Import fees for non-EU packages rise to 3 euros in July, extra 2 euros in November

All packages arriving from outside the EU will be subject to a 3-euro import fee from July 1, as the current exemption for items under 150 euros is scrapped. An extra 2-euro European charge will follow in November, bringing the total additional cost per package to 5 euros, according to State Secretary Eelco Eerenberg in a letter to parliament.

The national levy had been proposed earlier by Eerenberg’s predecessor, though its start date was not yet known. The fees will be calculated per invoice line, meaning a package with multiple identical items will incur lower extra costs than one with different products. Bulk shipments, which typically include many identical goods, will be charged 50 cents per product line.

The handling fee is designed to curb the surge of parcels, especially from Asia, and to offset customs inspection costs. Proceeds from the European charge will fund customs operations, while revenue from the national levy will go to the government treasury.

Eerenberg estimates that the European levy will bring in nearly 600 million euros across 2026 and 2027, while 100 million euros per year will be set aside for increased oversight of online trade. The import duties alone are expected to yield over 180 million euros annually for the Netherlands.

Some of the funds from the levy will go toward modernizing Customs, which currently finds it difficult to inspect the millions of parcels entering each year for illegal substances or unsafe electronic goods.

The Netherlands is joining France, Belgium, and Luxembourg in introducing this levy to prevent packages from being rerouted through other countries to avoid fees. The 3-euro import charge is set as a temporary flat rate, remaining in place until July 1, 2028.