“From 1 November 2026, a new Customs Handling Fee (Union Handling Fee, under Regulation 2026/2108) introduced by the European Union will come into force, amounting to €2 plus VAT per type of item or content and applying to all purchases made outside the EU, regardless of their value,” Portuguese postal service CTT said in a statement.

New fee comes on top of existing charges

CTT recalled that it introduced a €3 fee plus VAT on 1 July 2026 for products from shops outside the EU, ending the exemption previously applied to low-value purchases. This means online purchases worth up to €150 “are subject to a simplified customs duty of €3 plus VAT per type of item or content”.

“Different items or contents are defined by reference to the breakdown of the Harmonised System codes. Under this scheme, the amount of duty payable (€3 plus VAT) does not depend on the value or quantity purchased of the same type of item or content,” CTT explained.

In addition, “from 1 November, senders shipping online purchases worth up to €150 from outside the EU will also be required to provide product identification data in all customs declarations”.

CTT also warned that parcels arriving in Portugal without this information may be returned under the new customs rules.

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