Shipping to Denmark
The €150 duty-free threshold is gone, but that doesn't mean shipping to Denmark has to get harder. Here's how to keep parcels clearing customs and landing on doorsteps in Copenhagen, Aarhus and beyond, without delays or surprise charges.
Parcel delivery to Denmark
Denmark combines high household spending power, near-universal broadband coverage and one of Europe's most digitally confident populations. Danish consumers are comfortable buying from abroad, expect fast delivery, and increasingly favour brands that offer flexible options such as parcel lockers and evening delivery slots. For UK and EU retailers, sending a parcel to Denmark is a natural next step after, or alongside, Sweden and Norway.
Unlike Norway, Denmark is a full EU member state. That means no separate NUF-style registration or Norwegian-specific import declarations for parcel delivery to Denmark, but it also means Danish shipments now fall under the EU's reformed customs rules that took effect on 1 July 2026.
PostNord operates one of the most extensive delivery networks in Denmark, covering dense urban areas like Copenhagen and Aarhus as well as more rural regions across Jutland, Funen and the islands. Options for parcel delivery to Denmark include:
- Home delivery — signature or contactless, with delivery notifications by SMS or app.
- PostNord parcel lockers and service points — a strong preference among Danish shoppers who want flexible collection hours.
- Returns — a simple, well-signposted returns process is a strong purchase driver for Danish consumers, who compare return policies closely before buying cross-border.
Export to Denmark
Exporting to Denmark means working within EU customs rules rather than a separate national regime, but those rules changed significantly on 1 July 2026, and every business that ships a parcel to Denmark from outside the EU needs to understand what's different.
Customs and VAT: what changed on 1 July 2026
Until 30 June 2026, parcels valued at €150 or less could enter the EU, including Denmark, free of customs duty (VAT was still due). That duty-free threshold has now been removed EU-wide, and exporting to Denmark is fully in scope.
The headline change: low-value consignments no longer clear duty-free. A temporary flat customs duty of €3 per item now applies to IOSS-registered postal consignments valued up to €150, on top of Danish VAT. The flat rate is expected to stay in place until 1 July 2028, when it will be replaced by full HS-code-based duty calculation.
| Shipment type | Before 1 July 2026 | From 1 July 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| IOSS, value ≤ €150 | VAT only, no duty | VAT + flat €3 duty per item |
| Non-IOSS commercial, ≤ €150 | VAT only, no duty | VAT + standard tariff duty |
| Over €150 | VAT + standard duty | Unchanged — VAT + standard duty |
| C2C, private individual to individual | Exempt below threshold | Still exempt |
IOSS still matters — it just doesn't cover everything
The Import One-Stop Shop scheme hasn't gone away. It remains the way sellers collect and remit Danish VAT on distance sales at the point of checkout, keeping the experience VAT-smooth for the customer. What's changed is that IOSS no longer guarantees a duty-free delivery: the new €3 flat duty sits alongside it as a separate charge, collected by the declarant rather than the consumer.
From 1 November 2026, customs declarations for low-value consignments will also need to include up to three product identifiers per line, a merchant SKU, a manufacturer product code, and a standardised identifier such as GTIN, EAN or UPC where one exists. Building this into your product data now avoids delays later.
Danish VAT at a glance
- Standard rate: 25%, applied to virtually all goods and services with no reduced-rate tier for general merchandise.
- VAT is due on all commercial imports into Denmark regardless of value, the removal of the VAT exemption on low-value goods happened back in 2021 and is unaffected by the 2026 duty changes.
- Registered IOSS sellers charge Danish VAT at checkout; non-IOSS sellers typically have it collected on import, often alongside a handling fee from the carrier.
DDP or DAP: choosing your Incoterm
DDP — Delivered Duty Paid
You collect VAT and duty at checkout and PostNord handles clearance on arrival. The Danish customer pays nothing extra and receives their parcel with no interruption. With duty now applying to more shipments than before, DDP is the safer default when you send a parcel to Denmark for consumer-facing brands that want to protect conversion and avoid refused parcels.
DAP — Delivered At Place
The customer pays VAT and duty on delivery. This can work for B2B shipments with informed buyers, but for consumer parcels it now carries a higher risk of refusal, delay or a poor unboxing experience, since even sub-€150 parcels can arrive with a duty bill attached.
Packaging and documentation checklist for exporting to Denmark
- Include a complete commercial or proforma invoice with itemised retail value, country of origin and buyer/seller details.
- Use precise, specific product descriptions, generic terms like "accessories" or "parts" increase the risk of customs delay under the new data requirements.
- Apply the correct HS/tariff code for each item; classification accuracy has a direct impact on duty calculated post-reform.
- Confirm your IOSS number is valid and correctly declared if selling B2C goods valued up to €150.
- Package for the Danish climate and postal network, damp-resistant packaging is worth the extra care for every parcel to Denmark sent outside peak summer months.
Ready to sell into Denmark?
PostNord clears, delivers and returns parcels across Denmark every day. Get a tailored rate and start shipping with confidence.