Since 1 July 2026, online orders from outside the EU worth up to €150 carry a temporary €3 customs duty per item category, until 1 July 2028.
Since 1 January 2026, each parcel under €150 sent from outside the EU to individuals carries a 25 lei charge (Law 239/2025), due from the seller or platform.
A gift from a private person outside the EU, worth €45 or less, occasional and correctly declared, can be relieved of duty and VAT.
Mail and parcels in Romania: the short answer
In Romania, letters and official mail usually come with Poșta Română, the national postal operator. Most online orders come with private courier companies, which deliver to the door or to a parcel locker. If the carrier cannot deliver, it leaves a notice or sends a message telling you where and until when you can collect.
Parcels from outside the European Union, including from Israel, the UK and the US, go through customs. Since 1 July 2021, all commercial goods imported into the EU pay VAT, whatever their value. In 2026, two charges were added for low-value online orders: from 1 January, Romania's fixed 25 lei charge per parcel worth under €150, and from 1 July, the EU's temporary €3 customs duty per item category in such parcels.
In plain words: a parcel from Tel Aviv, London or New York is an import. Expect VAT, possibly duty and a handling fee, and make sure your villa address is official before the first delivery.
If you are bringing your household goods when you move, that is a different procedure with its own relief. See our guide to moving to Romania with belongings and pets.
Who delivers what
| Carrier | What it usually carries | How you receive it |
|---|---|---|
| Poșta Română | Letters, registered mail, official letters, many international postal parcels | Delivery to the mailbox or the door; a notice (aviz) if you are not home, then collection at the post office |
| Courier companies | Most online orders, documents sent by business | Door delivery, usually with a phone call or message before; collection point or locker as an option |
| Parcel lockers | Online orders where you chose a locker at checkout | You receive a code by message and collect the parcel yourself |
Practical points:
- Carry an ID when you collect from the post office or a courier depot. A person collecting for you may need an authorisation.
- Keep your phone number on every order. Couriers usually call before they deliver, and the code for a locker comes by message.
- Read the notice carefully. It shows the post office and the collection deadline. Uncollected items go back to the sender.
Parcels from outside the EU: the four charges
A parcel from Israel, the UK or the US can carry up to four charges. Not all of them apply to every parcel.
| Charge | When it applies | Who is liable |
|---|---|---|
| Import VAT (21% in Romania) | On all commercial goods imported from outside the EU, whatever the value, since 1 July 2021 | The buyer, unless the seller charged it at checkout through the EU's Import One-Stop Shop (IOSS) |
| Customs duty | Above €150: normal duty, depending on the type of goods. Up to €150 in online sales: a temporary €3 per item category, from 1 July 2026 to 1 July 2028 | The seller or importer declares and pays; the cost is usually passed on |
| Romania's 25 lei charge | Each parcel worth under €150 sent from outside the EU to individuals, since 1 January 2026 (Law 239/2025) | The seller, sender or platform; collected through postal operators and couriers |
| Handling or clearance fee | When the carrier clears the parcel through customs for you | The recipient, by the carrier's price list |
How the €3 is counted. According to the European Commission, the duty is charged per item by tariff classification, not by quantity. Five T-shirts in one parcel pay €3. Three T-shirts and a watch pay €6.
Romania's 25 lei. The Ministry of Finance says it is an internal fiscal charge, not a customs duty. It is due from the seller, the sender or the platform that facilitates the sale, and postal operators and couriers must ensure it is collected. Whether it will stay once an EU-level handling fee is introduced was still under discussion in 2026, so check the current rules.
A gift from family: the €45 rule
A parcel sent by a private person outside the EU to a private person in the EU can be relieved of duty and VAT if all of the following apply:
A parcel from Tel Aviv, London or New York is an import.
- The value of the goods is €45 or less. Postage and insurance are not counted.
- It is a gift, with no payment and no commercial element.
- It is occasional and for the personal or family use of the recipient.
- It is correctly declared, as a gift, with the real value.
Above €45, VAT is charged on the whole parcel. Alcohol, tobacco and perfume have separate rules. A parcel with grandma's cake and a hand-knitted sweater is the typical case. A box of new electronics "as a gift" is not.
Documents sent from abroad
Buyers who manage a purchase from abroad often send signed documents by courier: a power of attorney, apostilled certificates, bank letters. A few rules save time:
- Send originals by a tracked service, to the person who needs them: your lawyer or the notary's office, with their phone number on the label.
- Declare them as documents. Papers with no commercial value are not goods.
- Scan everything before you send it.
See our guides to the apostille for documents from Israel and to the power of attorney in Romania.
Your address in a villa community
In new villa communities, the address is the most common reason a delivery fails. The street may be new, private or missing from maps.
- Get the official address from the town hall (primărie). Street names and administrative addresses are part of the street nomenclature, recorded in Romania's national electronic register (RENNS) under Government Decision 777/2016. The town hall issues an address certificate (certificat de nomenclatură stradală și adresă).
- Use the same address everywhere: the land book, the residence permit, the bank, utility contracts and online shops. Differences cause returned letters.
- Find the postal code in Poșta Română's postal code search.
- Install a mailbox at the gate with your name and house number, so Poșta Română can leave letters and notices.
- Tell couriers how to get in. Add "gate code" or "call on arrival" to the delivery notes, and make sure the guard, if there is one, knows that deliveries are expected.
Ask the developer, before handover, whether the street names and numbers have already been approved by the town hall. Our guide to connecting utilities to a villa in Ilfov covers the other contracts that need the same address.
A checklist for your first month
- Get the address certificate from the town hall, or confirm the address with the developer.
- Put up a mailbox with your names and the house number.
- Update your address with the bank, your employer, your insurer and the authorities abroad.
- Choose a locker near your route for days when nobody is home.
- Before ordering from Israel, the UK or the US, check whether the shop charges VAT at checkout (IOSS).
- Tell family abroad about the €45 gift rule and how to declare a gift.
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay customs on a parcel from Israel to Romania?
Commercial goods from outside the EU, including Israel, pay VAT whatever their value. From 1 July 2026, online orders worth up to €150 also carry a temporary €3 duty per item category, and above €150 normal duty applies. A private gift worth €45 or less can be relieved of duty and VAT.
What is the 25 lei charge on parcels in Romania?
Since 1 January 2026, Romania charges 25 lei for each parcel worth under €150 sent from outside the EU to individuals, under Law 239/2025. The Ministry of Finance describes it as an internal fiscal charge due from the seller, sender or platform, not from the recipient.
Are parcels from the UK treated as coming from outside the EU?
Yes. Since Brexit, the UK is outside the EU's customs union, so parcels from the UK go through customs like parcels from Israel or the US.
Why was my parcel not delivered to my villa?
Usually because the address cannot be found or the courier could not get through the gate. Use the official address from the town hall, add your phone number and access notes to the order, and put up a mailbox at the gate.
Can someone else collect my parcel at the post office?
Usually yes, with their ID and an authorisation from you. Check the carrier's rules before you send someone.
The bottom line
Mail and parcels in Romania work well once two things are in order: an official address that every carrier can find, and realistic expectations for parcels from outside the EU. A parcel from Israel, the UK or the US is an import, and since 2026 low-value orders carry extra charges.
If you are buying a home in north Bucharest from abroad and want to go through the practical setup, from the address to the first contracts, book a half-hour call with me.
Moti Azulay, Compass Group Romania
Sources: European Commission: €3 customs duty for low-value parcels · European Commission: guidance on the temporary flat duty until 1 July 2028 · Council of the EU, 11 February 2026 · European Commission: VAT e-commerce and IOSS · Digi24: Ministry of Finance on the 25 lei charge (Law 239/2025) · Irish Revenue: rules for gifts from outside the EU · Government Decision 777/2016 on the national street nomenclature register · Poșta Română
This article is for general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. The rules are current as of 22 October 2026. Customs rules for parcels changed several times in 2026; check with the carrier and the customs authority before you ship.
Now you know more.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult local professionals before any transaction.
