Parcel services

If you supply cross-border and domestic parcel delivery services (up to 31.5kg) you must provide the following information to the national regulatory authority (NRA) in the EU country where your company is established:

  • Your company name, address, legal status and form, trade registration number, VAT identification number, details of a contact person. (Your NRA national regulatory authority must be informed within 30 days if you make any changes to this information.)
  • The product name and (where possible) a detailed description of the parcel delivery services you offer.
  • The general terms and conditions of your parcel delivery services, including details of complaints procedures for users and any potential limitations of liability.

You can find your national regulatory authority in the list below.

Information updates

You must submit the following information (extra information may be requested depending on national requirements) by 30 June of each calendar year to your NRA by using the standard form (available in the References section at the bottom of the page) or by an alternative method if requested by your NRA:

  • your annual turnover (for parcel delivery services) for the previous calendar year
  • number of staff working for you (those involved in providing parcel delivery services) for the previous calendar year
  • number of parcels handled over the previous calendar year
  • names of your subcontractors and the characteristics of the parcel delivery services they provided
  • where available, any publicly accessible price list applicable on 1 January of each calendar year for parcel delivery services

When you don't have to provide information

If you provide a parcel delivery service and your company:

  • is only established in one EU country
  • has employed less than 50 people (this may be reduced to 25 depending on EU country) on average over the last calendar year (this may include staff working for subcontractors)

You don't have to provide any information to your national regulatory.

Parcel delivery charges

Companies in the EU supplying cross-border parcel delivery services have to submit their public price list every year for publication in an EU tool. You can use this tool to check parcel delivery services available to you when you send a parcel within the EU. Standard size letters and correspondence are not covered – only parcels weighing less than 5kg are displayed in the tool.

To view the options available and the prices (without VAT), select where you want to send the parcel from and to, and the product type.

Company name Price
mandatory field

Warning

You should always check the final price offer with the parcel delivery company, as their exact price may require precise information such as the postcode in the country where you're sending your parcel. Price information is updated every year on 31 March.

More information on parcel services rules is available on the DG GROW website.

EU legislation

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Get in touch with specialised assistance services

Do you have questions on operating a business cross-border, for example exporting or expanding to another EU country? If so, the Enterprise Europe Network can give you free advice.

You can also use the assistance service finder to find the right help for you.

Last checked: 20/09/2023
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