Online shopping from outside the EU is more expensive. Cyprus collected almost €2 million.

Since the introduction of a new customs duty for small parcels from outside the European Union, Cyprus has collected almost €2 million in the first month. The new rules apply to online purchases worth up to €150 and may impact prices for orders from popular non-EU platforms.

The new fee is valid from July

From 1 July 2026, shipments worth up to 150 euros sent directly from outside the European Union will be subject to a temporary customs duty of 3 euroThe fee is charged per product category, not just for the entire package.

This means that one shipment may be charged multiple fees if it contains products from different categories.

For example, a package containing several different types of products may result in more than one fee.

Almost 650,000 products in one month

According to data from the Cypriot Customs Service, in the first month of the new rules being in force, approximately 650,000 products in 160,000 shipments.

This resulted in approximately 1.95 million euros in revenue to the state budget.

This is higher than previous estimates for revenues for the entire year. Customs officials emphasize, however, that the first month may not reflect the long-term trend, as some customers may have accelerated their purchases even before the new rules came into effect.

Who does the new fees apply to?

The change primarily applies to people ordering products from online stores and platforms that ship goods directly from countries outside the European Union.

It does not apply to ordinary purchases made within the European Union, for example orders shipped from warehouses located in Member States.

Will online shopping in Cyprus decline?

Cyprus Customs said there had been some reduction in the number of small parcels since the introduction of the fee compared to the previous period, but it was too early to assess the impact of the new rules on consumer behaviour.

In the coming months, we will observe, among other things, the reactions of large shopping platforms, which may change the way they deliver products, for example by using warehouses located in the European Union.

The material was prepared on the basis of: information from Cyprus Mail and data on the new European Union customs rules for low-value shipments.