For shipments to countries outside the European Union using our export products, certain customs and shipping requirements must be observed. The key information is summarized here.
International parcels are shipped exclusively as individual consignments. The consolidation of multiple parcels into a single customs or shipping unit is not provided for in postal services.
The appropriate customs documents must be enclosed with each individual parcel. These typically include:
Commercial invoice (in duplicate)
Customs declaration (e.g. CN22 or CN23) – only for DHL Paket International and Warenpost International
If required: proof of preferential origin (in the form of a declaration of origin on the commercial invoice or as a separate document, e.g. EUR1)
In addition, electronic shipment and customs data must be transmitted prior to posting.
Customs-relevant information is required for customs clearance and must be provided in English or in the official language of the destination country. The requirements for customs data are summarized by product here.
Important:
The information provided in the customs declaration and the commercial invoice (or invoice for customs purposes) forms the basis for import clearance, including the assessment of country-specific import duties and taxes, which are generally collected from the recipient of the parcel. All information must be provided in English or in the official language of the destination country.
In addition to duties and taxes, service fees for customs clearance by the delivery operator may also be charged. DHL Paket has no influence on the amount of duties and taxes or on any applicable service fees.
For international shipments, a correct German sender address must always be provided, both on the shipping label and in the electronic shipment data.
If the value of the goods exceeds EUR 1,000, an additional export document is mandatory. The parcel must be clearly identified both physically and electronically as a shipment accompanied by an export accompanying document.
> For further information, please refer to "Important information on Export Declarations" below.
All required customs-relevant documents must be securely affixed to the outside of the parcel in a self-adhesive document envelope, placed next to the shipping label, to ensure accessibility for customs clearance.
Each country has its own customs and import regulations. The sender is responsible for complying with these requirements. It is therefore recommended to obtain information on the current regulations prior to shipment, for example via the chamber of commerce of the destination country or comparable institutions.
> Further information on relevant websites can be found under "Additional contacts for customs and export".
Certain goods (or categories of goods) are excluded from shipment in accordance with the applicable general terms and conditions. These typically include dangerous, prohibited or particularly sensitive goods, as well as goods with the customs status of non-Union goods (e.g. goods under the T1 procedure). Please check prior to shipment whether your goods are eligible for dispatch.
The sender bears the risk of all consequences arising from the inadmissible shipment of goods abroad, non-compliance with the import and customs regulations of foreign countries (including transit regulations), incorrect or incomplete preparation of the required customs documents, and failure to comply with applicable export regulations.
This also applies to any damage incurred by the sender due to loss of entitlement to compensation if the shipment is seized by the customs authorities of a foreign country. It is the responsibility of the sender to obtain information independently from the recipients of the shipments, the foreign representations of the destination or transit countries, foreign trade offices, chambers of industry and commerce, or other relevant authorities.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced additional changes to goods shipments, which took effect on July 24 and will be extended through October 22, 2026.
Among other things, new requirements for commodity tariff codes and customs procedures will be introduced. In addition, import duties will be based more heavily on product-specific tariff rates in the future.
You can always find the latest information about shipping to the U.S. at dhl.de/us-shipping
Since the second quarter of 2026, Switzerland has been conducting a pilot program for import declarations in its new customs clearance system, PASSAR 2.0. This marks the start of the transition period from the previous E-dec system to PASSAR, which is expected to last until September 30, 2027.
This system change affects business customers who use a ZAZ account when shipping to Switzerland via DHL Paket International or DHL Europaket.
As part of the system migrations, new business partner IDs (GP-ID) will be assigned, and existing authorizations to use the ZAZ accounts must be updated.
No changes are required to the transmission of customs data to DHL. When clearing customs on behalf of a third party, please continue to include the CH-UID on the invoice and in the customs data transmission to DHL.
Our delivery partners, DHL Express Switzerland and Swiss Post, are already preparing to transition their import customs processes.
DHL Express Switzerland is already operating in parallel. Customers who have granted DHL Express Switzerland authorization for their ZAZ account may therefore have already been contacted directly by the delivery partner.
For more general information and frequently asked questions, please visit bazg.admin.ch
Switching from a ZAZ account to a GP-ID with DHL Express Switzerland:
Switching from a ZAZ account to a GP-ID with Swiss Post:
Swiss Post is still preparing for the transition. As soon as information becomes available, we'll share it here.
The Austrian Parliament passed a law introducing a new parcel tax (Parcel Tax Act) on B2C shipments to private recipients as of October 1, 2026. The tax is to be 2 EUR per taxable shipment delivered to a private recipient. Alternatively, upon request, it is possible to collect and remit the fee of 2 EUR per order.
This generally applies to companies and online platforms with sales of more than 100 million EUR in Austria. The regulation is also intended to cover cross-border shipments from Germany.
Please check as soon as possible whether your company is affected by the proposed regulation. If this is the case, you should handle the registration, quarterly reporting, and payment of the tax to the Austrian tax authorities on your own, since, according to the law, the company or platform is liable for the tax payment. These processes are not handled by DHL as a shipping provider.
For more information on the proposed tax, please visit the Parliament's website and refer to the 2027/2028 Budget Accompanying Act, under the subheading "Package Tax Act," at https://www.parlament.gv.at/gegenstand/XXVIII/I/523 (only in German).
Please note that, for shipments sent by mail to Norway, it is currently not possible to clear customs in the name of a third party using a Norwegian organization number (NUF).
Under the postal transit procedure, customs clearance cannot therefore be delegated to a third party with a NUF. Shippers and importers should take this into account when designing their shipping and import processes.
If you have any questions about customs requirements for shipments to Norway under postal customs clearance, please contact your sales representative.
In certain cases, an Export Declaration is required when shipping with DHL Paket International to non-EU countries or special EU territories.
An individual Export Declaration is required if:
Important
In accordance with Section 9 (1) of the German Foreign Trade and Payments Ordinance (AWV), the exporter or their representative is required to electronically declare the goods to the competent export customs office prior to handing them over to Deutsche Post AG, for example via ATLAS (Automated Tariff and Local Customs Clearance System) or IAA Plus (ATLAS Export IT procedure – Internet Export Declaration Plus).
Attach a yellow label bearing the notice “Attention! Export Declaration” near the shipment address and mark the parcel in your shipping logistics system with the note “Shipment with Export Declaration.” These markings ensure that your DHL Paket International shipment is identified as a parcel with an export accompanying document, separated accordingly, and handled with special care.
The label can be downloaded further below on this page.
Please note…
Your DHL Paket International shipment cannot be properly exported and the export procedure cannot be electronically closed if the export accompanying document is placed inside the parcel or handed over separately from the parcel.
If, upon handover to Deutsche Post AG, it is determined that the required export accompanying document is missing despite the appropriate marking, Deutsche Post AG must refuse acceptance of the shipment and return it to the sender.
Since July 2009, only electronic Export Declarations have been permitted.
Your export shipment can only be properly cleared and the export procedure electronically completed if the instructions outlined in this guide are followed in full. The electronic “Exit Confirmation” message subsequently issued by customs via ATLAS serves as proof for VAT purposes.
