From today, a €3 customs duty applies to small packages ordered from third countries

From 1 July 2026, the European Commission's €3 customs duty will apply to all small shipments ordered directly from outside the European Union. The new tax affects goods ordered from China, the USA, the UK, Norway and Switzerland worth up to €150. Omniva warns that scams may increase in light of the new rules.

From 1 July 2026, a new customs duty rule applies in the European Union: all small shipments ordered directly from third countries will incur a €3 customs duty per product category. Third countries are all countries outside the EU, including China, the USA, the UK, Norway and Switzerland.

Who pays and what?

A small shipment is a package worth less than €150. Larger shipments were already subject to customs duty, and the amount depends on the type of goods.

Omniva's commercial director Sven Kukemelk explained how the new system works in practice: "If you order three pairs of trousers, you pay €3 in customs duty. But if you order trousers, a hedge trimmer and a soup tureen, a €9 customs duty applies, because these are three different product categories."

It is important to note that customs duty applies only to goods purchased directly from third countries. If an online shop operates outside the EU but goods are shipped from a warehouse in the EU or through an EU intermediary, the goods are already cleared and no additional duty is payable. Similarly, the new tax does not apply to gifts sent between private individuals.

How does declaration work?

For larger e-commerce platforms, the customer pays the customs duty at the time of purchase, and no further action is required. For smaller online shops without client agreements with courier companies for goods declaration, the goods are shipped via international post. In this case, the customs duty is not added at the time of purchase.

When the shipment arrives in Estonia, Omniva sends the customer a notification about the parcel requiring declaration. The customer can then choose whether to declare the goods themselves with the Tax and Customs Board or authorise Omniva to do so, paying the customs duty directly to Omniva.

For those who placed an order before 1 July but the package arrives in Estonia after that date: for larger platforms, the platform itself pays the customs duty and the customer incurs no additional obligations. For shipments from smaller online shops arriving via international post, customs duty must be paid even if the order was placed before the change took effect. The customs duty is not refunded even if the goods are returned after purchase.

Warning about fraud

Omniva warns that the introduction of the new customs duty may lead to increased scams where fraudsters pose as representatives of the Tax and Customs Board or courier companies. Customers are advised to remember that if customs duty has already been paid at the online shop, it should not be paid again in Estonia. When receiving a notification about a parcel requiring declaration, customers should log in only to Omniva's official self-service portal at minu.omniva.ee. Omniva never asks for PIN codes by phone and does not offer parcel declaration by telephone.