Shipping to Malaysia from Europe can easily feel complex: different time zones, long distances, customs rules and unexpected costs. At the same time, your customers or partners expect fast, reliable delivery at a competitive price. For SMEs that want to ship or import outside the EU, ParcelParcel is the shipping aggregator that simplifies the entire shipping process by handling complex customs procedures and paperwork, so you save time and still keep full control over your shipments. Whether you’re sending a single parcel to Malaysia or arranging regular cargo shipping to Malaysia, we help you choose the best option in minutes. In this guide, you’ll discover how shipping to Malaysia works, how to keep costs low, and how ParcelParcel helps you get the cheapest shipping to Malaysia without losing speed or service.
Chantal has been writing about logistics topics for almost two decades and has worked for major international carriers.
When you ship to Malaysia from outside the EU, your shipment will go through export and import customs. Malaysian customs classify all imported goods using HS (Harmonized System) codes, and duties and taxes are calculated based on those codes and the value of your shipment.
In practice, this means you need to:
Provide a clear and complete commercial invoice
Describe your goods accurately, including HS code where possible
Declare the correct value and currency
Indicate Incoterms (for example DAP or DDP)
Make sure the receiver is ready to handle any import duties and taxes
If you don’t want to figure this out on your own for every shipment, ParcelParcel’s team can help you prepare your documents and avoid delays at Malaysian customs.
ParcelParcel compares the best international couriers for you, like DHL, FedEx, UPS, DPD, DSV and Skynet, so you don’t have to request separate quotes or sign long-term contracts.
With ParcelParcel you:
Compare top couriers in one clear overview
See transit times and prices for each option
Book directly online with no subscriptions or hidden fees
Get personal support from our logistics specialists when you need it
If you prefer a specific carrier, you can still choose it. For example, you can select international shipping with DHL, international shipping with FedEx or international shipping with UPS for your shipment to Malaysia—while still enjoying ParcelParcel’s support and clear overview.
If you’re sending a smaller parcel to Malaysia, such as samples, spare parts or e-commerce orders, express courier services are usually the best choice. They offer:
Door-to-door delivery
Fast transit times (often 3–7 working days, depending on the service)
Online tracking from collection to delivery
Integrated customs clearance via the carrier
ParcelParcel helps you choose the right service level, for example economy for less urgent shipments or express for time-sensitive deliveries. You book your parcel to Malaysia online and receive shipping labels and documents directly in your account.
For larger volumes, pallets or regular B2B shipments, sea shipping to Malaysia or air freight cargo shipping to Malaysia can be more cost-effective.
With ParcelParcel you can:
Ship pallets or bulk cargo via DSV or other freight partners
Combine sea freight for the main route with courier delivery for the final mile
Use our expertise to choose between air, sea or a combination, depending on budget and deadlines
Sea shipping to Malaysia is ideal if you prioritise price over speed. Cargo shipping to Malaysia by air is the better option when timing is critical, but you still want transparent pricing and strong support with customs and handling.
Everyone wants the cheapest shipping to Malaysia, but you also need reliability. Here’s how ParcelParcel helps you balance both:
Compare multiple carriers in one place
Prices and transit times can vary significantly per courier and service. Our platform shows you the best options for your route and shipment profile.
Optimise your packaging and weight
International couriers often use volumetric weight. By choosing smart packaging sizes, you can lower the billable weight and reduce costs.
Choose the right service level
Economy or deferred services are often cheaper than express, while still offering solid transit times for many destinations in Malaysia.
Avoid customs surprises
Correct paperwork reduces delays and storage costs. Use our guidance and our Malaysia customs overview on Malaysia customs regulations (douane Maleisië) to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Use our expertise for recurring shipments
If you regularly ship to Malaysia, our team can help you standardise packaging, HS codes and Incoterms so you benefit from consistent, predictable costs.
Enter your shipment details
Fill in dimensions, weight, origin, destination and whether it’s a parcel, pallet or cargo shipment.
Compare services and prices
Instantly see different options from DHL, FedEx, UPS, DPD, DSV and Skynet, including transit times and costs.
Select the best option
Choose between speed (express), cost (economy) or capacity (sea or air cargo shipping to Malaysia).
Prepare your documents
Generate shipping labels and commercial invoices via ParcelParcel. Our team can review your customs data if needed.
Hand over your shipment
The courier collects your shipment, and you can follow it via track & trace until it’s delivered in Malaysia.
For more detailed customs information, you can also check the Royal Malaysian Customs Department website alongside our own tools and support.
Verzendkosten berekenen
The cheapest shipping to Malaysia usually comes from economy courier services for parcels and sea freight for larger volumes. Through ParcelParcel you can compare multiple carriers and service levels in one overview, so you immediately see which option gives you the lowest price for your specific shipment. By optimising your packaging and choosing non-urgent services, you often save a significant amount, without sacrificing reliability.
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Transit times depend on the service you choose:
Express parcel to Malaysia: often around 3–5 working days
Economy parcel services: typically 5–9 working days
Air cargo shipping to Malaysia: roughly 4–8 working days, depending on route and capacity
Sea shipping to Malaysia: several weeks, depending on port and schedule
When you book via ParcelParcel, you see indicative transit times for each option upfront, so you can match speed and budget.
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For most commercial shipments you’ll need:
A commercial invoice with accurate description and value
Receiver details, including phone number and email
HS codes where possible
Incoterms (e.g. DAP or DDP)
For pallets or cargo: a packing list and sometimes additional certificates
ParcelParcel helps you generate the necessary documents in our platform and checks for obvious mistakes so your shipment can pass Malaysian customs more smoothly.
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Yes. Like most countries, Malaysia has a list of prohibited and restricted goods,such as certain weapons, narcotics, counterfeit items and products that may pose safety or moral risks.
When you book through ParcelParcel, our team can indicate whether your goods are generally acceptable for courier or cargo services and point you to official sources from Malaysian customs. If in doubt, always check both our Malaysia customs page and the Royal Malaysian Customs website before you ship.
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Absolutely. ParcelParcel is not only for small parcels to Malaysia. We also support pallet shipments and larger cargo via partners like DSV and other freight carriers. You can combine pallet shipping outside the EU with local courier delivery in Malaysia, and we help you coordinate customs, documentation and the final mile. This way you keep one point of contact, one clear overview and competitive rates for all your shipments.
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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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