UK Customs Paperwork for Parcels from Greece: 5 Steps to Get It Right After Brexit

UK customs paperwork is where a parcel from Greece either clears in 1-3 working days or sits in a warehouse for a week. Since Brexit, every parcel from Greece to the United Kingdom needs an accurate description, a real value, complete recipient details and, in some cases, HS codes and an EORI number. This guide walks you through the 5 steps, the 2026 prices including VAT, who pays duty and VAT on arrival, and the 7 mistakes that cause delays.

UK customs paperwork: what to check before you book

The United Kingdom is treated as a non-EU destination. That means the free movement of goods that applies to Germany or Italy does not apply here. Three things must be true before you book: you know exactly what is in the parcel, you can state an honest value for each item, and the recipient can be reached by phone and email to pay any import charges.

With a door-to-door courier via CourierAPP, the customs declaration is completed online during booking. The carrier (DHL or FedEx) files it electronically and handles clearance in the UK. You do not fill in paper forms, but the data you enter becomes the legal declaration, so accuracy matters.

Step 1: describe every item precisely

“Gift”, “clothes” or “personal items” are not descriptions; they are the fastest way to get a parcel flagged. UK customs paperwork needs one line per type of item: what it is, how many, what it is made of, and what it is for. The test is whether an officer who has never seen the parcel could picture the contents.

Examples of good descriptions

• “Men’s cotton T-shirts, 2 pieces, used, Greece, €20”
• “Paperback book, 1 piece, new, Greece, €15”
• “Ceramic decorative bowl, 1 piece, handmade, Greece, €35”
• “Olive oil soap, 4 bars, 100 g each, Greece, €12”

Step 2: declare the real value

Every item has a value, even a used sweater or a birthday present. Declare what it would reasonably cost to buy, in one currency (EUR or GBP), and keep the total consistent with the item lines. Under-declaring invites inspection, penalties or seizure; over-declaring means the recipient pays more tax than necessary.

What to watch

For a commercial sale, the invoice value is the declared value. For gifts, use a fair market estimate. For used personal belongings, a realistic second-hand value is acceptable. Do not write €0 or €1: customs systems reject it.

Step 3: CN22, CN23 and accompanying documents

CN22 and CN23 are the postal customs forms: CN22 for low-value items (broadly under €300 / £270) and CN23 for higher-value or heavier parcels. With an express courier you will not usually print them yourself; the carrier generates an electronic declaration and a commercial or pro-forma invoice from the data you entered in the app.

When a pro-forma invoice is enough

Gifts and personal belongings between private individuals travel with a pro-forma invoice that lists items and values but is not a sales document.

When a commercial invoice is required

Any sale, including an e-shop order or a sample sent to a business, needs a commercial invoice with seller and buyer details, item lines, values, currency and the Incoterm (usually DAP).

Step 4: HS codes and EORI numbers

An HS (Harmonised System) code is the 6-10 digit number that tells UK customs what an item is for duty purposes. For private gifts a general description is normally sufficient, but for commercial shipments the correct HS code per line speeds up clearance and determines the duty rate. Look codes up on the UK Trade Tariff (gov.uk) or ask your accountant.

An EORI number identifies businesses in customs systems. It is required when the recipient is a UK business, or when a Greek business exports commercially. Private individuals sending to private individuals do not need one. Put the recipient’s EORI on the declaration if they are a company.

Step 5: recipient details and delivery terms (DAP or DDP)

UK addresses need a full postcode (for example SW1A 1AA), a house number or name, a mobile number with +44 and an email address. The carrier uses the phone and email to request payment of any import charges; without them the parcel waits at the depot.

DAP or DDP?

DAP (also called DDU) means the recipient pays duty and VAT before delivery. This is the default for private shipments. DDP means the sender pays everything upfront; it is used by e-shops that want a “no surprises” experience for UK customers and is available on request.

UK customs paperwork and prices: what shipping to the UK costs in 2026 (incl. VAT)

The prices below are CourierAPP’s current rates to the United Kingdom, including Greek VAT, door to door via DHL and FedEx, and they refresh automatically every week. Electronic customs filing is included; there is no separate fee for the declaration.

These prices do not include UK import duty and VAT, which depend on the value and type of contents. See all current rates on the international price list and our full guide to shipping from Greece to the UK.

Who pays UK duty and VAT on arrival

Your UK customs paperwork determines what is charged at the border. As a guide, under current UK rules: gifts between private individuals worth up to £39 are usually free of VAT and duty. Consignments worth up to £135 pay no customs duty, but 20% VAT applies (for e-shop sales it is collected at the point of sale). Above £135, both duty and VAT are calculated according to the HS code.

On top of that, the carrier charges a clearance or advancement fee when it pays duties on the recipient’s behalf. Rules change, so check HMRC guidance for the current thresholds. Used personal belongings accompanying a move to the UK may qualify for Transfer of Residence relief if the application is approved before shipping.

What you can and cannot send to the UK

Clothes, shoes, books, documents, electronics, toys and gifts travel normally with accurate UK customs paperwork. Be careful with the things Greeks love to send to relatives in London: products of animal origin (cheese, cured meats and in some cases honey) face strict post-Brexit import rules and are often not accepted in courier shipments.

Olive oil, wine and tsipouro need special packaging, and alcohol attracts excise duty. Fully prohibited by carriers: flammable liquids, aerosols, loose lithium batteries, weapons, medication without a prescription, cash and live plants. Check the DHL Express shipping guidance before sealing the box.

7 common mistakes in UK customs paperwork

1. Vague descriptions (“gift”, “clothes”, “misc”). Write “2 men’s cotton T-shirts”.
2. Zero or token values. There is no such thing as a parcel with no value.
3. Mixed currencies. Declare in EUR or GBP, not both.
4. No country of origin. “Made in” affects the duty rate.
5. Recipient without phone and email. The carrier cannot request payment and the parcel waits.
6. Incomplete postcode. UK postcodes are mandatory and must be exact.
7. Declaring goods for sale as personal items. If it is an e-shop order, declare it as a sale with an invoice.

Delivery times, tracking and what happens if the parcel stops at customs

With Express, a parcel from Athens or Thessaloniki reaches London, Manchester or Edinburgh in 1-3 working days. With Economy, 3-6. These are carrier estimates and assume complete UK customs paperwork; a missing document can add 2-5 days.

In tracking you will see “Clearance processing” while the parcel is with customs. If charges are due, the carrier notifies the recipient by SMS or email for online payment, and delivery continues once paid. If something stalls, CourierAPP’s support team contacts the carrier on your behalf.

UK customs paperwork for e-shops and multiple orders

If you sell to UK customers, you need a UK VAT registration for consignments up to £135 (or sell through a marketplace that handles it), a commercial invoice for each parcel and consistent HS codes for your products. The recipient business’s EORI goes on the declaration.

With CourierAPP you send multiple parcels in one booking, up to 10 pieces with separate tracking, and receive a VAT invoice for your accounts. Standardise descriptions and values per product once, and the declaration takes seconds every time.

Measure and weigh before you declare

The carrier bills the greater of actual and volumetric weight (length × width × height / 5,000). Measure the parcel, or let CourierAPP’s AI measure it from a photo with an A4 sheet as a ruler. It is a starting estimate that you confirm; the carrier re-weighs and only the difference is adjusted. See how it works in our guide to shipping a parcel with AI.

The same AI scans the recipient’s address from a photo of a label or invoice, which cuts typing errors in postcodes. Photos are used only to calculate the shipment.

Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar

UK customs paperwork is not identical across the whole United Kingdom. Northern Ireland follows special arrangements for goods from the EU, the Channel Islands (Jersey, Guernsey) are a separate customs territory, and Gibraltar is outside the UK customs union. If your recipient is there, select the correct territory in the app and expect different times and charges. Scotland and Wales follow exactly the same rules as England.

Worked example: a complete declaration step by step

Say you are sending your sister in London a 4 kg parcel of birthday gifts. This is what complete UK customs paperwork looks like:

• Shipment type: Gift, non-commercial.
• Line 1: “Women’s wool sweater, 1 piece, Greece, €45”.
• Line 2: “Paperback books, 2 pieces, Greece, €24”.
• Line 3: “Ceramic decorative item, 1 piece, Greece, €30”.
• Total value: €99, currency EUR.
• Recipient: full name, address with postcode, mobile with +44, email.
• Delivery term: DAP (recipient pays any charges).

This parcel exceeds the £39 gift threshold, so the recipient may pay import VAT but no duty (it is under £135). Customs sees a clear picture and the parcel clears without questions. Had you written “gifts, €20”, it would risk inspection and delay.

Students moving to the UK: paperwork for a suitcase of personal belongings

Thousands of Greek students ship a suitcase to London, Manchester, Edinburgh or Glasgow every September. Used clothing, textbooks and bedding are personal effects, not merchandise, but they still need UK customs paperwork. Describe them honestly (“used clothing, 15 items, €200; used textbooks, 6 items, €90”), declare a realistic second-hand value and mark the shipment as personal effects, not a gift and not a sale.

If you are relocating for more than a year, look into Transfer of Residence (ToR) relief with HMRC before shipping; an approved ToR reference on the declaration can exempt your belongings from import VAT and duty. Without it, customs treats the suitcase as a normal import, and VAT may be charged on the declared value. A 23 kg suitcase with Economy costs €98.90 including Greek VAT, picked up from your family home.

Gifts to family in the UK: how to stay under the thresholds

If you are sending presents to relatives, a little planning saves them money. Keep individual gift parcels under £39 in declared value where realistic, and mark them clearly as gifts from one private person to another. Splitting a large gift shipment into two parcels to stay under the threshold is legitimate as long as each declaration is truthful; splitting one item’s value across parcels is not.

Remember that the £39 relief does not apply to alcohol, tobacco or perfume, which are always charged excise and VAT. For food gifts, check whether the item is a product of animal origin before you pack it; if it is, it may be refused at the border regardless of value.

Returns and parcels coming back from the UK to Greece

The reverse journey needs paperwork too. If a UK recipient returns an item to Greece, the declaration should state “returned goods” with a reference to the original shipment, so that Greek customs can apply returned-goods relief instead of charging import VAT again. Keep the original tracking number and invoice; you will need them for the return declaration.

The same applies to a student sending a suitcase home at the end of the year: personal effects, honest values, and the original outbound reference if you have it. CourierAPP shows the price of the return leg in the app before you pay.

Checklist before the courier arrives

• Every item has its own line with description, quantity, material, origin and value.
• Values are realistic and in one currency.
• Shipment type is correct: gift, personal effects or commercial sale.
• Recipient has full postcode, phone with +44 and email.
• For businesses, EORI and HS codes are filled in.
• No prohibited items (aerosols, batteries, animal products, alcohol without proper packaging).
• Weight and dimensions match the real parcel.

With this list ticked, your UK customs paperwork is complete and the parcel clears as quickly as the carrier allows.

Express or Economy to the UK: does the paperwork differ?

No. The UK customs paperwork is identical for both services; what changes is speed and price. Express flies the parcel and prioritises clearance, typically 1-3 working days door to door. Economy uses a slower network, typically 3-6 working days, and costs noticeably less above 5 kg. Both are handled by DHL or FedEx with full tracking and the same electronic declaration.

Choose Express for documents, urgent spare parts, samples with a deadline or anything a UK customer is waiting for. Choose Economy for gifts, clothing, books, student suitcases and non-urgent e-shop orders. The app shows both quotes side by side so you can compare the difference in euros and days before paying.

Why door-to-door courier beats the post office for UK parcels

With a postal service, you carry the parcel to a branch, fill in a paper CN22 or CN23 by hand, and the recipient is often asked to pay import charges plus a handling fee at delivery with little warning. Tracking is limited and delays at customs are hard to trace.

With CourierAPP, the courier collects from your door, the UK customs paperwork is submitted electronically before the parcel leaves Greece, the recipient is notified in advance of any charges, and you follow every stage in the app. For anything over 2 kg, or anything you actually want to arrive on a known date, the difference in reliability is worth far more than the difference in price.

Frequently asked questions about UK customs paperwork