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When do you have to pay customs in Denmark?

Parcels, online orders and goods from trips

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Short answer

You pay customs on goods that reach Denmark from a country outside the EU, both parcels from webshops and goods you bring home from a trip. For parcels with a total value above EUR 150, the normal duty rate for the type of goods applies, and from 1 July 2026 parcels worth EUR 150 or less carry a duty of EUR 3 per item group (varepost). On top of that comes 25 % Danish VAT from the first krone and, from 1 November 2026, an EU handling fee of EUR 2 per item group. Goods sent to you from another EU country for your own use carry no customs duty.

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Why

  1. Since 1 July 2026 there is no duty-free amount for online orders from outside the EU.
  2. Goods with the same customs code count as one item group, so three cotton T-shirts pay EUR 3 once.
  3. Travellers from outside the EU pay duty when other goods are worth more than 3,250 kr. by air or sea in 2026.

Details

Special excise duties can apply even to goods from the EU, for example on spirits, coffee and chocolate.

Tip

Check where the parcel is shipped from, not where the webshop is based: a German website that ships from China follows the non-EU rules.

What may differ

The carrier adds its own fee for the customs declaration, and the size of it is set by the carrier.

Common misconception

Small online orders under EUR 150 from outside the EU are still free of customs.

What actually happens

From 1 July 2026 these orders carry EUR 3 duty per item group, plus VAT and from 1 November 2026 a EUR 2 handling fee.

People also ask

  • What is a varepost?
  • Do you pay customs on orders from the EU?
  • Who collects customs on a parcel?

Sources

This answer is for reference only. Entry and customs rules can change, so check the Danish Immigration Service, the Danish police and the Danish Customs Agency before you travel.

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