New EU rules for the customs clearance of packages 

From November 1, new EU regulations regarding the customs clearance of packages arriving from outside the EU will come into effect: product identification rules are being tightened, and a €2 EU handling fee will apply to online orders, the National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV) announced on Wednesday (14/09/2026). 

The changes serve to protect the EU economy and consumers, and help screen out dangerous or non-compliant goods. The new €2 rule—part of the EU customs reform—applies to all member states, meaning it is mandatory in Hungary as well, the authority added.

The National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV) is prepared to implement the new EU rules taking effect on November 1 and to handle the potentially increased volume of parcels in the period leading up to that date, the customs authority confirmed.

They noted that, as of July 1, the European Union introduced a €3 flat-rate customs fee for small parcels arriving from outside the EU. As the next step in EU regulations, two further changes will come into effect on November 1.

As explained: firstly, a handling fee must be paid starting November 1, applicable to all online parcel orders arriving from outside the EU. In practice, this means that in addition to the €3 flat-rate customs fee, an extra €2 EU handling fee must be paid for these small parcels. Since EU regulations stipulate that the handling fee is independent of the package’s value, it applies to shipments exceeding the €150 threshold as well.

It is important to note that consumers and online shoppers are not responsible for paying this fee. Customs clearance for packages—including the payment of customs duties and fees—will continue to be handled by the postal service, courier service, or the platform’s designated representative. Furthermore, 75 percent of the €2 handling fee goes to the European Union budget, similar to the flat-rate customs duty.

Additionally, starting November 1, customs declarations must include the merchant’s and manufacturer’s product identifiers for the items contained in the package. These more detailed data allow customs authorities to identify imported products more precisely and more effectively screen out goods that fail to meet EU standards or pose a danger to consumers.

Since the introduction of the flat-rate customs duty in July, the number of small packages arriving from outside the EU has decreased, though the volume of traffic remains significant.

Between July and September, the NAV handled approximately 22 million shipments, representing a daily average of 245,000 packages. Since a single package can contain multiple different products, the NAV processed nearly 58 million line items over the three-month period, the authority reported.