This information is correct as of 18th June 2026 and may change as Royal Mail and EU customs authorities release further guidance.
Unfortunately, some changes are coming to EU imports from the UK from 1st July 2026, but don't panic. We're here to break it down in simpler terms and explain what we're doing at Rebel Romance to make your order process as smooth as possible.
So What's Changing?
The European Union is introducing a new customs charge on parcels entering EU countries from outside the EU, including orders sent from the UK.
From 1st July 2026, orders valued under €150 will be subject to a flat customs duty charge of €3 per item type within the parcel.
The important bit here is that the fee applies per line item, not per parcel.
For example:
✨ One pair of dungarees = €3 duty
✨ One pair of dungarees and one mug = €6 duty
✨ One pair of dungarees, one mug and one pair of socks = €9 duty
As you can imagine, this can add up quite quickly depending on what's in your order!
The EU has described this as a temporary measure while they work on wider customs reforms, but right now it's something all businesses shipping into the EU need to prepare for.
What Does This Mean For Me?
Previously, many international orders were sent using what's known as Delivery Duty Unpaid (DDU).
In simple terms, that meant we sent your parcel and if customs fees or import charges were due, your local postal service would contact you before delivery and ask you to pay them.
Sometimes this worked fine.
Sometimes it resulted in unexpected bills.
Sometimes parcels sat in customs for weeks waiting for payment.
And occasionally parcels were refused and made a very expensive round trip back to us.
Not ideal for anyone involved. 😅
What We're Doing Differently
Because the rules are changing and we don't yet know which EU countries will continue offering DDU services, Rebel Romance will be moving to Postal Delivery Duties Paid (PDDP) shipping for our EU customers.
This means customs duties, handling fees and any required charges will be paid upfront before your parcel enters the destination country.
The biggest benefit?
💖 No surprise customs bills arriving out of nowhere.
💖 Faster customs processing in many cases.
💖 Less chance of parcels being delayed, refused or returned.
💖 A much clearer understanding of what your order will actually cost.
Why Can't You Just Calculate The Fees At Checkout?
We wish it were that simple!!!
The challenge is that customs fees aren't based on just one thing.
They can vary depending on:
✨ How many items are in your order
✨ The value of the items
✨ The type of products you've purchased
✨ Where those products were manufactured
✨ The country you're shipping to
Because of this, it's impossible for us to know the exact customs charges before an order is placed and processed.
As we get used to the new system, we'll be trialling different EU shipping prices to help cover these customs charges.
During this period, you may find one of two things happens:
💖 We may refund you if the actual customs charges are lower than anticipated.
💖 We may send an invoice if the customs charges are higher than the amount collected at checkout.
We're not doing this to make extra money.
Our goal is to collect enough at checkout to cover the costs while keeping everything as fair and transparent as possible.
The more parcels we send under the new system, the more accurate we'll become at estimating these fees.
We'll continue to monitor the situation closely and update our shipping policies as more information becomes available.
As always, if you have any questions about shipping, customs or your order, just drop us a message. We're always happy to help.
Thank you for supporting our small business and helping us continue spreading colourful, alternative fashion and gifts around the world. 💖
