From 1 November 2026, a European handling fee applies to goods ordered remotely and imported from outside the European Union. The fee is 2 euros per goods line in the declaration. It is not limited to purchases on Chinese marketplaces: the country from which goods are dispatched matters.
A goods line does not always correspond to a single physical item. Several identical products may be grouped together where their description, tariff classification and other applicable characteristics match. For example, identical T-shirts may form one line, while a T-shirt and shoes form two, resulting in a 4-euro handling fee.
This payment does not remove VAT, customs duty or any operator's clearance charge. Since July 2026, a separate temporary duty of 3 euros per product category has applied to small consignments worth less than 150 euros. These different charges should not be confused when comparing the final price.
Placing an order before 1 November does not itself guarantee exemption from the new fee: the applicable customs clearance arrangements matter. Before paying, check the dispatch location, the seller's terms and information about included import costs. A shop using Polish and charging in złoty does not prove that the goods are dispatched from the EU.
