EU €3 fee: Explained
The EU €3 fee isn’t because of Brexit… but Brexit IS why many parcels from the UK to Spain are affected
If you’ve spent any time in Facebook groups for British residents in Spain recently, you’ve probably seen the debate.
Someone posts about the EU’s new €3 charge on low-value parcels. Someone else inevitably mentions Brexit being at fault. Someone else entirely responds that it’s nothing to do with Brexit. Before long, everyone’s snarling and nobody’s actually explaining what’s going on.
So, who’s right?
As it turns out, both sides have a point. But one side is missing a very important detail.
The new EU €3 fee
The European Union introduced a temporary flat-rate customs duty on many low-value imports from 1 July 2026, replacing the previous exemption for many goods valued at €150 or less while the wider EU Customs Reform is implemented.
The Commission says the measure is intended to reduce customs fraud, improve product safety and help customs authorities cope with the enormous growth in low-value imports. This is while the EU prepares to introduce a completely new customs system in 2028.
The fee is temporary and is due to remain in place until 1 July 2028.
It’s also worth noting that many headlines have simplified things by calling it a “€3 parcel fee”. In reality, it’s charged per customs tariff line, so parcels containing several different types of products could attract more than one €3 charge.
For example. 3 identical t-shirts would only incur one €3 fee. But a t-shirt, a pair of shorts and a sunhat would incure a €9 fee – €3 for each type of item.
Why was it introduced?
The European Commission estimates that around 5.8 billion low-value parcels entered the EU during 2025, with the majority originating from China. However – as with most rules/laws/regulations etc… other scenarios get caught up too. This isn’t just affecting your latest Temu order. It also affects your new soft cotton PJs from your favourite clothing outlet in Whatsittown.
So what has Brexit got to do with it?
Here’s the crucial point.
The fee itself was not caused by Brexit.
It is an EU-wide customs measure that applies to imports arriving from countries outside the European Union. If the UK had never left the EU, the legislation would almost certainly still have been introduced.
But…
Brexit IS the reason parcels from the UK are now treated as imports from outside the EU.
Since 1 January 2021, the United Kingdom has been treated as a third country for EU customs purposes. Goods entering the EU from the UK therefore follow the same customs procedures as imports from other non-EU countries.
Before Brexit, sending a parcel from Birmingham to Benidorm wasn’t an import. It was simply a movement of goods within the EU’s Single Market and Customs Union.
There were no customs declarations. No import VAT procedures. No import duties. No customs border.
Today, that same parcel crosses an external EU border. It must go through customs, comply with EU import rules and is potentially liable for whatever duties, taxes or administrative charges apply.
That’s entirely because the UK is now a “third country” under EU customs law.
A simple way to think about it
Imagine a members-only golf club introduces a new green fee for visitors. You enjoyed your membership for many years. Then you cancelled your membership.
The fee wasn’t introduced because you cancelled your membership, but once you’re no longer a member, you have to pay it.
The new charge applies to all visitors. Leaving the club membership is simply what made you one of them.
Brexit works in exactly the same way.
- The EU introduced a new import charge.
- Brexit placed the UK outside the EU customs area.
- The result is that parcels travelling from the UK into Spain now fall within the scope of those rules.
Does this affect everyone?
No.
If you order from a company that ships goods from a warehouse already located inside the EU, these new import rules generally won’t apply because the goods have already entered the EU customs territory.
However, if a retailer dispatches your purchase directly from the UK, the parcel IS an import into the EU.
That’s where these rules become relevant.
Does this affect gifts from family members?
For example – if Granny Coco sends a box of goodies for little Ria’s birthday… will little Ria need to pay a fee?
The good news for Granny Coco and little Ria is that probably not, assuming it’s a genuine birthday gift.
The €3 measure is aimed primarily at commercial imports, especially low-value e-commerce parcels. The longstanding EU relief for gifts sent from one private individual to another private individual has not been abolished.
So, if:
Granny Coco (a private individual in the UK) sends a genuine birthday present to little Ria (a private individual in Spain), with no payment involved, then the existing gift rules continue to apply.
Those rules generally allow gifts with a value of up to €45 to enter free of customs duty and VAT, provided they are sent occasionally and are genuinely non-commercial.
Where problems could arise is if the contents are worth more than €45, it’s really an online purchase disguised as a gift, or the parcel doesn’t qualify as a genuine private-to-private gift.
In those cases, the normal import rules may apply.
So in our example:
Granny Coco sends Ria a birthday parcel containing a cuddly toy, some sweets and a birthday card worth €30.
That should continue to qualify as a gift and shouldn’t attract the new €3 duty.
Whereas:
Granny Coco orders £30 of toys from a UK retailer and has them shipped directly to Ria in Spain.
That is not a gift for customs purposes. It’s a commercial sale delivered to an EU recipient, and it falls under the import rules regardless of who paid for it. The fact it’s a birthday present doesn’t change the customs classification.
This distinction is worth mentioning here because many readers will immediately think, “What about Christmas presents from the grandchildren?” The answer is reassuring: genuine gifts between family members are treated differently from online shopping.
What about Correos?
One question that hasn’t yet been fully answered officially is whether Spain’s postal service, Correos (or courier companies) will continue to charge their own administration or customs clearance fees.
The new €3 duty is specifically an EU customs charge. It is not a replacement for existing handling or customs processing fees.
At the time of writing, there has been no announcement suggesting those administration charges are disappearing. If Correos has to complete customs clearance on your behalf, there may still be separate fees depending on the circumstances.
So, who won the Facebook argument?
If someone says:
“The €3 charge is because of Brexit.”
That’s not strictly correct. The EU introduced the charge for all imports from outside the bloc.
But if someone says:
“Brexit has nothing to do with it.”
That’s not correct either. Without Brexit, parcels travelling from the UK to Spain would not be imports into the EU in the first place. They simply wouldn’t fall under these customs rules.
So perhaps the most accurate conclusion is this:
The €3 fee isn’t a Brexit tax. But Brexit is exactly why many parcels sent from the UK to Spain are now caught by it.
Like it or loathe it, that’s simply how customs law works.
The upshot of the new EU €3 fee?
It’s only a temporary measure and we are yet to see what the future holds. But for now – if ordering goods from the UK (as a private individual) under a total value of €150 – Be ready to pay extra.
Note: We have only examined how this affects Spain because this website is Spain Buddy not France Buddy nor Italy Buddy. Well, you get the idea.
Further reading not already linked:
Elle, along with Alan, is the owner of Spain Buddy and the busy web design business – Spain Web Design by Gandy-Draper.
Born a “Norverner”, she then spent most of her life “Dann Saff” before moving to Spain in 2006. Elle’s loves are Alan, the internet, dogs, good food, and dry white wine – although not necessarily in that order.
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Information correct at time of publication.
