EU Customs Charges on Online Orders (Ireland 2026): Complete Consumer Guide
Since 1 July 2026, a €3 customs duty applies to each distinct product type in a parcel shipped to Ireland from outside the European Union. This guide explains exactly what changed, who it affects, and what it means for Irish consumers who buy supplements and health products online.
Since 1 July 2026, the EU has removed the de minimis customs exemption that previously let parcels valued at €150 or less enter the EU free of customs duty, under Council Regulation (EU) 2026/382.
A flat €3 customs duty per distinct product type, defined by customs classification, now applies to parcels shipped from a non-EU country, including the United States, Great Britain, China and all UK retailers. This was confirmed by Irish Revenue (press release, 28 May 2026).1
The €3 is not charged per parcel and not simply per product name. Identical items count once. Because supplements can fall under different customs categories, a mixed basket may attract one or several €3 charges, plus 13.5% VAT on the goods and duty, and a possible €6.95 An Post handling fee.
Customs duty is non-refundable on change-of-mind returns; only faulty goods qualify.
Goods bought from EU-based retailers, including Probiotic.ie, which ships from Dublin, are not affected. No customs duty applies to orders placed with EU-based businesses shipping within the EU.
De minimis customs relief (definition): the customs exemption that previously allowed parcels valued at €150 or less to enter the EU without attracting customs duty, removed from 1 July 2026 by EU regulation.
Since 1 July 2026, a €3 customs duty per distinct product type, as classified by customs, applies to online orders shipped from outside the EU, including the USA, Great Britain and UK websites, arriving in Ireland. This replaced the previous exemption that let parcels valued under €150 arrive duty-free. Identical items count as one; a mixed basket may attract one or several €3 charges, with 13.5% VAT then added. The duty is non-refundable if you return the item. Goods ordered from Irish and EU retailers are not affected.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| When did the rule start? | 1 July 2026 |
| Who is affected? | Anyone buying from retailers outside the EU |
| How much is the duty? | €3 per distinct product type, set by customs classification |
| Does it affect iHerb orders to Ireland? | Yes, iHerb ships from the US |
| Does it affect UK supplement websites? | Yes, Great Britain is outside the EU |
| Does it affect Probiotic.ie? | No, ships from Dublin, within the EU |
| Does it affect German or French retailers? | No, EU member states are exempt |
| Is customs duty refundable on returns? | No, non-refundable unless goods are faulty |
| What VAT rate applies to supplements? | 13.5%, calculated on goods value plus duty |
- What changed from 1 July 2026?
- Who is NOT affected?
- How the €150 exemption worked previously
- How the €3 per item charge works
- What counts as a distinct item?
- Real-world supplement cost examples
- iHerb orders from Ireland explained
- UK supplement websites and Amazon
- US supplement websites
- Returns, refunds, and the duty problem
- How to identify an EU-based retailer
- Ordering from Probiotic.ie, no customs charges
- Frequently asked questions
Revenue.ie, May 2026
Revenue.ie, May 2026
Irish Revenue
An Post, 2026
What changed with EU customs charges in Ireland from 1 July 2026?
The European Union has removed a longstanding customs exemption, the de minimis relief, that allowed small parcels valued at €150 or less to enter the EU without any customs duty charge.2
Since 1 July 2026, a flat €3 customs duty per distinct product type applies to parcels shipped to Ireland from countries outside the EU. This affects every non-EU country, including the United States, China, Japan, South Korea and, critically for Irish consumers, Great Britain, which left the EU customs union following Brexit.
The change applies in all EU member states at once. It is a regulatory change, not a discretionary policy by Ireland, and Irish Revenue is responsible for collection and enforcement here.
This change was confirmed by Irish Revenue in a press release dated 28 May 2026 and in guidance at revenue.ie. The underlying measure was agreed by the Council of the European Union in December 2025 and set out in Council Regulation (EU) 2026/382.4
Raphael Ryan, Head of Revenue's National Customs Policies and Procedures, said in the Revenue press release that the goal is to ensure consumers are fully informed before the rules take effect, to help people avoid unexpected costs and make informed decisions when shopping online.1
How the €150 customs exemption worked, and why Ireland lost it
Before 1 July 2026, parcels shipped from outside the EU with a goods value of €150 or less entered Ireland without any customs duty. This was the de minimis relief, a threshold designed for genuine low-value personal imports.
Under the old rules, most supplement orders placed with iHerb, US websites or UK retailers fell below the €150 threshold and arrived duty-free. The consumer paid the product price, delivery charges and Irish VAT, but no customs duty.
The EU's rationale for removing the exemption was to level the playing field between EU-based businesses, which collect and remit VAT, and non-EU online retailers effectively subsidised by the exemption. Irish Revenue confirmed the change is designed to ensure fairness for Irish and EU businesses.1
| Element | Before 1 July 2026 | From 1 July 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Customs duty, parcels ≤ €150 | None (de minimis exemption) | €3 per distinct product type |
| Customs duty, parcels > €150 | Standard customs duty applies | Standard customs duty continues to apply |
| VAT on imported goods | Payable at Irish rate | Payable at Irish rate (on goods + duty) |
| iHerb order (5 different supplements) | €0 customs duty | Up to €15 customs duty + VAT on duty |
| UK retailer order (3 different products) | €0 customs duty | Up to €9 customs duty + VAT on duty |
| Probiotic.ie order (ships from Dublin) | No customs duty, EU shipment | No customs duty, EU shipment |
| Refund of customs duty on returns | N/A | Non-refundable unless goods faulty |
Who is NOT affected by the new EU customs charges?
The €3 duty applies only to parcels shipped from outside the EU. The following are not affected under any circumstances:
- Irish retailers shipping from Ireland, including Probiotic.ie (Dublin)
- German retailers shipping from Germany
- French retailers shipping from France
- Dutch retailers shipping from the Netherlands
- Any retailer in any EU member state shipping from within the EU
- Amazon sellers who dispatch from an EU-based warehouse
- Northern Ireland retailers shipping to the Republic of Ireland (generally exempt under the Windsor Framework, verify per order)
The key test is not where the retailer is registered, it is where the goods are physically dispatched from. A retailer registered in Ireland that ships from a US warehouse still attracts the duty. Always check the dispatch location, not the company address or website domain.
How the €3 per item customs duty works in Ireland
The €3 customs duty is charged per distinct product type, defined by its customs classification (tariff heading). It is not charged per parcel, and not simply per product name. It scales with the number of different product types, as classified by customs, so a mixed parcel can attract more than one charge.24
Two payment methods exist in practice:
Charged at checkout. Some non-EU retailers collect the duty at the point of sale, so the checkout total is the final price and nothing further is charged on delivery.
Charged on delivery. Others do not collect it upfront. In that case the postal or courier service requires payment before releasing the parcel, and An Post adds a €6.95 handling fee to collect the VAT and duty on Revenue's behalf.6 Revenue advises checking a non-EU retailer's terms before purchasing to understand which method applies.1
Irish Revenue confirms the €3 customs duty is included in the total used to calculate VAT.2 VAT is charged on the goods value plus the duty, not on the goods alone. For supplements the Irish VAT rate is 13.5%.
Example: a supplement worth €30 attracts €3 duty. VAT at 13.5% is calculated on €33, not €30, so roughly €4.46 rather than €4.05. Small per order, but it compounds across multiple items and multiple orders.
The €3 is a temporary measure running until the EU's wider customs reform in 2028.5 A separate EU handling fee of around €2 per parcel is expected from around November 2026, which would push the combined border cost on a non-EU parcel higher again. None of this applies to goods shipped from within the EU.
What counts as a distinct item for customs duty?
This is the question most consumers need answered before they can work out their real cost. The €3 is charged per distinct product type, defined by its customs classification (tariff heading), not by the number of product names in the basket.2
- Identical products: two or more identical units in a parcel count as one item, so one €3 charge.
- Different product types: may each attract €3, depending on whether they share a customs category or fall under separate ones.
- Revenue example: a pen, a notebook and a keyring are three distinct items, so €9 duty.
- Revenue example: two identical t-shirts are one item, so €3 duty.
- EU Commission example: a silk blouse and wool blouses fall under different tariff sub-headings, so count as two distinct items, €6.
- Supplements are not uniform: a fish oil, a single-vitamin product and a mineral or herbal blend can each fall under a different customs category, so they may attract separate €3 charges.
- But not always: two similar capsule blends may share a category and attract a single €3 charge.
The practical point for supplements: the number of €3 charges depends on customs classification, not on how many products you added to the basket. A fish oil plus a mineral supplement may attract €6 because they usually sit under different headings, while two similar blends may attract only €3. The classification is set at customs, so a mixed order cannot be priced with full certainty at checkout. If in doubt about a specific order, check with the retailer or Revenue before buying.
Real-world supplement import cost examples, Ireland 2026
These examples show the additional cost since 1 July 2026 for common purchasing patterns, assuming goods value below €150, VAT at 13.5% on goods plus duty. The multi-item scenarios show the worst case, where every product is classified as a separate customs category. Identical units always count as one, and some mixed baskets will attract fewer charges depending on classification.
Scenario A, single supplement bottle
Before 1 July 2026
Supplement: €25.00
Delivery: €6.00
Customs duty: €0.00
Approx. additional charges: €0
From 1 July 2026
Supplement: €25.00
Delivery: €6.00
Customs duty: €3.00 (1 item)
VAT on €3 duty: +€0.41
Additional cost vs before: approx. €3.41
Scenario B, three different supplements
Before 1 July 2026
3 supplements: €75.00
Delivery: €8.00
Customs duty: €0.00
Approx. additional charges: €0
From 1 July 2026 (worst case)
3 supplements: €75.00
Delivery: €8.00
Customs duty: up to €9.00 (up to 3 items)
VAT on duty: up to +€1.22
Additional cost vs before: up to approx. €10.22
Scenario C, five different supplements
Before 1 July 2026
5 supplements: €120.00
Delivery: €10.00
Customs duty: €0.00
Approx. additional charges: €0
From 1 July 2026 (worst case)
5 supplements: €120.00
Delivery: €10.00
Customs duty: up to €15.00 (up to 5 items)
VAT on duty: up to +€2.03
Additional cost vs before: up to approx. €17.03
Scenario D, five identical bottles (same product)
Before 1 July 2026
5 × same supplement: €100.00
Delivery: €10.00
Customs duty: €0.00
Approx. additional charges: €0
From 1 July 2026
5 × same supplement: €100.00
Delivery: €10.00
Customs duty: €3.00 (identical = 1 item)
VAT on €3 duty: +€0.41
Additional cost vs before: approx. €3.41
These figures cover customs duty and VAT on duty only. They exclude the goods cost, shipping and existing VAT on goods, and they exclude any An Post handling fee where the duty is not prepaid. The exact number of €3 charges on any order is decided at customs.
Ordering from Probiotic.ie (Dublin, Ireland): no customs duty, no VAT on duty, no An Post handling fee. Probiotic.ie ships from within the EU, so the new rules do not apply under any scenario.
iHerb orders from Ireland, what changed from July 2026
iHerb ships Irish orders from its US warehouses, so they are imports from outside the EU. Since 1 July 2026, each distinct product type in an iHerb order attracts a €3 customs duty, by customs classification. For a full breakdown of iHerb-specific costs and scenarios, see our dedicated iHerb customs charges Ireland 2026 guide.
iHerb is a popular choice for Irish supplement buyers because of its wide range and USD pricing. The new duty changes the cost calculation for multi-item orders and makes the final landed cost harder to predict.
- Single product order: 1 supplement = €3 customs duty + VAT on duty.
- Typical 3-product order: up to €9 customs duty + VAT, depending on classification.
- Typical 5-product order: up to €15 customs duty + VAT, depending on classification.
- Buying multiples of one product: 3 × same product = €3 duty (counted as one item).
- Returns: customs duty is non-refundable if you change your mind. Check iHerb's VAT refund policy separately.
- Currency: iHerb prices in USD, so exchange rate movements affect the euro cost independently of customs charges.
- Fulfilment location: iHerb's Ireland shipping page states orders ship from US warehouses by air freight, with no EU location listed. Verify at checkout, as logistics may change.
- Shipping speed: air freight from the US plus customs processing. Account for this on time-sensitive orders.
The most cost-efficient approach for iHerb buyers is to consolidate into fewer distinct product types or buy multiples of the same product in one shipment. That has to be weighed against storage, product freshness and capital outlay. Either way, the duty and VAT still apply, which an EU-based order avoids.
If you return an iHerb product because you changed your mind, Revenue confirms the €3 customs duty is non-refundable.3 VAT refund depends on iHerb's own terms, and return shipping to the US is at your expense. Check the returns policy carefully before buying.
UK supplement websites and Amazon, customs charges from Ireland
Great Britain, England, Scotland and Wales, is a non-EU country for customs following Brexit. Orders placed with UK supplement retailers and shipped from Great Britain to Ireland are subject to the €3 per distinct product type customs duty since 1 July 2026.
This affects a wide range of retailers Irish consumers commonly use, including UK health store websites, UK Amazon orders dispatched from Britain, and UK-based brands shipping direct to Ireland.
| Order Source | Ships From | Customs duty since July 2026? | Duty Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| iHerb | USA | Yes, non-EU | €3 per distinct product type |
| Amazon (UK sellers) | Great Britain | Yes, non-EU | €3 per distinct product type |
| UK supplement websites | Great Britain | Yes, non-EU | €3 per distinct product type |
| US supplement websites | United States | Yes, non-EU | €3 per distinct product type |
| Probiotic.ie | Dublin, Ireland | No, EU-based | €0 |
| German supplement retailers | Germany (EU) | No, EU-based | €0 |
| Northern Ireland retailers (shipping from NI) | Northern Ireland | Generally no, Windsor Framework | Verify individually |
A note on Amazon Ireland (amazon.ie): Amazon operates sellers across many jurisdictions, and whether duty applies depends on where the specific seller ships from, not the Amazon domain you used. EU-based sellers shipping from within the EU will not attract duty; UK or US-based sellers will. Check the dispatch location before ordering supplements via Amazon.
US supplement websites shipping to Ireland
Irish consumers who buy directly from US supplement brands such as NOW Foods, Thorne, Life Extension or Pure Encapsulations are affected by the duty on all shipments to Ireland since 1 July 2026.
US websites often carry brands and formulations not widely available in Ireland. The €3 per item duty does not make these purchases impossible, but it changes the cost-benefit calculation, particularly for multi-product orders and orders where returns are likely.
- Customs duty: €3 per distinct product type on parcels from the USA.
- VAT: 13.5% on the goods value plus customs duty.
- Payment method: some US retailers collect at checkout; where duty is not prepaid, An Post adds a €6.95 handling fee before delivery.
- Currency risk: USD/EUR movements affect order value independently of customs charges.
- Shipping time: transatlantic shipping plus customs processing can add several days or more.
- Returns: return shipping to the USA is expensive, and the customs duty on the original import is non-refundable if you change your mind.
- Higher-value orders (over €150): these have always been subject to full customs duty; the change specifically affects the €150 or less bracket.
Avoid Customs Charges, Shop from Dublin
Probiotic.ie ships all orders from Dublin, Ireland. No customs duty, no VAT on duty, no An Post handling fee. Regulated under FSAI food supplement guidelines.
All orders ship from within the EU. No €3 per item customs duty applies. 13.5% VAT included in displayed prices.
Returns, refunds, and the customs duty problem
The returns implications of the new rules are significant and not widely understood. Irish Revenue has published clear guidance.3
Customs duty is non-refundable on change-of-mind returns. If you receive a supplement from a non-EU retailer, decide you no longer want it and return it, the €3 per item duty is not refunded by Revenue. It is only refunded if the goods are faulty.
VAT refunds are uncertain. Revenue confirms VAT on returned goods may or may not be refunded by the supplier, depending on its terms and conditions, so it is not guaranteed.1
Check four things: (1) whether the retailer refunds VAT on returns, which is not automatic; (2) whether the goods qualify as faulty, since only faulty goods trigger a Revenue duty refund; (3) the cost and logistics of return shipping to a non-EU country, entirely at your expense; (4) the refund processing time. These four answers change the true cost of a return.
How to identify an EU-based retailer before purchasing
Revenue has issued a specific warning: a .ie domain, euro pricing or an Irish-sounding brand name does not confirm a business is based in Ireland or ships from within the EU.1
- Check About Us: look for a physical business address. A registered address in an EU country confirms EU-based status.
- Check Terms and Conditions: the governing law clause usually names the country of business.
- Check Contact Us: a Republic of Ireland +353 number and a physical Irish address are positive indicators.
- Check the dispatch address: some retailers are EU-registered but ship from non-EU warehouses. The dispatch country decides the duty, not the registration country.
- Look for VAT registration: an Irish VAT number (IE followed by digits) is a strong indicator of Irish-based operations.
- Domain alone is insufficient: a .ie domain can be registered by any company regardless of location.
Ordering from Probiotic.ie, no customs charges apply
Probiotic.ie is an Irish supplement retailer, based in Dublin and operating since 2019. All orders ship from within the European Union. Irish Revenue's guidance is unambiguous: customs duty is not charged on goods purchased from suppliers within the EU.3
Nothing changed for Probiotic.ie orders on 1 July 2026. The €3 per item customs duty does not apply to EU-based shipments under any circumstances, and there is no An Post handling fee to release the parcel.
Business location: Dublin, Republic of Ireland (EU member state).
Ships from: within the EU.
Customs duty since 1 July 2026: not applicable, EU shipment.
Regulatory status: regulated under FSAI food supplement guidelines.
VAT: 13.5% included in displayed product prices.
Delivery: nationwide Ireland delivery, typically 2 to 4 working days.
No Customs. No Import Fees. Ships from Dublin.
Browse the full supplement range. Probiotic.ie is an Irish-owned retailer shipping from within the EU, so the new customs charges do not apply.
Probiotic.ie is an Irish retailer. All orders ship from within the EU. 13.5% VAT included in prices.
Frequently asked questions, EU customs charges Ireland 2026
What is changing with EU customs charges from 1 July 2026?
Since 1 July 2026, a €3 customs duty per distinct product type applies to online orders shipped from outside the EU, including the USA, Great Britain and UK websites, arriving in Ireland. This replaced a previous exemption that let parcels valued under €150 arrive duty-free. The change is EU-wide, set under Council Regulation (EU) 2026/382, and confirmed by Irish Revenue.
Will I pay customs charges when ordering from Probiotic.ie?
No. Probiotic.ie ships all orders from Dublin, Ireland, within the EU. Customs duty is not charged on goods shipped from within the EU, so the €3 per item duty does not affect Probiotic.ie orders, and there is no An Post handling fee on delivery.
What does 'per distinct item' mean — how is the €3 duty calculated?
A distinct item is a distinct product type, defined by its customs classification, not the number of product names in your basket. Two identical products count as one item and one €3 charge. Different products may share a customs category or fall under separate ones, so a mixed basket can attract one or several €3 charges. Revenue's examples: a pen, notebook and keyring are three items (€9); two identical t-shirts are one item (€3).
Does the new customs duty apply to UK supplement websites?
Yes. Great Britain is treated as a non-EU country following Brexit. Any supplement order placed with a UK retailer and shipped from Great Britain to Ireland is subject to the €3 per distinct product type customs duty since 1 July 2026. This includes UK health store websites, UK-based brands, and Amazon orders dispatched from the UK.
Will customs charges apply to iHerb orders shipped to Ireland?
Yes. iHerb ships Irish orders from its US warehouses, so they are imports from outside the EU. Since 1 July 2026, each distinct product type attracts a €3 customs duty by customs classification, so an order can carry one or several €3 charges plus VAT. Where the duty is not prepaid, An Post adds a €6.95 handling fee. The duty is non-refundable on returns unless the goods are faulty.
Are customs charges refundable if I return a product?
No. Irish Revenue confirms the €3 customs duty is non-refundable on a change-of-mind return; it is only refunded if the goods are faulty. VAT on returns may or may not be refunded by the supplier depending on its terms, so check the returns policy before purchasing. Return shipping to a non-EU country is at your expense.
Does the new customs duty apply to goods bought from Germany, France, or other EU countries?
No. The €3 per item duty applies only to goods shipped from outside the European Union. Germany, France, the Netherlands and all other EU member states are inside the EU customs area, so no customs duty applies to shipments from these countries to Ireland.
How is the customs duty paid — at checkout or on delivery?
Both methods exist. Some non-EU retailers collect the duty at checkout, so the checkout total is the final price. Others do not, in which case An Post or the courier collects payment before releasing the parcel and An Post adds a €6.95 handling fee. Revenue advises checking the retailer's terms before buying to avoid unexpected charges on delivery.
What VAT rate applies to supplements imported into Ireland from outside the EU?
Food supplements attract Irish VAT at 13.5%. On imports from outside the EU, VAT is calculated on the goods value plus the customs duty. So a supplement valued at €30 with €3 duty attracts VAT at 13.5% on €33, roughly €4.46.
A website uses a .ie address and shows prices in euro — is it based in Ireland?
Not necessarily. Revenue has warned that a .ie domain, euro pricing or Irish-sounding name does not confirm a business ships from Ireland or the EU. Always check the About Us, Terms and Conditions or Contact Us page for a physical business address and the country goods are shipped from before completing a purchase.
- Since 1 July 2026, a flat €3 customs duty per distinct product type applies to parcels entering Ireland from outside the EU, under Council Regulation (EU) 2026/382, confirmed by Irish Revenue on 28 May 2026.
- The previous de minimis exemption, which let parcels valued at €150 or less enter the EU duty-free, has been removed.
- The €3 is charged per distinct product type by customs classification, not per parcel and not simply per product name. Identical items count as one charge.
- Supplements can fall under different customs categories, so a mixed basket may attract one or several €3 charges. Two different products may attract €6 if classified separately; two similar blends may attract €3.
- The duty applies to all non-EU countries including the United States, Great Britain, China and South Korea, and to all UK supplement retailers.
- Great Britain is treated as a non-EU country for customs, so UK supplement orders are subject to the duty.
- iHerb ships Irish orders from the US, so all iHerb orders to Ireland attract the €3 per distinct product type duty.
- VAT at 13.5% is calculated on the goods value plus customs duty, not on goods alone.
- Where the duty is not prepaid at checkout, An Post adds a €6.95 handling fee, and a separate EU handling fee of about €2 per parcel is expected from around November 2026.
- Customs duty is non-refundable on change-of-mind returns. Goods from EU-based retailers, including Probiotic.ie (Dublin), are not subject to the duty.
More from Probiotic.ie
References
- Irish Revenue. Revenue advises online shoppers of new Customs rules for goods from outside the European Union (EU). Press release. 28 May 2026. — revenue.ie
- Irish Revenue. Removal of the De Minimis Relief for Low Value Consignments – 1 July 2026. Customs guidance. — revenue.ie
- Irish Revenue. Refund — De Minimis Relief for Low Value Consignments. Published 25 May 2026. — revenue.ie
- Council of the European Union. Council agrees to levy customs duty on small parcels as of 1 July 2026 (Regulation (EU) 2026/382). 12 December 2025. — consilium.europa.eu
- European Commission, Taxation and Customs Union. Temporary flat fee on low-value imports applying until 1 July 2028. 8 June 2026. — taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu
- An Post. Customs Information, new EU customs rules and €6.95 handling fee. — anpost.com
- Food Safety Authority of Ireland. Food Supplements. — fsai.ie