Quick Overview: The Rules for Selling to the EU Changed Again in November 2026
If you ship online orders from Japan to the European Union (EU), three things now need checking: a €3 customs duty plus a €2 handling fee per item, product identifiers on your shipments, and Japan Post conditions that differ by country.
- July 1, 2026: The EU ended the customs duty exemption for low-value parcels of €150 or less and began charging a €3 duty per item on goods bought online
- November 1, 2026: A €2 "Union handling fee" (UHF) per item now applies to ecommerce goods arriving from outside the EU. Product identifiers (PID) also became mandatory for parcels worth €150 or less
- November 9, 2026: Japan Post revised its international mail conditions (announced on November 4). B2C (online sales) parcels to Germany can no longer be sent by international mail
This article draws on official information from Japan Post, the European Commission and Ireland's Revenue to explain what changed, which countries accept which shipping conditions, how much a typical order costs in duty and fees, and how to keep selling to the EU. All information is as of November 11, 2026.
What Changed for Ecommerce Shipments to the EU
The rules for small parcels to the EU changed step by step between July and November 2026, and Japan Post (EMS, international parcels and more) adjusted its acceptance conditions each time.
| Date | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2026 | Duty exemption for parcels of €150 or less abolished; €3 duty per item on goods bought online | EU (European Commission) |
| July 24, 2026 | Mail using IOSS suspended to some countries, including Germany and France | Japan Post |
| October 1, 2026 | DDP/DAP (who pays duties) conditions set by country; sending resumed to some countries | Japan Post |
| October 30, 2026 | "UGX (Standard)" no longer accepted for Europe | Japan Post |
| November 1, 2026 | €2 Union handling fee per item introduced; PID mandatory for parcels of €150 or less | EU |
| November 9, 2026 | International mail conditions revised; B2C parcels to Germany not accepted | Japan Post (announced November 4) |
July 1, 2026: The €150 Duty Exemption Ended
From July 1, 2026, the EU started charging customs duty on small parcels of €150 or less that used to be duty-free. The European Commission describes the €3 per-item duty as a temporary measure that applies until July 1, 2028. The VAT exemption had already been removed in 2021, so VAT is charged on top of the duty.
November 1, 2026: The €2 Handling Fee and Product Identifiers
Since November 1, 2026, a €2 Union handling fee per item applies in addition to the duty. According to Ireland's Revenue, the fee applies regardless of the value of the purchase and is non-refundable, even when goods are faulty or returned. Gifts sent from one private individual to another are not subject to the fee.
November 9, 2026: Japan Post Revised Its International Mail Conditions
On November 4, 2026, Japan Post announced that it would revise its international mail conditions on November 9. EU countries are now split into four groups plus Germany, and B2C parcels to Germany can no longer be sent.
What Are the EU €3 Customs Duty and the Union Handling Fee?
The EU €3 customs duty is a temporary duty of €3 per item on goods worth €150 or less that are bought online and shipped from outside the EU. The Union handling fee is a €2 per-item fee on ecommerce goods arriving from outside the EU, designed to cover the rising cost of customs checks on the growing volume of small parcels.
Japan Post explains the charges by type of transaction as follows.
| Transaction type | €45 or less | Over €45 up to €150 | Over €150 |
|---|---|---|---|
| B2C (online sales) | €3 duty + €2 UHF | €3 duty + €2 UHF | Standard EU duty rate + €2 UHF |
| C2C (gifts between individuals) | Duty-free | Standard EU duty rate | Standard EU duty rate |
| B2B and other | Standard EU duty rate | Standard EU duty rate | Standard EU duty rate |
Note that Japan Post treats a parcel as B2C whenever the sender is the seller, whether an individual or a company. Sole proprietors and individuals selling online fall under B2C as well. The final amount of duty is determined by customs in the destination country.
Which EU Countries You Can Ship to with Japan Post
From November 9, 2026, Japan Post's conditions for B2C parcels of €150 or less to the EU fall into five groups.
| Group | Countries and territories | With IOSS | Without IOSS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italy, Estonia, Netherlands, Spain, Slovakia, Malta | DDP or DAP | DAP only |
| 2 | Ireland, Cyprus, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania | DAP only | DAP only |
| 3 | Austria, Czechia, Portugal | Not accepted | DAP only |
| 4 | France, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Luxembourg, Monaco, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Réunion | DDP only | DAP only |
| 5 | Germany | Not accepted | Not accepted |
What Are IOSS, DDP and DAP?
IOSS (Import One-Stop Shop) is a scheme for businesses selling goods worth €150 or less to EU consumers: the seller collects VAT at checkout and pays it to EU tax authorities. DDP means the sender pays duties and taxes in advance, while DAP means the recipient pays them on delivery. To use DDP with Japan Post, you file the import declaration, prepay duties and create the label in an app from Zonos, the provider Japan Post recommends. Zonos charges its own fees for this.
B2C Parcels to Germany Can No Longer Go by International Mail
From November 9, 2026, Japan Post no longer accepts B2C (online sales) parcels to Germany, regardless of IOSS, DDP or DAP. Its country conditions give the reason as "the recommended provider does not operate in the destination country." Gifts and B2B mail can still be sent under the published conditions.
What Is a Product Identifier (PID)?
A product identifier (PID) is a code that identifies the goods inside a parcel. Since November 1, 2026, ecommerce parcels with contents worth €150 or less must include PIDs at the time of shipping.
| PID type | What it is | Examples | Required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merchant PID | ID assigned by the shop or marketplace | Product ID, SKU | Yes |
| Manufacturer PID | Product number assigned by the maker or supplier | Model number, part number | Yes |
| Standard PID | Standard barcode number | JAN, EAN, GTIN, ISBN | Only if one exists |
With Japan Post, PIDs are submitted through the Zonos app. The conditions for France and some other countries state that, for the time being, parcels can be sent without PIDs only when shipped DAP without IOSS. With UGX, PIDs go in the remarks field of the waybill or on a separate "PID List." Products that differ in color or material must be listed separately by SKU.
Cost Estimate: Duty and Fees on a Small EU Order
Based on Japan Post's guidance (both duty and UHF are charged per item), here is what a single B2C order costs in duty and fees. VAT is extra and varies by country and product.
| Example order | Duty | UHF | Total (excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| One item at €40 | €3 | €2 | €5 |
| Three different items, €120 in total | €9 | €6 | €15 |
| One item at €200 | Standard EU duty rate | €2 | Duty + €2 |
For a single €40 item, duty and fees alone add €5, or 12.5% of the item price. The lower the unit price, the heavier the burden, so it is worth revisiting prices and setting shipping rules that encourage larger baskets.
For countries that international mail can no longer reach, Japan Post's international courier service "UGX" is an option. Japan Post's UGX page lists these sample rates to Germany and France (as of November 2026).
| Weight | UGX Prime | UGX Cross-Border EC Delivery | EMS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kg | ¥10,300 | ¥6,695 | ¥6,700 |
| 5 kg | ¥16,900 | ¥10,985 | ¥13,000 |
| 10 kg | ¥27,900 | ¥18,135 | ¥23,500 |
UGX requires a contract such as deferred payment. UGX Cross-Border EC Delivery leaves parcels at the door, and neither service accepts multi-piece shipments. Greece is not covered by either service.
How to Keep Selling to the EU
To keep selling to the EU, decide on a shipping method for each country and get your PIDs and price display in order.
- Choose a shipping method for each country: Use the table in "Which EU Countries You Can Ship to with Japan Post" in this article to check the conditions for every country you sell to. For countries such as Germany that mail cannot reach, consider UGX or an international courier. See also our comparison of international shipping carriers (DHL, FedEx, EMS)
- Prepare PIDs for every product: Assign an SKU or model number to each product, including separate codes for color and size variants. Missing or incorrect PIDs can trigger customs checks and inspections, leading to delays, returns and extra charges
- Decide who pays duties and say so clearly: With DDP, build duties into your prices or shipping fees. With DAP, explain on product pages and order confirmation emails that the customer pays on delivery
- Pause sales to countries you cannot ship to: Until you have a shipping method, stop taking orders from those countries to avoid returns and refunds
Logistics companies are adapting too. In a press release on October 13, 2026, ZenGroup, a company that supports cross-border ecommerce, announced a partnership with Nova Global to open a new delivery route to 10 European countries, including Germany, France and Italy. The company cited more than 1,000 EU-bound parcels returned as of early September 2026 (its own count) as the background.
If you want to switch sales on and off by country on your own store, Leap, a cross-border ecommerce tool that lets AI handle marketing too, lets you set the countries where each product is sold, and hides the product everywhere else. It supports 22 major countries, including six in Europe such as Germany, France and Italy.
FAQ
Q. When does the EU €3 customs duty start and end?
A. It started on July 1, 2026, and the European Commission describes it as a temporary measure until July 1, 2028. Since November 1, 2026, a €2 Union handling fee per item applies on top of it.
Q. Has Japan Post stopped shipping to the EU?
A. No, not entirely; it depends on the country and conditions. From November 9, 2026, B2C parcels to Germany are not accepted, but other EU countries can still be reached by sending DAP without IOSS (as of November 11, 2026).
Q. Can I send products to Germany by EMS?
A. Goods you have sold (B2C) cannot be sent to Germany by international mail, including EMS, from November 9, 2026. Gifts and B2B mail can still be sent under the published conditions. For sold goods, consider UGX or an international courier.
Q. What is the IOSS scheme?
A. IOSS is a scheme that lets businesses selling goods worth €150 or less to EU consumers collect VAT at checkout and pay it in one place. Japan Post handles IOSS parcels differently by country, and does not accept them for Austria, Czechia, Portugal or Germany (from November 9, 2026).
Q. Do the rules apply if I sell overseas as an individual?
A. Yes. Japan Post treats any parcel sent by a seller as B2C (online sales), whether the seller is an individual or a company.
Summary and Key Takeaway
Selling to the EU has changed dramatically in six months, from the end of the duty exemption in July to the handling fee, mandatory PIDs and Japan Post's new conditions in November.
The bigger lesson is that whether you can ship to the EU is no longer decided for the EU as a whole, but country by country and carrier by carrier. Within the same EU, you can choose DDP or DAP by mail for Italy, while online sales to Germany cannot go by mail at all. Because the rules have been updated several times in just half a year, treat your sales countries, shipping methods and PID management as something to review regularly, not a one-time setup.
Leap is a cross-border ecommerce tool that lets AI handle marketing too. Just chat with it to build a multilingual, multi-currency online store and run overseas marketing such as SEO and email newsletters.
References
- Changes to the International Mail Conditions (November 4, 2026) - Japan Post (Japanese)
- Update 5: Abolition of the EU €150 Duty Exemption, Union Handling Fee, Product Identifiers and DDP/DAP for IOSS Mail (October 30, 2026) - Japan Post (Japanese)
- Update 4: Abolition of the EU €150 Duty Exemption and DDP/DAP for IOSS Mail (October 1, 2026) - Japan Post (Japanese)
- Update 2: Abolition of the EU €150 Duty Exemption (July 13, 2026) - Japan Post (Japanese)
- International Mail Conditions by Country: Germany - Japan Post (Japanese)
- International Mail Conditions by Country: France - Japan Post (Japanese)
- Suspension of UGX (Standard) to Europe (October 22, 2026) - Japan Post (Japanese)
- Shipping B2C Parcels to the EU by UGX (October 16, 2026) - Japan Post (Japanese)
- UGX (Yu Global Express) - Japan Post (Japanese)
- EU Customs Reform - European Commission
- Union Handling Fee (UHF) – 1 November 2026 - Revenue (Ireland)
- ZenGroup Partners with Nova Global to Build a New Delivery Route to 10 European Countries (October 13, 2026) - PR TIMES (Japanese)
