Your non-EU packages are about to get €5 more expensive: here’s when (and why)

Ordering from outside the EU? A new national package fee will kick in from July 1 onwards, with a second European charge following in November.

Helaas, Temu and Shein lovers, the days of duty-free parcels from outside the Netherlands are now numbered.

Here’s what’s changing

In a letter to parliament, State Secretary Eelco Eerenberg (Finance) has confirmed that the Dutch government will start charging a €3 handling fee on all non-EU packages from July 1.

Meanwhile, the existing tax exemption, which allowed packages worth under €150 to enter without import duties, will also be scrapped.

Think that’s bad? Just hold on a tick, because a Europe-wide levy of €2 will be added in November — bringing the total surcharge to €5 per package.

How do these new fees actually work?

According to RTL Nieuws, the charges are calculated per line item on your invoice, meaning that what you order matters.

In simple terms, a single package containing three different products will cost more than one containing three identical items.

Why is the Netherlands doing this?

The new handling fee has two main goals:

• slow down the sheer volume of parcels coming in from Asian webshops like Temu, Shein, and AliExpress, and
• help Dutch customs cover the growing cost of inspections.

This fee was discussed as early as December last year, as the Dutch customs office was already drowning under the daily wave of incoming parcels.

However, the EU-wide levy works slightly differently: its revenue is earmarked specifically to aid customs operations.

Will these new fees change where you shop online? Let us know in the comments below.