How do I clear and pay for a parcel arriving in Lithuania?
Lithuania is the most do-it-yourself destination we cover: for many imports, Lietuvos paštas expects you to complete the customs declaration in its self-service portal before the parcel moves. The charges themselves follow the standard EU pattern — import VAT at 21%, duty under one of two regimes, and a handling fee — but the workflow puts you, not just the carrier, in the loop.
Declaring through the self-service portal
When a parcel needs a declaration, Lietuvos paštas typically notifies you and asks for the order details — what the item is, what you paid, and proof of payment. Filling this in promptly is the main thing a Lithuanian recipient controls: undeclared parcels simply wait, and waiting too long ends in return to sender.
IOSS marketplace orders usually skip this stage entirely. With VAT prepaid at checkout, there is normally nothing for you to declare, and the parcel flows through with, at most, the flat duty of €3 per distinct HS6 tariff line applied.
What you actually pay, route by route
With IOSS: 21% VAT was in the checkout total (on goods plus shipping) and the per-line flat duty covers the customs side. Without IOSS: the standard tariff for the HS heading, then 21% import VAT on goods plus shipping plus duty, then the carrier's fee — postal handling in the €0–€8 range, or €5–€20 if DPD or DHL cleared it as an express shipment.
One relief worth remembering for diaspora post: gift consignments between private individuals carry no duty or VAT up to €45 of goods value. Anything you purchased, from anyone, falls outside that relief.
Reading the numbers on a small order
Lithuanian baskets from the big marketplaces are typically small-value and multi-category — exactly the shape the per-line duty is priced for. An €18 order of a phone holder, a kitchen tool and socks is three HS6 lines, so three times €3 on the IOSS route, with nothing further due if VAT was in the checkout. The same order from a non-IOSS webshop would instead be assessed heading by heading at standard tariff rates, taxed at 21% on the grossed-up base, and carry the handling fee — usually the worse deal at this price point.
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Frequently asked questions
- How much is import VAT in Lithuania?
- Lithuania's rate is 21%. Non-IOSS imports pay it on the goods plus shipping plus customs duty once cleared; IOSS marketplace orders paid the same rate at checkout on goods plus shipping. The declaration you complete in the Lietuvos paštas portal is what triggers the calculation for postal imports that arrive without prepaid tax.
- What happens if I don't declare my parcel in the LP self-service portal?
- It stays put. Parcels awaiting a declaration are held, and consignments that are never declared are eventually returned to the sender. If you receive a notification, respond with the item description, the price paid and proof of payment — the sooner the declaration is complete, the sooner charges are assessed and the parcel released.
- Do Temu orders to Lithuania get charged customs?
- Yes, but modestly on the usual route: Temu's IOSS checkout collects Lithuanian VAT at 21% up front, so the customs stage applies the flat €3 per distinct HS6 tariff line. Because Temu baskets tend to span many categories, count your product types to estimate the duty — six categories means six lines, regardless of everything sharing one bag.
- Are parcels from family abroad taxed in Lithuania?
- Not if they qualify as gifts: occasional consignments from one private person to another, with nothing paid, are exempt from both duty and VAT up to €45 of intrinsic value — the goods' worth alone, ignoring postage. Above that value, or for anything bought and paid for, normal import rules apply even when the sender is a relative.