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Why sending parcels between the UK and Italy is more expensive after Brexit

Brexit has impacted the lives of British nationals in Italy in a multitude of ways – including making it more difficult to send and receive packages to and from loved ones in the UK. Here's an overview of the new rules and charges you need to know about.

Published: 17 March 2021 12:00 CET
Updated: 18 March 2021 17:52 CET
Deutsche Post parcels
Parcel carrier Turan Oeztekin of the Deutsche Post DHL Group logistics and postal services company sorts parcels in his van as he delivers parcels in a residential area in Dortmund, western Germany, on December 10, 2020. (Photo by Ina FASSBENDER / AFP)

Leaving the European Union has affected Brits in Italy considerably, including instances of not being able to access jobs and healthcare or having to resit their driving test. Another change to life in Italy are the high taxes applied to sending and receiving parcels between the UK and Italy.

No matter how good the reputation of Italian food and wine is, there are some British home comforts that can’t be beat. If you previously received packages of Marmite and Yorkshire Tea from your mum, Brexit has made it more difficult to get that taste of home.

Postal taxes

All parcels, whether commercial or private, were affected by postal rule changes when the UK left the EU on January 1st 2021. For individuals, one main difference British nationals in Italy are noticing are the high taxes. These are the extra costs involved when sending packages between the UK and Italy.

READ ALSO: Q&A: The British Embassy answers your questions about life in Italy after Brexit

Most goods arriving in the UK are liable to any or all of the following taxes, according to the latest UK government guidelines:

  • Customs duty
  • Excise duty
  • Import or supply VAT

You need to pay these fees whether:

  • you purchase the goods or receive them as a gift
  • the goods are new or used (including antiques)
  • the goods are for your private use or for re-sale
(Photo by Lewis Joly / POOL / AFP)

If you are sending a gift from Italy to the UK, import VAT typically only applies to goods whose value is over £39, or the equivalent in euros (around €45). Customs duty is due only if the value of the goods exceeds £135 (around €158).

To make sure your parcel is a gift – and to avoid paying import VAT – you must complete a customs declaration – this states that it must be for personal use rather then commercial, and it is only occasional, such as for a birthday or an anniversary.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: What are the different documents Italy’s British residents need after Brexit?

Twitter user Alessandra Libutti tweeted about the costs and bureaucracy involved in sending a parcel from Italy to the UK post-Brexit. Even a low-cost item incurred high delivery fees, which amounted to three times the value of the contents.

The paperwork is as much a source of umbrage as the costs.

Amanda Mouse from the UK runs a dance clothing company. Before Brexit, she worked with clients across Europe, including Italy. Due to the new rules, she complained that parcels didn’t reach her clients, and as a result, she is losing customers.

If you use online marketplaces, such as eBay, there are extra traps to watch out for. Under the UK’s new VAT rules, either EU sellers or UK buyers will now have to pay UK VAT on items shipped to Britain, depending on how much a product costs. For sales under £135, the tax burden will fall on sellers, while items exceeding that cost will see UK residents liable to pay the tax.

Customs declarations

Aside from the extra delivery costs, parcels now being sent between Italy and the UK need an extra customs declaration form attached. For packages being sent from the UK to Italy, the CN22 or CN23 form is required.

This is fixed to the package and contains information such as the sender and recipient’s details, and whether it’s a gift. The other options, such as item for sale, may affect the level of duty.

You also need to include a description of the contents, which takes away the element of surprise for birthday and Christmas presents – so don’t read the label if you want to be kept in suspense.

READ ALSO: Brexit: Anger and frustration for Brits in Italy amid confusion over new biometric ID card

The same also applies to sending parcels from the EU to the UK. A customs declaration must be completed before sending, either at the post office or in advance by downloading it from the postal service. 

To send a parcel from Italy to the UK, you need to complete a CN23 form, which is required for delivering parcels to all third countries. Post-Brexit, the UK now belongs to that category, so you need to attach one to your package to ensure it reaches its destination. The form can be downloaded here, or you can ask for one for free at your local post office.

Animal products

Now that the UK is a third country, the process of sending products derived from an animal has become a bit more complicated and it applies to both businesses and individuals.

READ ALSO: Bovril, tea… ham sandwiches: What can you bring back from the UK into your EU country?

For British online food delivery service, The British Corner Shop, Brexit halted delivery of food goods including meat and cheese to most of Europe – or items were being returned due to the new restrictions. Their latest updates show that services are resuming in some countries, including Italy, but that the range of products has been reduced “to comply with customs”.

Anyone bringing animal products such as meat and dairy into the EU will now need a veterinary certificate to prove that the food conforms to EU regulations.

The EU’s strict sanitary and phytosanitary rules – measures that aim to protect humans, animals, and plants from diseases, pests, or contaminants – mean that all imports of animal derived products come under these regulations.

These products are known as personal imports, which also include items that you bring back in your luggage after a trip to the UK. Some exemptions extend to limited amounts of baby milk, food required for medical reasons or a quantity of honey and certain fish products – find more information here.

If you flout these rules and send banned animal products, your parcel could be seized and destroyed.

Stick to them, on the other hand, and you can still keep in touch with people back in Britain through care packages and gifts.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: What are the rules on travel between Italy and the UK?

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BREXIT

NEW: Brits living in Italy under post-Brexit rules advised to pay healthcare fee

British nationals who moved to Italy before January 1st 2021 and don't have health coverage should pay Italy's 'voluntary' healthcare fees or take out private insurance, the UK government's website for British nationals overseas said in an update on Wednesday.

Published: 3 July 2024 18:08 CEST
NEW: Brits living in Italy under post-Brexit rules advised to pay healthcare fee

British residents covered by the post-Brexit withdrawal agreement (WA) who are currently without access to healthcare are advised to pay the Italian government’s fees or get private insurance, the British government said in an update published on its Living in Italy website on Wednesday afternoon.

The recommendation is a sharp reversal from the UK government’s previous March 2024 update, which said that British residents covered by the WA should not be subject to fees for using the Italian national health service (servizio sanitario nazionale, or SSN).

“The Italian government has recently decided that British nationals who entered and have been living in Italy prior to January 1st 2021 and are beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement can register for free with the Italian national health system and are therefore not required to make voluntary contributions,” the update read at the time.

READ ALSO: Trouble proving residency rights leaves Brits in Italy paying €2k health charge

As of Wednesday afternoon, however, the site’s authors had removed this text, saying that the UK government’s representatives had been made aware of “inconsistencies amongst Italian authorities in interpreting and implementing” their own guidelines.

“British people with rights under the Withdrawal Agreement as elective residents (not in employment) who have not yet qualified for permanent residency have had significant problems accessing health services. This also affects renewing their healthcare cards,” the latest update reads.

“If this affects you and you have no healthcare cover, we recommend that you pay the voluntary contribution to register with the Italian National Health System, or get private health insurance.”

Many of The Local’s British readers have been battling local authorities’ varying interpretations of the rules for those who are covered by the WA.

READ ALSO: Why Brits in Italy say they’ve been ‘hung out to dry’ over €2K healthcare fee

Italy’s government significantly raised its ‘voluntary’ healthcare fee to a minimum annual charge of €2,000 from the start of 2024, though there has been a persistent lack of clarity over exactly who it applies to.

In the absence of clear national guidelines, local health authorities have reportedly applied differing interpretations of the rules for WA beneficiaries, with several British nationals reporting being wrongly charged the fee in January.

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