AliExpress import charges in the Netherlands: one line at a time
The cheapest consignment under the EU's 2026 regime is a one-category parcel, and Dutch AliExpress shoppers order exactly those: a single pair of earphones, one gadget at a time. Such an order carries precisely one HS6 tariff line and therefore precisely one €3 of customs duty — with Dutch VAT at 21% settled at the marketplace's IOSS checkout.
PostNL handles the arrival, and its import-handling charge is the variable to watch; the postal band is €0–€8, and IOSS parcels with only a small duty to collect often sit at its bottom. Watch the seller type too: AliExpress direct storefronts occasionally bypass IOSS, which swaps the flat duty for the standard tariff route with import VAT and near-certain handling.
Below, the simplest possible worked example — deliberately so.
Awaiting items
Add a price and your receipt prints here.
Worked example
One pair of earphones at €27.60, free shipping: €27.60 of goods, €0 carriage, and a single HS6 heading. That is 1 tariff line, so the duty is 1 × €3 = €3 — the minimum any dutiable consignment can owe. VAT of €5.80 at 21% was included when you paid AliExpress.
PostNL's doorstep request is €3–€11 (€3 of duty plus handling anywhere in €0–€8), for a final cost of €36.40–€44.40. Adding any second product category to this order would have doubled its duty.
Numbers for your own order? Use the calculator above — it applies the same rules to your prices.
Example declaration
- Earphones €27.60
- Itemspaid at checkout€27.60
- Shippingpaid at checkout€0.00
- Customs duty€3.00
€3.00 × 1 tariff line = €3.00
- VAT (21%)paid at checkout€5.80
21% × €27.60 (goods + shipping) = €5.80
- Carrier fee€0.00 – €8.00
Due at delivery: €3.00 – €11.00
Frequently asked questions
- Hoeveel douanekosten betaal ik voor een AliExpress-pakket?
- For a marketplace order with IOSS — the default — Dutch VAT at 21% is charged at checkout, and the customs duty is €3 per distinct HS6 tariff line in the parcel: a one-gadget order owes one €3, a three-category order owes three. PostNL collects the duty at delivery, plus a possible handling charge in the €0–€8 range.
- Is one product from AliExpress always just one tariff line?
- One product type, yes — and multiple units of it still count once. The line count follows distinct HS6 codes: five identical earphone pairs form one line and owe one €3. But 'one order' is not 'one line' — an order combining earphones with a watch strap spans two HS6 headings and owes €3 twice. The duty tracks categories, never parcels or piece counts.
- What if my AliExpress seller ships to the Netherlands without IOSS?
- The consignment leaves the flat-duty regime: it clears via H7 at the standard EU tariff for its HS code — frequently zero percent for earphones and phone accessories — and pays Dutch import VAT at 21% on goods plus shipping plus duty at the border. PostNL's advancement fee, typically €0–€8, applies almost without exception on this route, and clearance takes longer.
- Why does PostNL ask for money on an AliExpress parcel I already paid VAT on?
- Because IOSS covers only the VAT. The flat customs duty of €3 per HS6 tariff line, introduced on 1 July 2026, is charged at import and cannot be prepaid at checkout — a carrier has to collect it. PostNL may add its handling charge for that service, within €0–€8. You are not being double-taxed: checkout VAT and doorstep duty are different charges.
- Do orders above €150 from AliExpress follow these same rules?
- No — above €150 in goods value the flat-duty system has never applied. Those consignments pay the EU's regular tariff rate for each product, import VAT at 21% with shipping apportioned into the base, and a carrier clearance fee that is typically higher than for low-value parcels. July 2026 changed nothing for them; the reform was aimed entirely below €150.