Terms and Conditions for the An Post Customs Charges Payment and Handling Service for inbound postal items (the "Service")

1. General

For international inbound postal items delivered by An Post, these Terms and Conditions (these Terms) shall apply. These Terms shall apply in addition to the An Post Single Piece Terms and Conditions.

For goods in postal items in respect of which the seller / supplier has made arrangements directly with you and / or Revenue for the payment of Customs Charges, seller terms and conditions to which An Post is not a party may apply separate to the An Post Single Piece Terms and Conditions referenced above.

Where such other arrangements are in place, administration fees may vary (see Schedule of Charges 27th May 2021). If the Customs Charges have not been pre-paid in full, you will be liable.  Please see section 3 below.
This page forms part of the An Post website.  Your use of  Service is governed by the An Post Policies.  Such policies include, without limitation, An Post’s Web Policy, Data Privacy Statement, and information about An Post’s use of cookies on its website.  The An Post Customs and Security Privacy Notice shall also apply and is incorporated by reference.

By agreeing to these Terms, you are deemed to have read and agreed to be bound by the above An Post Policies and Notice, each of which forms an integral part of these Terms and is incorporated into these Terms by this reference.

You acknowledge that by using the Service any personal data provided will be used only for delivery (or returns if applicable) of your mail items and to ensure the normal operation of the service (including for customs handling), where required by law and/or where required and/or necessary for the purpose of giving effect to anti-fraud detection procedures.

An Post is required by law to present all items arriving from outside the EEA* to Irish Revenue. These mail items may be subject to additional charges.

Most goods arriving in Ireland from outside the EEA are liable to any or all of the following taxes:

• Import Duty / Customs Duty
• Excise Duty (tax charged on certain goods, particularly alcohol and tobacco)
• VAT (VAT chargeable on importation)

*This includes goods coming from the UK.

Customs Charges

A Customs Declaration needs to be lodged in respect of such goods arriving by post.

Any Customs Charges due are calculated and applied by Revenue.   Whether Customs Charges apply is a decision of Revenue. These Customs Charges are not applied by An Post.  You the addressee will be liable to pay the Customs Charges as assessed by Revenue (the Customs Debt).
The amount of the Customs Charges will depend on the contents of the postal item(s) and their value, where the item(s) came from and who sent it. Letters, postcards and parcels containing only documents / correspondence are normally exempt.

2. Customs Charge Notification Card

You, the addressee of the postal item, will receive the payment notification for Customs Charges due by means of the An Post Customs Charge Notification Card.

This Card will show the total amount you need to pay before you can receive your item(s). The amount will include the applicable An Post Administration Fee.  The An Post Administration Fee covers the costs of An Post presenting and clearing your mail items through Irish Customs.  These charges are also set out on Schedule of Charges 27th May 2021.

The Customs Charge Notification Card is a postcard or letter usually delivered to your address, detailing the amount due and the options available for payment. Once payment has been received, the postal package(s) may be delivered to you.

You can pay the Customs Charges and the Administration Fee online. You will need to input the Customs Reference number included on the Customs Charge Notification Card. Please carefully follow all instructions on that page.
We will not hold the item for longer than 16 working days - if payment is not received within 16 working days of sending you the Customs Charge Notification Card, the item will be returned to sender.

Once all required Customs Charges and other applicable fees are paid, An Post will deliver the item(s). Please note: An Post cannot release items until the Customs Charges and applicable fees are paid in full.

You will be responsible for payment of the Customs Debt.

For the purposes of the Union Customs Code You are the Declarant and An Post is acting on your behalf as a direct representative.  This means that you are responsible for the content of the Customs Declaration and you are the debtor for any Customs Charges owed as a result of the Customs Declaration.

Only information available to An Post provided with or in respect of your mail item(s) can be used to make a Customs Declaration on your behalf.  An Post is not responsible for the content of the Customs Declaration. 

If the information is inaccurate or incomplete, your postal items may be delayed.
You agree to indemnify An Post for any fines, costs or loss incurred as a result of false, erroneous, misleading, unacceptable or incomplete data being provided for the purposes of making the Customs Declaration on your behalf. 

If a query arises in respect of a postal item or information is missing, it may be necessary to open, repack and reseal your package.  Revenue may need to make further enquiries or examine contents.  In some cases, the package and its contents may be returned to the sender or seized by Revenue.

In case of an assessment of additional Customs Charges, you will be liable to pay the additional amount.

We will keep a record of a Customs Declaration file for 4 years.

3. Shopping Online from a Third Country

In certain circumstances, other arrangements may apply whereby you have entered into a contract with a seller / supplier for sending items to you on a “delivered duty unpaid” (DDU) basis and for which additional seller terms and conditions, separate to the An Post Single Piece Terms and Conditions, may apply. 

Where such DDU arrangements are used, this means the sender has not provided for payment of the Customs Charges (and associated matters) in advance of sending item(s) to you. 
In such circumstances, and for the purposes of the Union Customs Code, it may be necessary for An Post to act on your behalf and make a declaration as your representative.  Your item will be delivered once all Customs Charges due are paid.  In addition, An Post Administration fees may vary (see Schedule of Charges 27th May 2021).

In respect of the Customs Charges due, you agree to indemnify An Post for any fines, costs or losses incurred as a result of false, erroneous, misleading, unacceptable or incomplete data being provided by you or the sender for the purposes of lodging the Customs Declaration on your behalf.

Queries in relation to these items should be addressed to the Retailer from whom you purchased the item(s) from.
 

4.  Queries / Refunds

An Post will be the point of contact for Customs Charges up until the moment the postal item(s) has been released to you.
 
After delivery, if you wish to query an assessment of Customs Charges, you must contact the Retailer from whom you purchased the item(s) from.
 
If you are seeking a refund as a result of a return of goods received in a postal item or because you object to an assessment of the Customs Debt, please contact the Retailer from whom you purchased the item(s) from.
 
Please note An Post is not able to answer queries about possible refunds for overcharges rising on the assessment of the Customs Charges or arising on a returns of goods.
 
When you contact the Retailer, you should include as much detail as you can.  Without this information, the Retailer may not be able to trace your package in their records. In the event of a claim you should retain copies of all wrappings and documents until your claim is settled.  If your claim is about overcharged Customs Charges because the declared value of the goods was incorrect, you will need to supply evidence, for example, an invoice, receipt of purchase etc, to support your claim.

5.  Queries on your Administration Fees:

Any queries about the An Post Administration Fee should be raised with An Post. You can get in touch with us through our contact us page.