Shipping to the UK: cross-border without the hassle

What to consider?

• Customs doesn't slow you down if you get it right: with correct documents and HS codes, border processing time is minimal. Errors in documentation lead to delays or return shipments.
• Northern Ireland Protocol: Northern Ireland partially follows EU customs rules (Windsor Framework). Goods to NI are treated as EU single market for goods. No customs formalities needed for NI.
• Restricted items: the UK has stricter import rules for certain product categories (food, plants, cosmetics, electronics). Check per product group.
• Remote area surcharges: Scottish Highlands, islands (Isle of Man, Channel Islands) and remote areas incur surcharges with most carriers.
• Volumetric weight: express carriers invoice the higher of actual or volumetric weight
• Duties threshold: below £135 no import duties, but UK VAT applies. Above £135 import duties + VAT at import.

Customs after Brexit: what you need to know

Since Brexit, the UK is a third country. Customs formalities are mandatory for every shipment from the EU. Here is what you need:

• EORI number (EU): mandatory for export from the EU. Apply with your national customs authority.
• UK EORI number: required if you act as importer for DDP shipments (Delivered Duty Paid)
• UK VAT number: mandatory if you sell goods to UK consumers with a value up to £135. You collect and remit UK VAT yourself.
• HS codes: the correct commodity code per product for customs tariff classification
• Commercial invoice: required for every shipment. Wuunder generates this automatically.

DDP vs DAP: who pays the import duties?

• DDP (Delivered Duty Paid): you pay the import duties and UK VAT. Your customer has no surprises at delivery. Recommended for B2C.
• DAP (Delivered at Place): your customer pays import duties upon receipt. Can lead to refusals and return shipments. Common for B2B.

Wuunder supports both options and lets you choose per shipping profile or per order.

UK VAT rules for e-commerce

For shipments with a goods value up to £135, you as the seller are required to collect UK VAT (20%) from the customer and remit it to HMRC. No import duties are charged at the border. Above £135, regular import duties apply (depending on HS code) and VAT is collected at import.

Save immediately

• Resell rates for UK shipments: no contract of your own? Access competitive DHL Europlus and DPD Classic rates without minimum volume through our resell partners. Including automated customs documents, so no extra manual work.
• Carrier-mix strategy for UK: standard parcels (2-4 days) via DHL Ecommerce or DPD Classic, urgent shipments (next day) via UPS Express Saver or DHL Express. Use Paperless Trade with express carriers to save time and costs at the border.
• DDP below £135: invoice correctly below the threshold to avoid import duties. You remit 20% UK VAT to HMRC yourself, but your customer has zero surprises at the door. This dramatically reduces refusals and return shipments.
• PuzzlPack: UK express carriers (UPS, FedEx, DHL Express) apply strict volumetric weight calculations. PuzzlPack automatically selects the smallest packaging and prevents you from paying for air on your cross-border shipments.

Tailoring your checkout to UK customers

British consumers expect fast delivery, tracking and recognisable carrier names. DPD, Royal Mail, Evri and DHL are the names they recognise. Offer English-language tracking via Wuunder Track and make sure your checkout clearly communicates whether the price includes duties (DDP) or whether additional costs apply at delivery (DAP). Ambiguity on this point is the #1 reason for cart abandonment on cross-border UK orders.

Returns from the United Kingdom

Returns from the UK are more complex than within the EU due to customs. With Wuunder Returns you offer:

• Return labels via DPD, UPS or Royal Mail with drop-off at UK parcel shops
• QR code returns without a printer
• Branded returns portal with exchange option
• Automatic return tracking via Wuunder Track, available in English
• Customs documents for return import are generated automatically