Sending Internationally
Sending to a non-EU country
Receiving country requirements
All items (including gifts) posted from the Republic of Ireland to a country outside the European Union (including Great Britain) must be presented to the Customs authorities in the receiving country.
Irish Customs requirements
If you export goods to non-EU countries (including Great Britain), An Post may need to complete a customs declaration on your behalf. This is known as Advanced Electronic Data (AED). This customs declaration must be made electronically through Revenue’s Automated Export System (AES). You can provide customs electronic declaration data at your local post office or online using Click & Post. The corresponding CN23 label must be affixed when sending good(s) of any size or value to non-EU countries.
The following documents must be available, if requested by Revenue at the time of clearing your goods:
Please ensure any good(s) sent are not prohibited or restricted for air travel.
If you send good(s) to non-EU countries using Click & Post or your local Post Office, you must provide the following for the customs electronic declaration data:
- Senders name, address and contact details
- The name and address of the recipient
- A detailed description of the contents of the item(s)
- Quantity / Number of Units
- Net Weight
- Value of the item/contents
- Category of the item(s)
- Reason for Export
- Postage / shipping cost
Insufficient data may result in the item being returned to the sender, if rejected by the receiving Customs authorities.
Send with Click & Post
An online version of the form can also be completed when you Click & Post online.
Sending within the EU
When sending within the EU, an Aviation Security Declaration, must be attached to all letters, packets or parcels containing goods sent within the EU, excluding Northern Ireland. This is to ensure compliance with airline security regulations. See the full list of prohibited items which cannot travel by air.
You must describe the contents of the item fully and accurately and include your name, address and signature.
A preview of the Aviation Security Declaration can be found below:
Prohibited items
Some goods are prohibited, and some are subject to restrictions or may require a licence.
Sending to Ireland from non-EU countries
When sending an item to Ireland you will need to supply complete electronic customs data according to Irish Customs regulations.
The minimum mandatory electronic data that is required is:
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A valid HS/TARIC Code, use our online tool to find the correct TARIC Code for your items
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A valid item description
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Country of origin
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Item value
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Postage, insurance, freight paid
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Sender name, address details
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Addressee name, address
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Packet/parcel weight
You should also ensure the items you are sending are not regarded as prohibited/restricted by An Post. You can do so by reviewing the list on our prohibited items page.
Sending gifts to Ireland from non-EU countries
An Post recommends that those sending gifts into Ireland from non-EU countries use their local postal providers online sending solution where available. This allows you to complete all the required electronic customs data requirements, to ensure your parcel can be cleared with ease upon arrival into Ireland
Gifts below the value of €45 (including postage) from non-EU countries require valid electronic customs data but do not require any customs or VAT to be paid. Gifts over €45 are charged a customs fee, paid by the receiver.
Online sending solutions from popular non-EU countries
Use your local postal providers online sending solution to assist with a smooth customs clearance process for your item
Royal Mail - Click & Drop
Things to know
If customs charges are due on your item, you will receive a postcard in the post with details of the charges. We will also attempt to send an email and/or an SMS if these details have been provided to us by the sender (this could be a retailer or someone you know).
If customs charges are due on your item, you will receive a postcard in the post with details of the charges. We will also attempt to send an email and/or an SMS if these details have been provided to us by the sender (this could be a retailer or someone you know).
Whether the item is a gift or not, it must still be cleared through customs. You will need to pay customs charges as calculated in order to receive your item.
Gifts may be imported free of VAT and customs charges where the value of the gift (including insurance, freight and postage costs) is €45 or less and the gift is correctly electronically declared as such for customs purposes etc.
Please see the Revenue website for information on the treatment of gifts.
Your customs charge can be paid either:
Online, using your credit/debit card and the Customs reference number detailed on the Postcard/SMS/Email; or at any post office, using your credit/debit card or cash. Please bring the email or the card you received in the post with you to the Post Office.
Once your payment is complete, we will arrange for your item to be delivered as soon as possible.
If you wish to dispute the customs charge for your item, you can phone our team on 01 705 7600, selecting option 1. Please have your tracking number and customs reference number to hand.
Please note that Customs take into account a number of factors when calculating customs charges. These details can be found on the
Revenue website.
- If your item has been returned to sender or you are awaiting an update on your item, it is likely that the electronic customs declaration made by the retailer/sender for your item may have been insufficient or invalid according to Customs regulations. An Post cannot amend customs declaration so items with incomplete data must be returned.
- The goods within your parcel may be in a category of goods treated as prohibited or restricted by Irish Revenue.
- For non restricted/prohibited items, you will need to refer to the sender and request that they submit a customs declaration with full details when resending your item. Our TARIC code finder helps retailers understand the required information needed.
- Your item will be returned to the sender if the customs charge was not paid by the “pay by date".
- In line with the Northern Ireland protocol, parcels arriving from Northern Ireland into the Republic of Ireland will not be subject to VAT & customs charges but must still be cleared through Irish Customs.
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If you buy goods from outside the EU you may have to pay customs charges (Customs Duty, Excise Duty, VAT) to Irish Revenue.
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An Post collect these customs charges from you and pay them to Irish Revenue on your behalf.
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It is mandatory for An Post to collect customs charges, An Post cannot deliver your items until these charges have been paid.
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A team of Irish Revenue’s customs officials are based at An Post’s Mail Centre and oversee the customs clearance of imported goods.
Customs charges arise on the importation of most items in accordance with relevant laws. An Post collects these charges and pays them to Irish Revenue for you.
An Post may apply a fee to handle, collect and process the item. Where applicable, this fee will be added to customs charges applied by Revenue to your item. The fee is in place to cover the administrative costs of collecting and processing the payment from the addressee.
- Compliant electronic customs data must be supplied for all incoming non-EU items by the sender. Many smaller, more specialist British retailers are simply not aware of these requirements and/or have not put in place the necessary online shopping systems for selling to Ireland, leading to Customs delays or returns when these parcels arrive in Ireland. Please hold tight, while we work to address this and ongoing queries.
Revenue are authorised to inspect any postal packet.