Shipping to London can feel confusing: different couriers, changing Brexit rules and customs paperwork you’d rather avoid. Yet your customers, partners or family in London simply want their parcel on time and in perfect condition. For SMEs that want to ship or import outside the EU, ParcelParcel is the shipping aggregator that simplifies the shipping process by handling complex customs procedures and paperwork, so you save time and keep control over your shipments. When shipping to London, we help you compare options, prepare documents and book directly with the world’s best couriers.
Chantal has been writing about logistics topics for almost two decades and has worked for major international carriers.
Does international shipping feel complicated and unpredictable? You’re not alone. Since Brexit, sending goods to the UK is no longer “just another EU shipment”. You have to think about:
Customs declarations and HS codes
VAT and possible import duties
Commercial invoices and EORI numbers
Choosing between DHL, FedEx, UPS, DPD, DSV or Skynet
Transit times and surcharges to different London postcodes
Many companies still compare rates and rules manually, without knowing it can be faster and smarter. That’s exactly where ParcelParcel steps in.
ParcelParcel automatically compares the best couriers for you, with no contracts or subscriptions. You book online, we handle the complexity in the background.
When you send a parcel to London with ParcelParcel, you instantly see:
Economy and express options from DHL, FedEx, UPS, DPD, DSV and Skynet
Transit times to London (often next-day or 2–3 working days, depending on route)
Clear surcharges and delivery options (home delivery, business address, etc.)
Instead of opening multiple courier websites, you manage everything in one clear dashboard.
Curious what your shipping to London will cost? Use the ParcelParcel online shipping calculator:
Enter origin and destination (for example: Amsterdam → London).
Add weight and dimensions.
Choose whether you ship a parcel, pallet or urgent document.
Within seconds you see real-time rates from several carriers. You pick the option that fits your budget and deadline, then book directly online.
Why do companies like yours choose ParcelParcel? Because we make shipping parcels, pallets and urgent deliveries clear, with sharp rates and personal support.
Our team helps you with:
Customs questions for shipments to London
Special goods (samples, artworks, high-value items, equipment)
Correct documentation so your shipment clears UK customs smoothly
If you ship regularly outside the EU, ParcelParcel becomes your flexible shipping department, without fixed contracts.
Shipping to London now means shipping to a “third country” for EU businesses. That brings extra steps, but we make them manageable.
For most commercial goods you will need:
A commercial invoice with clear product descriptions and values
Correct HS codes and country of origin
The receiver’s details and phone/email
Possibly an EORI number, depending on who is the importer of record
We help you structure this data in our booking flow, so it appears correctly on your documents.
If you want to dive deeper into the official rules, you can check the official UK import rules on the UK government website (ideal as an external reference in your article). There you’ll find detailed information about duties, VAT and special product requirements.
ParcelParcel also offers in-depth customs knowledge for shipping to the United Kingdom. You can internally link to your UK customs content and to your EORI-number information to strengthen SEO around London and UK shipments.
Pack your goods safely in a strong box or crate.
Use internal cushioning so nothing moves.
Measure and weigh the parcel accurately.
You can support this step with an internal link to your packaging tips or carrier-specific packaging guidelines to help users pack for international shipping.
In your ParcelParcel account:
Enter London as destination
Add parcel weight and dimensions
Instantly compare prices and transit times
This turns the “problem aware” visitor into “solution aware”: they see that they don’t have to figure everything out themselves, we show the best options in one place.
Decide what matters most for this shipment:
Fastest delivery to London (express)
Best price (economy)
Specific courier preference (for example, DHL or FedEx)
You can link here to your DHL, FedEx or UPS international shipping carrier pages to help visitors understand each option better.
Our smart booking flow guides you through:
Sender and receiver data
Contents and value of the shipment
Incoterms and additional options (insurance, pickup, etc.)
Does it seem like a lot? We designed it so you can book even complex shipments in just a few minutes, with built-in checks that reduce the chance of customs delays.
Download and print your labels and commercial invoice, attach them to the parcel and the chosen courier (DHL, FedEx, UPS, DPD, DSV or Skynet) will pick up the shipment or you drop it at a service point, depending on the service.
From this moment, you can track your shipment all the way to London.
The cost of shipping to London depends on:
Origin country (distance and routing)
Weight and dimensions (including volumetric weight)
Chosen courier and service (economy vs express)
Possible fuel and area surcharges
With ParcelParcel you can:
See live rates from several couriers side by side
Immediately spot the cheapest or fastest option
Avoid surprises, because surcharges and options are clearly shown
This helps “product aware” visitors compare you with traditional courier contracts. Instead of fixed volumes or long-term agreements, you only pay for what you ship—while still benefiting from strong international partners.
Verzendkosten berekenen
The cheapest way for shipping to London is usually an economy service from one of our major couriers (such as DHL, UPS or DPD), booked through the ParcelParcel shipping calculator. Because we negotiate international rates and bundle volumes, you often pay less than booking directly with a single carrier.
Simply enter your parcel details and destination, compare the economy options, and choose the one that offers the best price–transit time balance.
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Transit time to London depends on where you ship from and which service you choose:
Express services: often 1–2 working days
Economy services: typically 3–6 working days
In the rate overview you always see estimated delivery times per courier. This means you can decide quickly whether speed or price is more important for this specific shipment.
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For most commercial shipments you will need:
A commercial invoice with product details, values and HS codes
Full sender and receiver information
Possibly an EORI number for the importer
ParcelParcel helps you fill in this information step by step, so your documents meet UK customs requirements. If you want to learn more, you can link to your UK customs information page and your article about EORI numbers. That way, customers who are “solution aware” get all the detail they need, while still being guided to book with ParcelParcel.
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Yes. Every shipment you book with ParcelParcel receives a tracking number from the chosen courier. You can follow your parcel to London from pickup to final delivery in your ParcelParcel environment and via the carrier’s tracking page.
If something unexpected happens, our support team is there to help you quickly—so you’re not stuck calling different international helpdesks.
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Just like any other international destination, there are restricted and prohibited items for London and the wider UK. Examples include dangerous goods, certain batteries, weapons, counterfeit products and some foodstuffs or plant products.
During booking we clearly indicate what you can and cannot ship with each courier. For more complex cases, our team can advise you and point you to official UK restrictions, so your shipment meets all requirements before it leaves.
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You can instantly check the shipping costs through our rate calculator. Enter the weight, dimensions, and destination country of your shipment, and you will see all available shipping options along with their respective delivery times. The calculator can be used to compare shipping rates for both export and import shipments.
If you need help calculating a shipping rate, watch the video below. Click on the 
button to play the video and the 
icon to view the video in fullscreen.
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Shipping costs are calculated based on dimensions (LxWxH in cm), weight (in kg), and the destination country. Both the actual weight (as shown on the scale) and the volumetric weight are considered.
The volumetric weight is the weight calculated based on the space your shipment occupies in the plane. The higher of the two weights (volumetric or actual weight) is used to calculate the shipping rate. You don't need to calculate this yourself; our calculator does it for you.
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You can use the discount code PP10 for 10% discount on the transportation costs of your first shipment. You can apply the discount code during the checkout process (instructions).
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Whether additional costs apply depends on whether your shipment stays within the European Union or is sent to/from a country outside the European Union. Below, you can see the additional costs for each situation.
Within the European Union
If, for example, you send a shipment from the Netherlands to Italy (within the EU), there will be an additional 21% VAT on the shipping costs.
Furthermore, if your shipment stays within the European Union, you won't have to deal with any import duties or customs clearance fees because your shipment doesn't go through customs. Please note that the European Union is not the same as Europe.
View here all the countries that are part of the European Union. For example, Switzerland is part of Europe but not part of the European Union.
Outside the European Union
If, for example, you send a shipment from the Netherlands to the United States, there will be no VAT (0%) applied to the displayed shipping rates.
However, there might be import duties levied by customs in the destination country if you send a shipment to/from a country outside the European Union. Typically, customs costs are charged to the recipient. This is known as Delivered At Place (DAP) in logistics terminology.
Customs is a government agency that levies import duties in certain cases to protect the local market. As a company, you can also ship using Delivered Duty Paid (DDP), which means any customs costs will be charged to you as the sender.
If you have any questions about this topic, feel free to contact us. Additionally, you can read everything about import duties, VAT, and the customs clearance process in this blog.
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A customs invoice is a form where all the goods you want to ship are specified. This invoice includes an English description of the goods, along with their corresponding value and weight.
The contents of your shipment must be specified per type of product you're sending to avoid delays at customs. A customs invoice is always prepared in quadruplicate in accordance with customs guidelines.
When is a customs invoice required?
A customs invoice is only required for shipments to/from countries outside the European Union (e.g., Netherlands - United States). If your shipment stays within the European Union (e.g., Netherlands - Italy), your shipment will not go through customs, and therefore, a customs invoice is not required.
Additionally, document shipments are not subject to customs, so if you're sending a document to a country within/outside the European Union, no customs invoice is needed.
Please note that not all goods can be shipped to every country. You can find a list of goods that cannot be sent via ParcelParcel on this page.
Do I need to create a customs invoice myself?
If you're sending a shipment to/from a country outside the European Union, it's mandatory to include a customs invoice with the shipment. We provide free support in creating a customs invoice.
You can easily generate a customs invoice through our shipping platform. The customs invoice will be automatically generated based on the content you specified during your booking.
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You can import just as easily as export via ParcelParcel.
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You can find a list of goods that cannot be shipped via ParcelParcel on this page.
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