Pay a customs charge

Parcelforce and Royal Mail are required by law to present all items arriving from outside the UK to Border Force. This mail may be checked by them and be subject to customs charges. 

Any charges are calculated and applied by Border Force on behalf of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). These charges aren't applied by Parcelforce and Royal Mail. 

The charges depend on the contents, where the item came from and who sent it. Letters, postcards and parcels containing only documents are normally exempt. 

For items sent through the post, Parcelforce and Royal Mail pay HMRC any import VAT and Customs Duty on your behalf. This ensures you receive your item as quickly as possible. 

We'll then send you a Fee to pay card. This shows how much you need to pay before you can receive your item.  

You are being asked to pay the relevant customs duty, excise duty and import VAT on your parcel. When an item is received from outside of the UK, it is automatically inspected by Border Force on behalf of HMRC for prohibited or restricted goods. They also check the customs declaration to determine if customs duty, excise duty and import VAT are chargeable. 

If we receive a parcel from overseas, we will pay any customs duties and taxes on your behalf to HM Revenue & Customs. However, we will then require payment for this, together with our customs clearance fee, before the parcel can be delivered to you. 

Within the letter you will have received from us about the customs fees, you will be provided with a Tracking Reference number and the name of the Country of origin. This is the only information we are able to provide about your parcel. 

This is an additional fee we charge in order to clear your parcel through Customs quickly and pay the customs duty, excise duty and import VAT on your behalf. This allows us to cover the cost of handling the parcel, administration, collection of monies and provision of facilities for Customs clearance. 

We will hold your parcel for 21 days so that you can pay and arrange delivery of your parcel. If you don’t pay the customs charges, your parcel will be returned to sender after the 21-day period. 

If you have any queries about the specific customs charges which have been levied on your parcel, you will need to contact HM Revenue and Customs directly. You can call them on 0300 200 3700. More information can also be found on the GOV.UK website. We can’t deal with enquiries relating to the raising or setting of VAT or import duties.