Free tool

Which customs documents for your parcel?

The answer depends first on how you ship, not on the amount. Two questions and two numbers are enough.

Attach to the parcelA CN22Postal shipment below 357 € and under 2 kg: the short declaration is enough.

CN22The green label stuck on the parcel: contents, value, country of origin.
HS codeThe customs code for each item. More and more destinations ask for it, even on a CN22.
EORI numberRequired for any commercial shipment leaving the European Union.

This threshold is not set in euros. International post expresses it in a unit of account shared by every country, whose euro value moves with exchange rates: about 357 € on 12 August 2026. That is why the figures published elsewhere contradict each other.

This tool tells you which documents to attach. It calculates no duty and no tax, and it replaces neither your carrier nor your customs broker: you remain the declarant for the shipment.

The distinction that decides

Post or courier,
the real question

Most guides start with the value of the parcel. That is the wrong way round: CN22 and CN23 are Universal Postal Union forms, they only exist inside the postal network. If you ship with CTT or a national postal operator, they concern you. If you ship with DHL, UPS, FedEx or DPD, they never concern you, and what you attach is a commercial invoice, even on a €30 parcel.

The amount only comes in afterwards, and only inside the postal network: below the value threshold and under 2 kg, a CN22 is enough; above either, it is a CN23 with an invoice.

This value threshold deserves an explanation, because it is where most of the contradictory figures you will read elsewhere come from. It is not set in euros: the Universal Postal Union expresses it in special drawing rights, the International Monetary Fund unit of account. It is not a currency you spend, it is a basket of five currencies, dollar, euro, yuan, yen and pound, used as a shared reference. Post offices use it so the same rule applies in Japan and in Portugal, without depending on a national currency.

In practice the threshold is 300 of those units, and its euro equivalent changes every day. On 12 August 2026 that is about €357. Hence the €380, €425 or €350 published by one guide or another, depending on when it was written. When in doubt near the limit, attach a CN23: it is accepted below the threshold, the reverse is not true.

What changed

July 2026,
the end of the €150 relief

The Council of the European Union gave final approval on 11 February 2026 to removing the customs duty exemption on consignments below €150, in force since 1 July 2026. A flat duty of €3 now applies per tariff category, until the EU Customs Data Hub goes live, expected mid 2028.

The reform changes what the recipient pays, not the documents you attach. A CN22 is still a CN22. But it makes the accuracy of your HS code and declared value more decisive than before, since that is what the duty is calculated on.

An EU-wide handling fee is also expected from November 2026. We will update this page once its scope is published.

€150 relief removed: in force since 1 July 2026
Flat duty of €3 per tariff category, until mid 2028
EU handling fee expected November 2026

FAQ

Questions about
customs documents

CN22 or CN23, how do you choose?

Only for a postal shipment. Below about €357 in value on 12 August 2026, and under 2 kg, a CN22 is enough. Above either, it is a CN23 with a commercial invoice. This threshold is not set in euros but in an international unit of account, so its euro value moves with exchange rates: near the limit, attach a CN23, which is accepted below the threshold while the reverse is not.

Do you need a CN22 with DHL, UPS or FedEx?

No. CN22 and CN23 are postal forms, specific to the Universal Postal Union network. A courier asks for a commercial invoice, usually in three copies, whatever the value of the parcel.

Which documents for a shipment inside the European Union?

No customs documents. Goods move freely between member states, your sales invoice is enough. Watch out for territories attached to a member state but outside the EU customs or tax territory, such as the Canary Islands or the French overseas departments, which do require a declaration.

What is an HS code and is it mandatory?

It is the customs classification code for the goods, six digits at international level. It is mandatory on a CN23 and on any commercial invoice, and more and more destinations ask for it even on a CN22. It is also what the €3 flat duty in force since 1 July 2026 is calculated on.

Above what amount do you need an export declaration?

Above €1,000 in value, an export declaration is required on top of the shipping documents. It goes through a customs broker, or through the indirect representation service some carriers offer.

Who is responsible for the declared information?

You are, as the sender. Software, ParcelRush included, can pre-fill the forms and suggest an HS code from your product data, but the value, description and classification you declare remain your responsibility.

Customs stops eating your time

A parcel held up means a customer chasing you and a sale that costs you money. When the documents are right first time, the parcel moves, and you get back the minutes each form used to take, shipment after shipment.