Additional €2 fee on parcels comes into force in France from November 1

An additional €2 handling fee on parcels entering the EU from outside the bloc will come into effect from November 1.

The fee will apply on top of the existing €3 customs duty on items, which has been in place across the bloc since July for parcels with a total value of €150 or less.

However, the €2 fee applies to all distance sales (items purchased from commercial sellers) regardless of final price.

In France, the EU-wide customs duty replaced a previous duty that was levied only on items entering France. 

The handling fee is another mechanism in the attempt to limit the influx of parcels from foreign e-commerce sites, mostly those located in China, which were said to be overwhelming the EU and its logistical infrastructure. 

The official purpose of the tax is to better fund customs checks for parcels entering the EU.

Since July 2026, the EU reports that the number of small parcels entering the bloc has dropped by up to 40%.

Many non-EU parcels are impacted, however, including packages from the UK and US sent by companies. Parcels between private individuals are not covered by the €2 fee, but depending on their value (between €45 and €150) face the €3 customs duty.

There are concerns that the new fees have impacted the delivery of certain items such as British magazines to French addresses.

New fee comes on top of existing duties

The new handling fee will apply the same rules as the existing €3 duty, applying per item-type in a package.

For example, a parcel containing four white cotton t-shirts at a total cost of €80 will see an additional tax of €5 (the combined €3 duty and the new €2 tax), but one containing a white cotton t-shirt, a skirt, a pair of socks, and a book would see an additional €20 in fees, €5 for each item-type. 

Parcels containing items with a total value of €150 or more do not face the €3 customs duties, but will see the €2 handling fee added to wider import fees.

Small parcel fees may be paid by the recipient or the seller. In many cases, websites will factor the fees into their final item prices or shipping costs. 

This is likely the approach that major e-commerce companies will take to avoid hassle for customers.

Smaller websites and private sellers may not be aware of the rules, and leave the recipient to pay, and some larger sites may also place the burden of the fees on recipients.

In this case, fees must be paid to the courier before you can pick up the parcel. The exact payment method will depend on the courier service used. Some couriers may charge separate handling fees, independent of the EU charges, for items.

Scammers are aware of the new rules, and may attempt to confuse people into collection fees for parcels where these are not needed, or otherwise use fake parcel scams in ‘phishing’ attempts to take personal information from people.

Do not pay any collection fees for parcels unless you are sure you should be receiving something.