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Shipping to Italy from Thailand: duty, VAT and what gets through
Italy applies 22 percent import VAT from the first euro to parcels from Thailand. Since July 2026, EU low-value parcels pay EUR 3 flat duty per item when goods value is EUR 150 or less. Postal clearance is the slowest in the EU, so we default Italian parcels to courier.
What are the tax thresholds in Italy?
| Threshold | Rule |
|---|---|
| Import duty | EUR 3 per customs line (low-value B2C, goods ≤ EUR 150) |
| VAT / GST de minimis | EUR 0 |
| VAT / GST rate | 22% |
| Typical duty band | EUR 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 Italy take?
| Carrier option | Indicative delivery band |
|---|---|
| Express courier | 3-6 days |
| Economy air (postal) | 14-28 days |
| Economy sea (consolidated) | 45-60 days |
What cannot be shipped to Italy?
- Counterfeit goods (heavy fines to recipients)
- CITES items
- Certain food products without labelling
- Self-defence sprays
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 leather goods, declared EUR 140
| Cost line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Item cost | EUR 140.00 |
| Express shipping (2 kg) | See calculator |
| EU flat duty (1 item, ≤ EUR 150) | EUR 3.00 |
| Import VAT 22% (goods + shipping + duty) | EUR 43.56 |
| Illustrative total | EUR 241.56 |
Express shipping is a live parcel-calculator rate in THB (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.
Italian customs inspects leather and fashion at above-average rates; genuine goods with receipts pass, replicas are destroyed.
What happens if it is held at customs?
Italian postal holds can run for weeks, which is a routing problem rather than a documents problem. Courier consignments with our standard paperwork clear in 2 to 5 days.
Full failure procedures and refund timelinesRelated 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 Italy: questions we get asked
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