online stores and trading platforms outside the EU. As a result, from the start of November, buyers using non-EU online platforms will face multiple additional charges.
