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DPD France supports you while sending parcels to the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom's exit from the European Union on January 1st 2021 marked the end of the free movement of goods, reintroducing customs formalities and import and export declarations for all transactions.

DPD France helps you developing your sales and shipments to the UK.

Ready to send parcels to the UK?
Check these key points

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Find out more about shipping
here

Do you have a FR EORI number ?

YES
NO
Is the total value of the goods you are shipping
more or less than £135 (€150) ?
Value
less than
£135
Value
more than
£135

The goods you are
shipping have a total value
of less than £135

B2B
B2C

Solution offered by DPD France

DAP
Incoterm
DAP under £ 135
Import duty
No import duty

VAT

  • To be paid by the sender via his UK VAT number.
  • However, the importer will be able to pay the VAT if he provides this number on the invoice.

Please ensure that your importer in the United Kingdom has a UK EORI number and UK VAT number.

VAT

  • To be paid by the sender via his UK VAT number.

Please ensure that you are registered with HMRC to obtain a UK EORI and VAT number by clicking here: https://www.gov.uk/log-in-register-hmrc-online-services

The goods you are
shipping have a total value
of more than £135

B2B
B2C

Solutions offered by DPD France

DAP
  • Payment of VAT by the importer in the UK indicated on the invoice. If the importer is different from the final recipient, it must be specified on the invoice and the 2 entities (importer and final recipient) must be detailed in the «invoicing» and «delivery address» sections. The importer’s data will be taken into account for invoicing.
  • The importer will be notified via SMS & email to pay the amounts due (Phone number and email required).
DAP via the DAN(Deferment Account Number)
  • Automatic payment of customs duties and taxes by the importer in the UK via the DAN number provided on the invoice.
  • The importer will be notified via SMS & email to pay the amounts due (Phone number and email required).
  • Importers must be registered at the HMRC and get a DAN number to use this option.
  • Importers must contact DPD UK by e-mail (address will be privately disclosed) to authorise them to use their DAN.
    As a reminder: if the importer is different from the final recipient, this must be specified on the invoice and the two entities (importer and final recipient) must be detailed in the «invoicing» and «delivery address» sections».
The customer has a UK bank account which allows HMRC to deduct VAT directly from this account.
DDP(eDAP B2B & B2C)
  • Payment of duties and taxes by the exporter. On his invoice, he must mention «eDAP» in the «Incoterm» field.
  • The importer’s EORI number and GB VAT number must be mentioned on the invoice.
Bulk(Group customs clearance)
  • This solution applies to a minimum shipment of 10 parcels/day.
  • Its implementation requires a preliminary study by the export department before starting.
  • Electronic customs documents.
  • Specific tariff including export customs and import customs.
Please contact your sales representative to discuss your requirements in more detail.
For more information about the solutions offered by DPD France, Click here
Find out more about shipping here

Do you have a FR EORI number ?

NO

As a reminder For all types of shipments (B2B and/or B2C)

The good quality of the data (EDI) you send us is essential to ensure the satisfaction of your recipients, as well as the optimal routing of their parcels with the best possible and expected quality of service.

  • Mobile phone number of your recipient

Mandatory information in your EDI files and on your invoices

For B2C shipments valued at less than £135, don’t forget to add the UK VAT charged to your recipient on the invoice.

Your invoice must include the following information:

  • The complete and precise description of the products
  • Unit and total quantities
  • Unit and total weight
  • Origin * Mention of origin if preferential merchandise
  • The customs nomenclature (HS code)
  • Unit prices by reference and total prices
  • An Incoterm
  • A currency
  • Number of packages and number of packages concerned (if multi-shipment)
  • The name and full contact details of the sender (EORI number, VAT number, etc.)
    > the email is mandatory to be able to receive the export supporting documents automatically.
  • The name and full contact details of the recipient (EORI number, VAT number, etc.)
    > the email and telephone number are mandatory for successful delivery.
  • Cost of transport
Our invoice templates are availableClickhere
Check our
«Good to know»
section Click here

Good to know For your shipments to professional recipients (B2B)

If your recipient (professional) does not have a GB VAT number (this is often companies with an annual turnover of less than £80,000), he must provide you with a document certifying this exemption before any shipment.

You must then attach this document to your invoice. It is mandatory for your package to be cleared through customs.

If this document is not provided, the packages will be returned.

Here is the main information that your recipient (importer) must include in this certificate:

  • Full name of importer (trading name for companies)
  • Full address of importer (including postcode)
  • Valid GB EORI number
  • Contact details (email and telephone)
  • Proof of no GB VAT number: a clear statement that the importer is not required to have a VAT number due to an annual turnover below the required threshold (£80,000).
  • Consignment details: such as a description of the goods being imported, their value, and the terms of delivery.
For an
example of
this documentClickhere
To check the validity of an EORI numberClickhere

Key steps for successful shipments to the UK

 


1. Get your EORI number


EORI stands for Economic Operators Registration and Identification number.
You will need this number to export goods to the UK, as well as to import goods from the UK into Europe.

Applying for an EORI number is a simple process that can be done via the French customs website. It can take up to 3 days for this EORI number to become active.

Remember that any import or export operation without this EORI number will result in the goods being detained.

 

2. Know the customs nomenclature (HS code) of your products

 

Find out the HS codes (Harmonised System, also known as customs codes) of the products you wish to export from the European Union.

These HS codes allow customs to identify your products and to know what rate of VAT or duty to apply to your goods. No goods can be exported or imported without these codes.

For more information on HS codes, please visit the dedicated HS codes page on the French customs website.

 

3. Drawing up a commercial or pro forma invoice


A commercial or pro forma invoice is required when you ship goods outside the EU.

This is essentially a declaration containing all the information about the goods, which will be used by the customs authorities to assess the duties or taxes to be paid. The commercial invoice is used when the goods are the subject of a commercial transaction or are intended for resale. The pro forma invoice is used when you are shipping goods that have no commercial value (e.g. samples).

Please note: the parcel declaration requires one invoice per parcel. Each invoice must describe and correspond to the contents of each parcel shipped.

  1. Sender's details
    The consignor, if a commercial enterprise, must indicate the EORI number assigned to it by the customs administration.

  2. Reason for export
    Examples: sale, repair, return after repair, gift, sample, personal use, not for resale, replacement or personal business.

  3. Incoterms
    The incoterms used by DPD for the transit of your goods to the UK are :

    DAP: Delivered At Place
    DDP: Delivered Duty Paid

  4. Description of goods
    Generic or imprecise descriptions are not accepted and will result in additional customs clearance delays. The description must include the name of the items, quantity per item, composition, unit value and intended use. Simply describing items as "samples", "spare parts" or "spare parts", for example, is not acceptable in terms of nomenclature and customs security.

  5. Customs nomenclature (HS codes)
    This is the product identification code used by the exporting country for the classification of goods for export. Specifying the customs code for each product facilitates customs clearance and avoids delays.

  6. Country of manufacture / origin
    This is the country in which the goods were manufactured, not the importing country.

  7. Total declared value
    This is the total value of the transaction for customs purposes. The total value shown on your invoice must match the value declared on your waybill.

  8. Unit and total weight
    It is essential that you indicate the weight of each item on your invoice, as well as their total weight.

  9. Cost of transport
    The transport costs charged by the carrier and paid by the sender.

To help you, we have provided sample commercial and pro forma invoices for your B2B and B2C shipments, which you can download here.

Importing goods worth less than £135 into the UK

From 1 January 2021, UK VAT on orders worth less than £135 becomes sales tax. UK VAT must be accounted for at the point of sale by the overseas seller (you). Import VAT will therefore not be collected on orders below this value (excluding shipping and insurance).

 

4. Knowing which incoterms to use


Two incoterms are allowed for your shipments to the UK:

DAP: Delivered At Place

If the value is over £135 :

  • Payment of VAT by the importer, whether business or private
  • Customs duties will be collected by the UK authorities.

If the value is less than £135 :

  • Payment of VAT by the exporter with their UK VAT number, whether the importer is a business or an individual
  • No customs duties will be collected by the UK authorities.

DDP: Delivered Duty Paid

Regardless of value, but only in the case of a group clearance:

  • VAT paid by the exporter.
  • Customs duty will be collected by the UK authorities if the value is over £135
  • Requires a pre-start-up review by our Export Department.


5. Obtaining your UK VAT number


We invite you to apply for a UK VAT number on the UK authorities website.

This UK VAT number is required to export to the UK.
Remember to include your VAT number on your commercial or pro forma invoices to avoid misrepresentation and misinvoicing to your UK customers.