EU customs rules change for orders from non-EU shops

A new phase has begun for parcels ordered from non-EU webshops: according to the information published by NAV, the regulation on the new EU Customs Code was promulgated on 19 September 2026, and the basic e-commerce concepts entered into force on 20 September 2026. The aim of the change is to place less direct administrative burden on private buyers in cross-border online orders, while requiring platforms to take greater responsibility for import-related obligations. However, this does not necessarily mean that every order will become cheaper or simpler: the process may become more transparent, but some of the costs may appear in the final price.

What changed from 20 September?

According to the information published by NAV, the first elements of the new rules affecting e-commerce entered into force on 20 September 2026. This does not mean that all parcel-handling practices were completely transformed overnight; rather, it means that the first part of the reform has begun.

According to the European Parliament's information, one of the central elements of the new regulation is that non-EU e-commerce platforms become the responsible importer for consumer purchases. In practice, this could mean that private buyers no longer have to navigate the technical details of customs procedures themselves, as platforms will handle a larger part of the process.

What does this mean in practice for people placing orders?

The most important change is that responsibility related to imports is shifting more clearly to webshops and platforms. If this system works as planned, there may be less direct customs administration, with fewer follow-up clarifications and less administrative uncertainty.

At the same time, this does not mean that products arriving from outside the EU will definitely become cheaper. Rather, customs and other charges may appear in a more orderly, built-in form in the price or during the payment process. Shopping may become more convenient, but platforms may also incorporate some of the additional costs into the sale price, shipping fee or another handling charge.

The changes around the €150 threshold also matter

According to information from the Council of the European Union, one aim of the reform is to eliminate distortions linked to the €150 duty-free threshold. In the EU's view, the previous system favoured the mass entry of low-value parcels into the EU market under differing control and cost rules.

This matters because the earlier benefits and exceptions, which were often difficult to follow, can increasingly no longer be relied on in the same way. The aim is for online orders arriving from outside the EU to be assessed more uniformly and for it to be less worthwhile to exploit gaps between the rules.

A new EU handling fee is also coming

Based on NAV's statement, member states must begin collecting the new EU handling fee by 1 November 2026 at the latest. According to Store Insider's report, this could be one of the next steps in the e-commerce reform that consumers will also feel in their orders.

For now, what seems certain is that from November a new fee item may appear among the costs associated with orders arriving from outside the EU. Based on the public information issued in September, no firm conclusion can yet be drawn about the exact amount or the method of calculation.

The November handling fee is not the same as the previously mentioned €3 item

In news reports about orders from foreign webshops, it is easy to confuse the different customs-related charges. Based on the NAV information and EY's professional summary, it is worth treating the previously introduced transitional items separately from the handling fee being introduced under the new EU Customs Code.

According to Világgazdaság's earlier report, a change linked to a €3 item had already appeared from 1 July, but this should not automatically be treated as identical to the new EU handling fee starting from 1 November. For this reason, it is worth checking before ordering which cost appears under which legal basis.

Why is the EU changing the system?

According to the European Parliament's overview, the new Customs Code responds to the rapid growth of e-commerce. In recent years, the number of low-value parcels, often arriving from Asian platforms, has increased significantly, creating a situation that has become harder and harder to manage in terms of customs control, tax collection and fair competition.

The reform therefore aims to address several problems at once: curbing the circumvention of rules, improving the competitive position of EU traders and digitising customs procedures. So the change is not only about consumers' wallets, but also about how the EU is trying to modernise oversight of the vast volume of online imports.

A new EU customs authority and data hub are also on the way

According to information from NAV and the European Parliament, as part of the reform the Customs Authority of the European Union will be established with its centre in Lille, along with the EU customs data hub. At first glance, these may seem more like institutional and IT background changes, but in the longer term they may be exactly what reshapes the processes around orders.

If data reporting and controls become more uniform, the aim is to reduce parallel administration and to track more accurately what goods are entering the EU. The effect of this could be fewer delays and misunderstandings, as well as fewer situations that lead to follow-up administration.

How much pressure will be put on platforms?

According to information from the Council of the European Union, fines for platforms that fail to comply may reach 6 per cent of their previous year's EU import value. This is already on a scale that shows the EU is not merely making a technical correction, but is trying to create a real compliance obligation for major platforms.

This may have a double effect. On the one hand, there is a greater chance that customs charges and administrative steps will be more clearly settled in advance during the ordering process. On the other hand, platforms are also likely to try to price in the cost of compliance, so they may not bear the entire burden themselves in the long term.

What is worth checking before ordering?

Before buying from a non-EU webshop, it is now even more important to check what the platform shows at payment as the total cost. It is worth paying particular attention to whether the price includes taxes, customs-related items or a separate handling fee, and whether there is any indication that the platform is handling the importer-related tasks.

It is also advisable to check the order total and the shipping terms, because the rule change will not necessarily appear on a single separate line. One platform may build the charges into its pricing, while another may show them separately. As a result, the difference between the apparent and the actual final price may become even greater in future between two similar products.

Those who regularly order cheap, low-value products from Asia should also be more attentive. It is precisely with these orders that it may be most noticeable if the earlier, more favourable structure is replaced by a more uniform but less flexible cost model.

Overall, the first steps of the new EU Customs Code are rearranging how the system works rather than making all foreign orders more expensive or easier in one move. For now, the fixed points are the dates: according to the information published by NAV, promulgation took place on 19 September 2026, the first e-commerce rules entered into force on 20 September, and NAV's detailed information was published on 23 September. Based on the same information, collection of the new EU handling fee must begin by 1 November at the latest. For anyone ordering from outside the EU, the main thing to watch now is the total cost shown at payment and how transparently the platform handles import-related charges.