How much are customs fees on eBay orders to Germany?
eBay is not one shop — it is millions of independent sellers, and that changes the customs picture for Germany. A watch from Japan, a camera lens from the UK, spare parts from the US: since 1 July 2026 every one of these consignments is dutiable, because the €150 de-minimis exemption no longer exists. For orders up to €150, eBay normally collects German VAT at 19% during checkout as the deemed supplier, and customs charges a flat €3 per distinct HS6 tariff line in the parcel.
The catch is that this is seller-dependent. Business sellers shipping through eBay's programmes ride the IOSS rails; a private seller posting the parcel themselves may not, and then the standard tariff for the product's HS code applies instead, with import VAT collected before Deutsche Post or DHL hands the box over.
One misconception to clear up early: buying from a private person is a purchase, not a gift. The €45 gift relief covers only consignments sent free of charge between private individuals — an auction win never qualifies.
Awaiting items
Add a price and your receipt prints here.
Worked example
Take a concrete order: a €42.00 wristwatch plus a €5.90 phone accessory from the same seller, with €5.50 postage. Goods come to €47.90. Watches and phone accessories sit in different HS6 headings, so customs counts 2 tariff lines — 2 × €3 = €6 in duty, regardless of how many items share each heading. eBay already charged €10.15 VAT at checkout, and Deutsche Post's handling typically adds €0–€8. Expect €69.55–€77.55 all-in at the door, of which €6–€14 is collected around delivery rather than at checkout.
Numbers for your own order? Use the calculator above — it applies the same rules to your prices.
Example declaration
- Wrist-watch €42.00
- Phone accessory €5.90
- Itemspaid at checkout€47.90
- Shippingpaid at checkout€5.50
- Customs duty€6.00
€3.00 × 2 tariff lines = €6.00
- VAT (19%)paid at checkout€10.15
19% × €53.40 (goods + shipping) = €10.15
- Carrier fee€0.00 – €8.00
Due at delivery: €6.00 – €14.00
Frequently asked questions
- Do I pay customs duty on an eBay order shipped to Germany?
- Yes. Since 1 July 2026 there is no duty-free threshold for parcels entering the EU. If the sale runs through eBay's IOSS-registered checkout and the goods are worth €150 or less, customs applies a flat €3 per distinct HS6 tariff line, and German VAT at 19% was already collected when you paid. Carrier handling, typically €0–€8 for postal delivery, can come on top.
- Is the flat duty charged once per eBay parcel?
- No — it is €3 per distinct HS6 tariff line inside the parcel, not per parcel and not per item. A watch and a phone case are two different headings, so two lines and 2 × €3. Two watches in one box share a heading, so they count as a single line and pay one €3.
- I bought from a private eBay seller — does the gift exemption apply?
- No. The €45 relief exists for genuine gifts sent free of charge between private individuals. Anything you paid for is a commercial import in the eyes of German customs, whoever the seller is. Asking a seller to mark the parcel as a gift is a false declaration and can lead to penalties and delays at Zoll.
- What if the eBay seller is not IOSS-registered?
- Then the flat per-line duty does not apply. Instead the parcel clears under an H7 declaration with the standard EU tariff rate for its HS code, import VAT at 19% calculated on goods plus shipping plus duty, and a carrier advancement fee — typically €0–€8 via Deutsche Post. Depending on the product, this route can cost more than the IOSS one.
- Do eBay orders over €150 pay the €3 duty?
- No. Consignments above €150 intrinsic value were never inside the de-minimis scheme, so 1 July 2026 changed nothing for them. They pay the normal tariff rate for their HS code plus import VAT at 19%, and the carrier usually charges a brokerage fee for the customs paperwork.