SEND A PARCEL INTERNATIONALLY

Ways to save money on your International postage 

	Save money you drop your parcels off at one of our 3,500 ServicePoints or 50+ DHL Parcel UK depots.
	Opt-into recieving our emails and get 15% off your first delivery.
	Receive 3% cashback into your DHL Parcel UK account when you add funds (Terms apply).
	If sending smaller items worldwide ensure the box isn’t much bigger than the item you are shipping (and that the item is safe and secure to avoid damages during transit) – this way you will save money on the volumetric weight.

Tips to success when shipping Internationally

	Weigh your parcel in kilograms
	Measure the size of your parcel in cm (Length x Width x Height)
	Complete the customs declaration section within the booking form
	If sending multiple items in one order, make sure you list them all within the booking form including a brief description and the value
	Print off all labels and paperwork
	Make sure you're not sending anything that may be a prohibited item. See full list here

Our international services

We have 4 international delivery services: DHL Parcel Connect, DHL Parcel International, Road Economy and Worldwide Air Delivery. Each international service comes with different transit times, prices and value added services so you can pick the service which best meets your needs.

For instance, if you are sending a large parcel to a European country then our Road Economy Delivery service would be the perfect solution. Whereas, our Worldwide Air service is more suitable for someone who is looking for fast parcel delivery to a destination outside the EU.

DHL Parcel Connect

Europe-wide road service: Fully tracked delivery to your recipient's home address or the nearest in-country DHL ServicePoint or locker. Electronic signature or confirmation of delivery Pre-delivery alerts Delivery to the in-country DHL ServicePoint and locker box network Recipient can re-route the parcel to an alternative address Max dimensions 120 x 60 x 60 and up to 25kg Up to £500 extended cover available

	DHL Parcel International
Worldwide road-based service: Reliable final mile delivery via the local in-country postal partners. Proof of delivery Online tracking Pre-delivery alerts Signed for delivery to your recipients door Max dimensions 120 x 60 x 60 and up to 25kg Up to £500 extended cover available

	Road Economy Delivery
Europe-wide road service with proof of delivery - perfect for larger parcels or business addresses. Proof of delivery Online tracking Max dimensions 120 x 60 x 60 or 100 x 80 x 80 and up to 25kg Available to residential and business addresses Up to £1000 extended cover available

	Worldwide Air Delivery
Worldwide Air service for urgent and time-sensitive parcels - signed for delivery to your recipients door. Proof of delivery Online tracking Max dimensions 120 x 60 x 60 or 100 x 80 x 80 and up to 25kg Available to residential and business addresses Up to £1000 extended cover available

How is the cost of sending an international parcel calculated?

Whether you choose to use one of our Road or Air services, the price is based on the weight and dimensions of your parcel plus how you chose to ship it. Your parcel can weigh up to 25kg and must be no bigger than 120cm (l) x 80cm (w) x 80cm (h).

The volumetric weight of a parcel is: length x width x height in centimetres (cm) divided by 5000. If your parcel's volumetric weight exceeds the actual weight of your parcel then you’ll be charged the volumetric weight price. All you need to do is enter the correct weight and dimensions of your parcel into our quick quote or booking form and we’ll work the cost out for you.

How to book an international delivery

When sending a parcel to an international destination, you need to provide a bit more information about the shipment than you do when sending a parcel to a UK address. Our easy-to-use booking form walks you through each stage so it’s as easy to send a parcel to Southampton as it is to South Africa.

Here's our top tips for success when shipping internationally

Tip 1: Measure and weigh your parcel accurately

When placing your booking, you will need to provide an exact weight and size for your parcel. Firstly, weigh your parcel in kilograms. If your parcel is small enough, you can use your kitchen scales for this. Alternatively, bathroom scales work better for bigger parcels. Next, use a tape measure to find out the length, width and height of your parcel in centimetres.

Tip 2: Complete the customs declaration fully

Provide as much information as possible in the customs information section. Any inaccurate information or incomplete fields could result in your parcel getting delayed at customs or even returned to you.

Tip 3: Provide and description for each item

Give a detailed description of each item in the parcel. This should include what the item is, what it is made from and what it will be used for. For example, instead of ‘clothing’ use ‘men’s knitted jumper, 70% cotton and 30% polyester’.

Commerical or pro forma invoice

When sending a parcel to a country outside of the EU, you currently need to provide a commercial or pro-forma invoice. This is required for your parcel to pass through borders and gives customs officials in the destination country more information about what’s in your shipment, the sender and the recipient.

A commercial invoice is needed when the contents of your parcel has a commercial value. Whereas, a pro-forma invoice is needed when sending gifts or personal belongings. Don’t worry too much about the difference between a commercial and pro-forma invoice – we’ll generate the right one for you based on the information you provide. You just need to print it off and attach to your parcel.

Duties and taxes

Duties and taxes are due on parcels sent outside the UK. When your parcel arrives in its destination country, your recipient will receive a bill for the duties and taxes which are due. These are calculated by customs officials in the destination country, based on the description of goods, value of goods and origin of goods.

It is important to note that as the sender, you are ultimately liable for duties and taxes and will be billed should the recipient refuse the package or refuse to pay.

Brexit update

Once the UK has left the EU, following the current Brexit transition period, you will need to provide a commercial or pro-forma invoice when sending parcels to countries in the EU as well. Similarly, duties and taxes will be due on parcels sent to European countries.

Rest assured, our booking form will be updated with additional fields so we can gather all of the information which is required to create the correct paperwork for your shipment. For more information on the UK leaving EU and timescales, please take a look at our Brexit guide for customers.

Popular destinations in Europe and Worldwide

To ensure you get the best price and service when sending internationally, and to save you time comparing prices, we’ve done the hard work for you. We’ve compared our most popular European and Worldwide delivery services against comparable services from Royal Mail (Parcelforce). All international deliveries booked on DHL Parcel UK come with £50 contents cover, included as standard and we collect from your door. You can even drop off at any of our 3,500 ServicePoints or 50 DHL Parcel UK depots to save even more money on your postage costs.

Royal Mail sends parcels over 2kg to Europe / Worldwide via Parcelforce Worldwide – All prices and delivery times have been sourced from parcelforce.com/price-finder on 11.12.20.

Parcels up to 5kg

*Prices quoted in the above table are based on parcel weight of 5kg and parcel dimensions of 25cm x 25cm x 25cm with depot drop off, delivery to recipient and contents cover of £50 for DHL Parcel UK and £100 for Parcelforce. Parcelforce quotes based on a Global Value Drop Off service. DHL Parcel UK prices include a depot drop off discount. Parcelforce prices are taken from parcelforce.com/price-finder. All prices quoted exclude VAT. Prices are correct at time of publishing (11.12.20)

Parcels up to 10kg

*Prices quoted in the above table are based on parcel weight of 10kg and parcel dimensions of 25cm x 25cm x 25cm with depot drop off, and contents cover of £50 for DHL Parcel UK and £100 for Parcelforce. Parcelforce quotes are for a Globalvalue service. DHL Parcel UK prices include a depot drop off discount. Parcelforce prices are taken from parcelforce.com/price-finder. All prices quoted exclude VAT. Prices are correct at time of publishing (11.12.20)