Booking your first international parcel delivery can seem like a daunting task. Maybe you’re sending a gift to a friend who lives abroad, shipping an order to a customer in a new territory, or even returning an item you purchased online from an international retailer.

To help make the process that little bit easier, here are some of our top tips for sending parcels abroad to countries outside of the EU.

Is my parcel allowed into the destination country?

The first thing you need to check is if the items in your package are allowed into the destination country. Each country has their own set of rules and restrictions and many items which are ok to send within the UK are on the no-go list for sending abroad, including perfume.

Visit the country’s official postal website for guidance on what’s allowed and what’s not.

How much will it cost to send?

Once you know your item is safe to send, it’s easy to get quotes for how much it the international parcel delivery will cost. Simply enter your parcel dimensions, weight and the destination into our delivery quote form to have your pick of the services.

Depending on what you’re sending and its value, there may be additional customs charges to pay that we have no control over. At the time of booking your international parcel delivery, we can’t offer any information on what these costs will be, but to get an estimate you can contact the customs office of the country you’re sending to, or try an online calculator like DutyCalculator.com.

Remember your pro-forma invoice

There’s some extra paperwork bits of information needed when using international delivery services – you must complete the pro-forma invoice. This document is used by the customs agents and contains information on the parcel contents and the value of the items. Don’t worry though, the form is easy to complete and we make it even simpler for you by providing this form for you to complete whenever you book an international parcel delivery.

Then all you have to do is print 5 copies and attach these to the outside of your parcel in an envelope or plastic wallet, ready to be checked.

Packaging up a parcel for international delivery

International parcels often make multiple stops, travelling by land, sky, sea or rail and could also be sorted and processed in multiple locations. That’s why it’s even more important to make sure your parcel is packaged securely. To keep your parcel safe and sound, we’ve published some parcel packaging do’s and dont’s

It’s also worth considering the climate of where you’re sending your parcel, if you’re sending a parcel from a cold country to a hot one, keep this in mind when choosing your packaging materials.
Provide contact details for the receiver

The courier company will have the delivery address, but we also ask that you provide other contact details for the receiver too, like a phone number and email address. This information can then be used if there are any questions or additional information needed as the parcel goes through customs. Some countries won’t attempt a delivery without a phone number for the recipient so it’s best to cover all the bases before you book.