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Shipping to France from Thailand: duty, VAT and what gets through

France applies 20 percent import VAT to parcels from Thailand from the first euro. Since July 2026, EU low-value parcels pay EUR 3 flat duty per item when goods value is EUR 150 or less. La Poste adds a customs presentation fee on postal imports, which courier routing avoids.

What are the tax thresholds in France?

Import tax thresholds for France
ThresholdRule
ThresholdImport dutyRuleEUR 3 per customs line (low-value B2C, goods ≤ EUR 150)
ThresholdVAT / GST de minimisRuleEUR 0
ThresholdVAT / GST rateRule20%
ThresholdTypical duty bandRuleEUR 3/line ≤ EUR 150 (eligible B2C); 0-12% ad valorem above

Official references

Thresholds above are summarised for shippers. Confirm edge cases with the destination authority:

How long does delivery to France take?

Delivery options to France
Carrier optionIndicative delivery band
Carrier optionExpress courierIndicative delivery band3-6 days
Carrier optionEconomy air (postal)Indicative delivery band10-18 days
Carrier optionEconomy sea (consolidated)Indicative delivery band45-60 days
Freight rates Thailand to France

What cannot be shipped to France?

  • Counterfeit goods (France destroys and fines)
  • Certain laser pointers
  • Ivory and CITES items
  • Radar detectors

The full per-destination list lives on our restricted items policy and is enforced at our warehouse intake.

Worked example: what a real parcel costs

2 kg parcel of Thai spa products, declared EUR 120

Cost lineAmount
Cost lineItem costAmountEUR 120.00
Cost lineExpress shipping (2 kg)AmountSee calculator
Cost lineEU flat duty (1 item, ≤ EUR 150)AmountEUR 3.00
Cost lineImport VAT 20% (goods + shipping + duty)AmountEUR 35.40
Cost lineIllustrative totalAmountEUR 212.40

Express shipping is a live business parcel-calculator rate in THB (business, 0.5 kg, 10x10x10 cm). Duty, VAT and other lines use illustrative local-currency maths; total is a guide only until you confirm on the calculator.

Counterfeit enforcement in France is the EU's harshest: fake branded goods are destroyed and the recipient can be fined.

What happens if it is held at customs?

French holds are typically VAT collection waits or counterfeit screening. Genuine goods with receipts release in 2 to 5 days once documents are presented, which we do the same day.

Claims process and Shipment Protection

Related operator pages

This page owns duty and VAT thresholds. Use the route page for freight bands, the express parcel calculator for package rates, and the FCL vs LCL volume tool for sea mode guidance.

Shipping to France: questions we get asked

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