How to Ship Items to Portugal
As we enter the holiday season, I am seeing a lot of posts about how to ship packages to Portugal, specifically from outside the EU. In most countries, this is a no-brainer: an item is shipped, you wait, and the package arrives. Easy, right? That’s how the mail is supposed to work.
Well, in Portugal, it’s a bit more complicated than that.
When I moved from Thailand to Portugal in 2019, I had to ship most of my belongings. I shipped one box of valuables via DHL and the rest I sent through the standard Thai/Portuguese mail systems. I paid the shipping fees and export taxes in Bangkok, and then flew to Porto.
Within two weeks, my DHL box arrived. DHL said that although the box was declared as “used, personal items,” I still had to pay Portuguese customs tax. Luckily, DHL has a team who handles this, so all I had to do was fill out a declaration form, pay the tax, and I received the package.
Then, I waited for the rest of my stuff to arrive from CTT, Portugal’s national postal carrier. I waited…and waited…and waited…
What ensued was nearly four months of back and forth with customs and CTT. I had to prove the boxes were full of personal effects, change the declaration value, and fill out the same customs forms at least eight times. My HR manager got involved as did the Portuguese in-laws of my cousin in Florida. I was given conflicting amounts on what I had to pay to get the boxes released, was yelled at by at least one CTT customer service agent, and there was never a clear indication on if/when the boxes would go through the magical inspection customs claimed needed to happen. At one point, customs even told me that the boxes had been searched and released, but CTT denied they’d ever received clearance.
After one too many months of showing up to work in yoga pants, I lost my patience and made a spontaneous trip from Porto to Lisbon to retrieve the goods in-person. This is a move I wouldn’t necessarily recommend as I am not sure if this works every time. I basically showed up and bluffed my way through a story of “but someone told me to come and get my stuff.” It worked, but probably only because the person at the service desk figured I was a lunatic who needed to be placated. (You can read about the whole ordeal here.)
Sadly, this story of shipping to Portugal is not unusual. I have talked with plenty of people — both local and foreign — who have had items held up in customs for months, sent back to where they came from, or simply vanished. Even The Portugal News has reported on the problem although there seems to be no solution as of yet (which is fair, because 2020 has presented a few more pressing matters).
So, what’s the deal? Why is shipping to Portugal so difficult, and is there an easier way?
Below, I try to outline the best tips and practices I have used to ship goods to Portugal. While reading, please keep in mind that this primarily applies to shipping items from outside the EU.
Why is Shipping to Portugal so Difficult?
Taxes
Part of the problem is the taxes. Tax rates are high in Portugal (obviously not as high as other EU countries, but it’s still more than you might expect given the low cost of living and average monthly salary). This includes import taxes. If you have purchased something from outside Portugal/the EU, you will need to pay the proper import taxes on it, and the price might surprise you.
Having to pay for something you’ve already purchased can frustrate a lot of people, especially expats who have yet to experience this anywhere else. Thus, this creates a hassle and time delay because you spend time trying to argue your way out of the cost, only to ultimately give in or have the item sent back.
(Right here it is important to note: if you do not pay the taxes, you will not receive your items. They will be shipped back to wherever they came from. Also, if you do not pay the taxes within the time allotted, your package will be sent back.)
Time…Moves…Slowly
If you’re living in Portugal, this is something you already know about Portuguese culture: things move more slowly here. Overall, Portugal is a relaxed environment, which is great if you like to chill, but infuriating if you’re on a tight schedule.
Portugal is also a small country and resources are limited. From my perspective, the country is trying to catch-up with the huge tourism and expat boom they’ve been experiencing for the past 5–10 years, and thus the means often cannot keep up with the demand.
All of this means that when your package arrives at Portuguese customs, it will take a while to be sorted and processed. How long of a while? Who knows. I received one box after three months and, after four months, the other seemed held in indefinite limbo. The boxes were shipped together, so why didn’t they arrive together? Because: Portugal.
How to Ship Items to Portugal
Sending packages to Portugal is frustrating, but there are a few things you can do to make the process as quick and easy as possible.
1. Create a detailed, itemized list.
When packing and sending something yourself, this step is crucial: itemize, itemize, itemize. I had not done this before shipping my things from Thailand, and it was the primary source of my struggle.
When creating your detailed list, include as much information as possible: purchase dates, receipts, brand name, description, etc. Obviously, this is not always feasible, but if it is: do it. Electronics especially should have a proof of purchase (a warranty helps, too).
Place a hardcopy of your itemized list in each box. The list should include your name and shipping address. Make a copy for yourself and have an electronic one, too. There is a high chance you will need to email this document over and over and over.
2. Declare a realistic value of the goods.
When I went through my shipping fiasco, I was told that any personal goods declared under €45 would not be taxed. Being naïve, I declared each box at €45, which, just given their size and weight, was not true.
Don’t do this. Portuguese customs officials are not dumb. You can declare a low amount, but they’ll still verify whether this is a true estimate or not. If not, you will be charged the due tax and your shipment will be delayed (and a CTT agent will probably scold you over the phone). In fact, I think it’s safer to list a value that guarantees you pay something. This may appease the customs gatekeepers into releasing your goods without much of a struggle.
3. Be Prepared to Defend Your Goods
This pertains to people who are moving to Portugal and thus shipping their household belongings. When I waited for my goods to arrive, I had to explain why I had shipped them to Portugal in the first place. This included a sending copy of my employment contract to CTT as well as my NIF (Portuguese tax number).
As a reference, below is a screenshot of the list of documents DHL asked of me. I did not have to send all of these items, but they said that the more information I provided, the better.
4. If items are new, remove tags and packaging.
If someone is sending you a gift, see if they would mind not wrapping it. Portuguese customs officials reserve the right to open and physically search any packages arriving in Portugal, so you risk having the wrapping torn through anyways. Not having the items wrapped can speed up the process.
If the present is something that was purchased in a store, ask the sender to remove any tags or packaging. This, again, can help speed up the process, make the item seem “used,” and you’re less likely to pay a high import fee.
5. Make peace with the fact that you will pay something.
If you have ordered something from Amazon, Etsy or, really, any store/retailer outside the EU, be aware that you will need to pay import taxes for it to arrive at your Portuguese residence. There are a lot of great things about living in Portugal, but there are some downsides, too. Shipping things from outside the EU is just one of the unfortunate and unavoidable downsides.
6. Be patient.
Again, refer to #4. If your shipment comes from outside the EU, it will take some time. If you are ordering something online, see if you can find the same (or similar) item from a European distributer.
I typically search Spanish sites and have not had a problem with those shipments in over a year. (Remember that the UK will now be treated as a third-party country! If something is being shipped from there, be aware that it will take longer than shipments from within continental Europe.)
Tips and Tricks for Shipping to Portugal
- Use a private shipping company! Personally, I use DHL, but that’s just because I’ve always had good experiences with them, and I find their pricing relatively the same as other private providers. UPS and FedEx also ship to Portugal.
- Books are one of the few items I have had shipped to Portugal without any hassle. I have both ordered from Amazon, an independent publisher, and friends have sent me magazines and journals. Each one of these packages arrived with zero hassle or extra fees, and all were either shipped from the US or Thailand.
- If you are ordering something online, try to buy from within the EU. I keep referring to Amazon just because it’s so popular and well-known, so trying different site versions like amazon.es, amazon.de, or amazon.fr. (And, as always, shop local first!)
- If you have the money, hire an official broker. This is an option DHL gave me when they first said I needed to pay extra tax to receive my shipment. A broker probably won’t be able to get your stuff released for free, but they’ll work with customs on your behalf and will most likely be able to get your packages released in a timely (and less stressful) manner.
- If you want to ship a lot of things (for example, if you are moving to Portugal), then search for a company that will first ship your items to another EU country, and will then ship your goods to Portugal from there. Some EU countries have less-strict/faster import/exports requirements, so you may be able to speed up the process by a few months.
Have any questions or comments? Do you know another trick for shipping items to Portugal? Leave me a note below!
