From the beginning of November, a new handling fee of €2 will apply to all online purchases arriving from outside the European Union. The fee must be paid separately for each goods item, regardless of the value of the purchase.
The handling fee is part of a broader EU customs reform. Customs duty was introduced in July for online purchases valued at no more than €150 and arriving from outside the European Union. Previously, customs duty was payable only on online purchases worth more than €150. The duty was €3 per goods item.
The fees are based on new EU regulations concerning goods imported into or exported from the EU customs territory. The changes apply to shipments arriving in Lithuania from countries including the United Kingdom, China and Switzerland, as well as other countries outside the EU.
Both the new handling fee and any customs duty are paid in connection with customs clearance. For purchases worth no more than €150, all fees may be charged by the online store at the time of purchase. In this case, the recipient does not need to complete the customs clearance or make any further payments when the shipment arrives in Lithuania. These are known as Import One-Stop Shop, or IOSS, purchases.
Product identifiers will also be required
From the beginning of November, additional information will also be required for online purchases. Under EU regulations, online stores must include product identifiers, PID data, for products sent to consumers from outside the European Union.
From 1 November 2026, three different product identifiers must be provided in connection with customs clearance. The requirement applies to online purchases worth no more than €150 arriving from outside the European Union. The product identifiers can be found, for example, in the order confirmation or on the online store’s website. If the product identifier information is unavailable, the customer should request it from the online store that sent the goods.
The recipient does not need to provide the product identifiers if the parcel was ordered from a seller registered for IOSS and the seller or its representative completes the customs clearance.
Additional requirements may result in returns
If customs duties and handling fees have not been paid for a shipment arriving from outside the European Union, or if the shipment information is insufficient, it may not be possible to complete the customs clearance. In this case, the shipment will have to be returned to the sender.
These changes are part of a broader EU customs reform. Among other things, the EU is responding to the rapidly increasing volume of low-value goods ordered from outside the EU and their impact on the environment and consumers. All EU Member States must comply with the new requirements.
More information about customs declarations is available on the Muitine.lrv.lt website