Customs and VAT?
Customs clearance of consignments from abroad
- For most shipments from abroad, you pay VAT and any other taxes (customs and special taxes) when you buy goods in the online store.
- Posten collects customs duties on goods over 350.– kroner, if duties are not paid through the online shop in advance. Customs duty is payable from first krone for foodstuffs, dietary supplements, restricted goods, etc.
- Gifts can have a value of up to 1000.– kroner before you have to declare.
When do I have to pay customs?
All purchases of goods abroad are subject to VAT. Some textiles, foodstuffs and restricted goods may have additional costs like customs and special duties.
Should you buy something from abroad and wonder how much you have to pay? Use Norwegian Customs' import calculator and read more about online shopping.
Our customs services and prices
In cases where fees are not paid through the online store in advance, Posten offers the following customs clearance prices and services:
| What is priced | Price |
|---|---|
| Simplified customs clearance. Applies to items with a value from 350–3000 kroner* | 149.– |
| Customs clearance per shipping with value over 3000 kroner and for shipments with restricted goods ** | 299.– |
| Own clearance expedition and customs warehousing fee | 149.– |
| Reimbursement of duty paid | 599.– |
| Obtaining customs documentation | 149.– |
| Customs clearance per shipment to Svalbard | 299.– |
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You will normally receive low-value items with a value of up to 350.– kroner in the letterbox
Most low-value consignments with a value below NOK 350 do not require customs clearance. When the zero limit is implemented and all goods must be cleared from the first krone, Posten will have a solution in place that ensures payment of VAT, customs and customs clearance at posten.no, before you take the goods into use.
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*Simplified customs declared: Items with a value between 350.– and 3,000.– kroner
Simplification means fewer requirements for detailed product descriptions, as well as Posten do not need your birth and social security number to declare. You can pick up the shipment at Posten. Then you pay the fees and Posten's customs clearance price.
Digital payment service:
Posten has introduced the digital customs payment solution of the future for certain shipments. This means that you can receive customs cleared shipments directly in the mailbox. If you have the Posten app, you will receive a notification and be able to pay in the app. If you do not have the Posten app, you will receive a payment notification via Digipost or a letter and you can pay at posten.no/en/import-duties.
NB! You will never receive a SMS or e-mail from Posten informing you to pay to receive shipments. We only use our own secure channels (Posten app, Digipost and letter).
Exceptions to simplified customs clearance are goods where the authorities require full customs clearance. Examples of this are art, antiques, as well as restricted goods such as alcohol, tobacco, medicines, supplements and all food and beverages.
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**Full customs clearance: Items with value over 3,000.– kroner or items requiring full customs clearance
Full customs clearance means that Posten declares/clears the goods for import to the customs authorities, calculates fees based on a detailed description of goods and we link the recipient's birth and personal identity number to the customs clearance. You can pick up the shipment at Posten. Then you pay any import duties and Posten's customs clearance price.
Lack of information at customs
Customs clearance often requires detailed information on goods and the receiver. It is possible that the information provided with the shipment is not sufficiently detailed. Then Posten will contact you. In the message you receive, we state what we are missing and what you need to do in order for Posten to declare the shipment for you. You can submit missing information here.
Pending response from you, the consignment is stored at Posten's customs warehouse. The response deadline is 14 days before we return the shipment.
Age control on some items
The recipient must pay a fee of 49.– kroner for this control.
Sanctions implemented in the event of the war in Ukraine
Russia's war against Ukraine is ongoing. The current war situation affects customs handling, among other things with a number of export and import bans. We recommend our customers, who trade with Russia, Belarus and certain areas of Ukraine, to use the following channels to obtain the latest updated information on what applies at any given time.
Norway:Import and export restrictions against Russia – Norwegian Customs
Sweden: Ukraine War and Customs Administration – Swedish Customs
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Posten works to ensure that you can receive as many shipments from abroad as possible right where you prefer to receive them. To pay for shipments that have been cleared through customs and delivered to your mailbox, you can use the Posten app or posten.no/en/import-duties.
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Posten works to ensure that you can receive as many shipments from abroad as possible right where you prefer to receive them. To pay for the shipment you have been notified about, use posten.no/en/import-duties.
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Posten works to ensure that you can receive as many items as possible from abroad directly to where you prefer to receive them. For items sent by letter with a value of less than 500.– kroner, we can deliver the shipment directly to your mailbox and you can pay digitally for import duties and customs clearance. For shipments with a higher item value, you still collect your shipment at Posten's pick-up location. Always use a digital payment solution where possible.
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When items are too large to be delivered in the mailbox, they can be picked up at Posten. You still pay in the Posten app or at posten.no/en/import-duties.
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From 2020, new rules came from the authorities for buying food from abroad. This means that Posten must clear customs and collect fees for this type of goods. Read more about restricted goods.
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The calculation basis is taken from the customs documentation, i.e. either from an electronic message, a customs declaration or from the commercial invoice that the sender has enclosed with the shipment.
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Post is required to use the Norwegian Customs' exchange rate. These change weekly and are based on the exchange rate from Norges Bank. Since Norges Bank adjusts exchange rates more frequently than the Norwegian Customs Service, deviations will occur.
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Posten uses the Customs Service's official exchange rates, which are updated weekly. If you have traded in a currency that is not listed by the customs service, Norges Bank's daily updated exchange rates are used. In very rare cases, there may be currencies that are not listed by Norges Bank. Posten will then contact you to obtain documentation of the actual amount paid before the shipment is cleared through customs.
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Posten has sent you a message that we have a shipment for you. The shipment lacks/or has incomplete customs documentation.
It is important that you get what we demand. When we receive information from you, we will process the shipment and forward it to you as soon as possible.
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Posten must cover costs we have in connection with the processing of all shipments, including shipments to customers who clear customs themselves.
The price shall cover our costs for performing statutory tasks such as: arrival processing, registration of the consignments and mandatory customs warehouse accounts to the Norwegian Customs.
We also have to carry out these statutory tasks on consignments that customers customs themselves. Posten does simplified customs clearance automatically, but for full customs clearance (item value over 3,000.– kroner), you as a customer can reserve yourself and carry out the customs clearance yourself.
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The notice sent to you states which import duties have been calculated. To calculate taxes, we use the goods and value statement that accompanies the shipment. If you think the calculation is incorrect, you must document the error. Please contact customer service before picking up your shipment to ensure that the correct charges are applied to the payment.
See the Norwegian Customs Service's website which provides good information and guidance when you want to apply for a refund of overpaid VAT and customs duties, as well as in those cases where you demand a refund of fees when you return goods.
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The price covers the costs associated with statutory tasks that Posten must perform: arrival processing, classification and registration of the goods, calculation and collection of fees, settlement with the authorities, and storage pending payment from the recipient. Full customs clearance costs more than simplified customs clearance because the documentation requirement and the degree of detail in a full customs clearance is higher than for simplified customs clearance.
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If you have not paid Norwegian VAT and other taxes through purchases in the online store, you must pay taxes when the item arrives in Norway. This also applies to gifts with a value of more than 1,000.– kroner. Read more at toll.no/en/online-shopping/.
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We can carry out simplified customs clearance on goods to private individuals with a value of up to 3,000.– kroner (excluding transport and insurance) if the sender has not collected Norwegian fees in advance. The scheme does not cover restricted goods such as food, alcohol and tobacco products.
The simplification consists of minor requirements for a detailed product description and there is no need to identify the recipient with a birth and personal identity number.
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No, Posten has digitized the customs clearance process and reduced the prices for customs clearance. Thus, in most cases, it will be worthwhile to let Posten clear customs and, consequently, not reserve against Posten clearing customs for you.
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Books are normally free of charge. If the shipment contains your other goods, they must be cleared through customs. You pay VAT and any other fees as well as customs clearance for these goods.
The books will be kept out as long as they are specified on the customs information from the sender. -
No, you don't have to pay. The shipment will be returned after 2 weeks if you do not collect the shipment.
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Contact customer service before you pick up the shipment, so we can clarify what has happened. The reason is probably due to a lack of labeling of the consignment from abroad. If you have picked up the consignment and paid import duties to Posten, you must contact the online store to ask them for a refund.
If it turns out that the shipment is correctly marked, we will apply to the authorities for a refund and refund you afterwards.
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VAT, customs and excise duties. See the Norwegian Customs' summary of what you have to pay when you shop online.
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The calculation basis comes in customs documentation that is sent electronically from the sender.
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Examples of typical personal information that Posten processes are name, address, birth number, telephone number and e-mail address. Birth number is required only in special cases. Read about how Posten processes your personal information.
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Posten needs your personal information in order to be able to perform customs clearance services in line with the authorization given by Posten to the Norwegian Customs. Read about how Post processes your personal information.
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The main rule is that you have to pay VAT. for works of art you import to Norway. In certain cases, you can be granted a full or partial exemption from VAT, but then you must be able to document that the work of art meets the requirements for a tax-free import.
According to the regulations, there are two requirements that must be met in order to be fully exempt from VAT:
- The work of art must be calculated as a work of art in the VAT regulations
- The work og art must be made by a living artist who imports art himself
Artwork that does not come under duty exemption requires full customs clearance and will incur a customs fee to be paid.
For more information: Work of art and VAT – Norwegian Customs
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No VAT shall be calculated when importing stamps, banknotes and coins as collectibles. In order for banknotes and coins to be introduced tax-free, as collectibles, they must previously have been valid means of payment.
Note: A commemorative coin has not been a means of payment and therefore added value must be calculated upon import. Stamps that can still be used for franking also do not come under the regulations for collectibles with duty-free import.