Shipping to the EU gets even more complicated – particularly Germany

Like many independent record labels, we regularly ship vinyl to customers across Europe.

Unfortunately, a recent change to EU import rules has made the process significantly more complicated for sellers outside the EU.

The new €3 EU customs duty

From 1 July 2026, the EU introduced a flat €3 customs duty on most low-value parcels imported into the EU from outside the bloc.

Unlike traditional customs duties, this isn't based on the value of the goods - it's a fixed charge, supposedly to help fund the processing of the huge number of ecommerce parcels now entering the EU.

Unfortunately, it adds yet another cost that sellers and customers need to consider.

VAT and IOSS

Many customers will already be familiar with VAT being collected at checkout.

Marketplaces such as Bandcamp collect EU VAT from customers and remit it using the EU's Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) system. This means customers should not normally be charged VAT again when their parcel arrives.

If, however, you purchase directly from an independent website that is not using IOSS, the situation becomes rather more complicated.

Germany appears to have changed its approach

During testing of Royal Mail Click & Drop following the July changes, we discovered something unexpected.

Most EU countries (such as France) still allow parcels to be sent on a Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU) basis, meaning the recipient pays any applicable import charges.

However, for shipments to Germany, Royal Mail currently appears to force a sender-paid (PDDP) option for non-IOSS consignments.

At the time of writing, we have not found official confirmation explaining why Germany is treated differently, but both our own testing and reports from other UK businesses suggest Germany may no longer permit DDU for certain non-IOSS shipments.

What this means

For customers purchasing through Bandcamp, there should be little change, as Bandcamp already collects and remits EU VAT via IOSS.

For direct website sales from sellers who do not operate their own IOSS registration, Germany may become considerably more difficult to serve, as import VAT and the new customs duty may need to be paid by the sender rather than the recipient.

For many small independent labels and shops, the administrative burden of obtaining and maintaining an IOSS registration simply isn't proportionate to the relatively small number of German orders received.

As a result, while we seek clarification on the practical implications of these recent changes, we have taken the decision to temporarily suspend direct orders to Germany via this website. Customers in Germany can continue to purchase our releases through our Bandcamp store, where EU VAT is collected and remitted via the IOSS system. We apologise for the inconvenience and hope to resume direct sales to Germany as soon as the position becomes clearer.

We're monitoring the situation

The new rules have only recently come into force and guidance from carriers continues to evolve.

We're currently seeking clarification from Royal Mail regarding exactly how these changes affect shipments to Germany and other EU destinations.

As soon as we have definitive information, we'll update our shipping procedures accordingly.

In the meantime, we appreciate your patience while we navigate yet another layer of international shipping bureaucracy.