A new EUR 2 EU handling fee will apply to online parcels arriving from outside the European Union from 1 November. On top of the EUR 3 flat-rate customs duty introduced in July, the change could make some foreign online purchases (like from Temu and Shein) more expensive. Stricter product identification rules are also coming into force.
Another change is on the way for shoppers ordering goods from outside the European Union. From 1 November 2026, a new EUR 2 EU handling fee will apply to online parcels, including those arriving in Hungary.
According to a statement issued by the National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV) on Wednesday, the measure is part of the EU’s customs reform. The new rules will also tighten product identification requirements to help customs authorities identify potentially dangerous or non-compliant goods.
Another EUR 2 fee for parcels from outside the EU: Temu, Shein order to be affected
The new handling fee comes after the introduction of a EUR 3 flat-rate customs duty in July for low-value parcels worth less than EUR 150 arriving from outside the EU. The EUR 2 handling fee will apply regardless of the value of a parcel, meaning shipments worth more than EUR 150 will also be affected.
The changes could be particularly relevant to shoppers using popular online marketplaces such as Temu and Shein, which offer a wide range of goods from sellers based in China and other countries outside the EU.
Importantly, the new fee will be charged in addition to the existing EUR 3 customs duty, rather than replacing it. The flat-rate duty is currently intended as a temporary measure and is due to remain in place until the summer of 2028.
As with the flat-rate customs duty, 75% of the new handling fee will go into the EU budget.
Have you read this? Temu, Shein and AliExpress lose ground in Hungary after new EU customs charge
Will Hungarian shoppers have to pay the fee themselves?
There is some good news for consumers: shoppers will not have to arrange the payment of the new fee directly. Postal operators, courier companies or representatives appointed by online shopping platforms will continue to handle customs clearance and settle the relevant charges.
However, this does not necessarily mean consumers will be unaffected financially. The additional costs could be reflected in the final prices of goods or delivery services, depending on how the platforms and service providers choose to pass them on.
The precise impact on individual orders will therefore depend on the arrangements made by the relevant retailers and delivery companies.
Stricter checks to help identify dangerous products
The handling fee is not the only change taking effect on 1 November. From that date, customs declarations must also include the seller’s and manufacturer’s product identifiers for the goods contained in a parcel.
The aim is to help customs authorities identify imported products more accurately and improve their ability to detect goods that fail to comply with EU requirements or could pose a risk to consumers.
The stricter identification rules are particularly relevant to online marketplaces offering vast ranges of products from numerous different sellers. Better product identification can help authorities establish exactly what is entering the EU and carry out more effective checks.
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NAV processed 22 million parcels in three months
The number of small parcels arriving from outside the EU has fallen since the flat-rate customs duty was introduced in July, but the volume of shipments remains substantial. According to NAV data, the authority handled approximately 22 million consignments between July and September. That works out at an average of around 245,000 parcels a day.
As a single parcel can contain several different products, NAV processed nearly 58 million individual item lines during the three-month period.
