SENDING GIFTS ABROAD

We all know how hard it is to stay in touch with your loved ones and even more so if they live in a different country – work, family commitments and different time zones can all get in the way of a good catch-up. If you are missing a friend or relative who lives abroad, you can show them you are thinking about them by sending a gift in the post.

Whether you want to congratulate them on landing their dream job, celebrate a big birthday or simply put a smile on their face – We get your gift to your loved one safely and quickly. We offer some of the best international delivery rates to 160 countries around the world and your parcel could reach your recipient in as little as 2-3 days.

Cost of sending a gift abroad

It may be cheaper than you think to send to send a gift to your loved one abroad. Take a look at some of our most popular international destinations below, along with the ‘from’ price and transit times.

Popular international destinations

Our international services

We offer 4 international parcel delivery services: DHL Parcel Connect, DHL Parcel International, Road Economy and Worldwide Air. When booking your parcel delivery, simply enter the country you are sending to and the parcel’s dimensions into the Quick Quote and we’ll return all of the available services. You can then choose the service which works best for your budget and requirements.

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

Need your gift to arrive urgently?

If you have forgotten a loved one’s birthday or anniversary and you need your parcel to arrive urgently, that’s not a problem! Our Worldwide Air service was designed specifically for time-sensitive and urgent parcels. When sending a parcel using our Worldwide Air service, it could arrive with your recipient in as little as 2-3 days.

We recommend sending as early as possible to avoid disappointment. If your parcel isn’t urgent, you may want to use one of our road services – these can take a couple of extra days, but are cheaper than sending by air.

Please be aware that public holidays in the destination country may delay delivery of your parcel, especially around Christmas time. You can click on the links below to see holidays in some of the most popular countries we send to.

USA | Canada | Australia | New Zealand | France | Germany | Spain | Italy

We’ve got you covered!

As standard, we provide £50 contents cover for international parcels. If your item is worth more than this, you can easily extend the cover to up to £1,000. This costs a little bit extra but is worth it for the peace of mind that your parcel is covered should something happen to it.

It is important that you do not send a gift which is irreplaceable through our network, for example a family heirloom or photos which you haven’t made copies of. In the unlikely event that your parcel should go missing or get damaged in transit, we want you to be able to easily replace the gift.

For added confidence, you can track your parcel throughout its journey right up to the recipient’s door.

Packaging your gift

We understand that you’ll want your gift to look pretty for when your friend or relative opens the box. However, your international parcel may be subject to customs checks (where an agent opens the parcel to see what’s inside). If this is the case, any wrapped gifts will be unwrapped by the agent to check what it is. To ensure your gift still looks great when your loved one opens the parcel, we recommend using a gift bag instead of wrapping in paper. This way the items are easily accessible to the customs agent should it undergo checks.

Your parcel will travel thousands of miles and will be handled at many stages throughout its journey so it’s important you package it securely to avoid any damages during transit. Make sure you wrap any fragile items in plenty of bubble wrap and any unused space within the box is filled with packing chips so the gift can’t move around in transit. Take a look at our packaging guides for more advice on how to protect your gift.

Customs

When sending a parcel abroad, it will need to be accompanied by a customs invoice. There’s two types of customs invoice – commercial and pro-forma – the latter is used when sending gifts. This may sound complicated but we’ll gather all of the information we need to generate an invoice on your behalf during the booking process. Five copies of the customs invoice will print with your label – all you need to do is securely affix all paperwork to the outside of your parcel so that it is accessible to customs agents.

So we can generate a customs invoice, you will need to provide the following information as part of the booking process:

1. Sender details: Your full name, address and telephone number.

2. Recipient details: The recipient’s name, address, email address and telephone number.

3. Reason for export: Select ‘Gift from the drop-down’.

4. VAT status: Select ‘Personal individual’ from the drop-down.

5. Country of origin: Where the item was manufactured or produced. You can usually find this information on the label or packaging.

6. Description: Avoid vague descriptions like ‘gift’. Instead state what the item is, what it is made from and what it will be used for.

7. Value: Give an accurate value for the gift you are sending. If customs think the value you have given is wrong, they may decide an appropriate value for you.

8. Tariff code: This is an 8-digit number which tells the customs official what is inside the parcel. Our booking form lets you choose from popular items which are sent through our network or search for the tariff code you need.

Duties and taxes

Duties and taxes may be due on the parcel. These will need to be paid by your recipient before the parcel can be delivered to them. However in some countries, gifts (below a certain value) are exempt from tax. For example you can send a gift to your loved one in the USA and as long as the item is worth less than $100 it will be tax-free.