EU fulfillment for e-commerce brands outside the EU
EU fulfillment means your products are stored in a warehouse inside the EU, and a third-party logistics (3PL) partner ships every European order from there. Your goods clear customs once, as a bulk shipment – after that, orders to EU customers travel with no customs on the way. We do this from Gothenburg, Sweden, for brands based in the US, Canada, Australia and the UK.
What changes when your stock sits inside the EU?
When you ship to EU customers from home, every order is an import into the EU. Each parcel is cleared on its own, VAT is charged at import or at your checkout, and your customer waits for an international delivery.
With EU fulfillment, the border moves from the parcel to the pallet. You send stock in bulk – pallets or a container – and it is cleared once, on arrival. Customs duty and import VAT are due at that point; the duty depends on each product's tariff code and origin. From then on your goods are in free circulation in the EU, and orders to customers in other member states cross no customs border.
The 3PL receives and registers your stock, stores it, and picks, packs and ships each order as it comes in from your store. Returns come back to the same warehouse. Follow the whole route in how EU fulfillment works.
Why it matters more since July 2026
- Since 1 July 2026, parcels worth up to €150 sent straight to EU consumers from outside the EU pay a temporary flat customs duty of €3 per item type – with or without IOSS. It is planned to run until 1 July 2028.
- An EU handling fee per item on goods sold directly to consumers from outside the EU is due to start in late 2026.
- From July 2028, sellers that ship low-value parcels directly to EU consumers without IOSS will, as a rule, be liable for the import VAT themselves instead of the customer.
These measures target goods sold to consumers while they are still outside the EU. Stock that is genuinely imported in bulk and cleared before it is sold is imported under the normal rules instead. Goods already sold to individual customers before they are imported don't count as stock, even if they ship together.
Shipping to Europe from home vs. stocking in the EU
Five things your European customers – and your team – notice when the parcel starts its journey inside the EU instead of outside it.
| Aspect | Shipping every order from home | Stocking in the EU |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery time | Every order travels internationally and is cleared on arrival in the EU. Transit is longer and harder to predict – and a parcel held at customs simply waits. | Typically 1–2 business days to Sweden, Denmark and Finland, 2–3 to Germany and Benelux, 3–5 to the rest of the EU. |
| Customs & taxes at the door | Every parcel is its own import. Up to €150 you can charge VAT at checkout through IOSS; without it, the carrier often collects the VAT from your customer before delivery, sometimes with its own clearance fee. Since July 2026 a flat customs duty also generally applies to low-value parcels, with or without IOSS. | Customs duty and import VAT are due once per bulk shipment, when it is cleared. Orders to EU customers then involve no customs – no import charges at the door. |
| Returns | A return travels back across a customs border to you – or you refund without ever getting the item back. | Returns come back to our warehouse in Sweden. We receive and inspect them and put approved items back into sellable stock. |
| Customer experience | Longer transit, a possible customs notice and a charge before delivery – the moments that turn into “where is my order?” emails and refused parcels. | A delivery time European shoppers recognize, tracking from dispatch and a return address inside the EU. |
| Inventory control | One stock at home serves every market, and European demand only shows up order by order. | A dedicated EU stock, registered by barcode in our warehouse management system, with real-time stock visibility – and on Shopify, stock levels synced back to your store. The trade-off: you plan replenishment ahead, because a restock shipped by sea can take weeks. |
What does it cost to run? Storage is charged per pallet or shelf location per month, with a fee per DTC order and per return – see how our pricing works.
Where are you shipping from?
The mechanics are the same from every market outside the EU. What differs is the duty situation for your goods, the freight route and the time difference – pick yours.
From the United States
Stop shipping every European order across the Atlantic. Import once in bulk and deliver to EU customers without customs on every parcel.
For US brandsCanadaFrom Canada
Canadian-made goods can qualify for preferential EU duty under CETA. Stock them in Sweden and sell across the EU from one inventory.
For Canadian brandsAustraliaFrom Australia
The longest route to Europe is where local stock matters most. Ship in bulk by sea and sell across the EU without customs on every parcel.
For Australian brandsUnited KingdomFrom the United Kingdom
Since Brexit every parcel from Great Britain to an EU customer goes through customs. Hold stock inside the EU and ship to EU customers without it.
For UK brandsHow long does delivery take across Europe?
DTC orders are picked and packed the same day and leave our warehouse in Gothenburg. These are typical transit times after dispatch – what your customers can normally expect, not a guarantee.
| Destination | Typically |
|---|---|
| Nordic EU countriesSweden, Denmark and Finland | 1–2 business days |
| Germany & BeneluxGermany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg | 2–3 business days |
| Rest of the EUFrance, Italy, Spain, Poland, Austria, Ireland and the other member states | 3–5 business days |
Great Britain, Norway & Switzerland
These markets are outside the EU customs union. You can serve customers there from the same stock in Sweden, but those shipments are exports and go through customs.
Why fulfill from Sweden?
Comparing Sweden with the Netherlands or Germany? Sweden gives you the same EU customs status and reach across the member states – plus a major port and the Nordic markets close by.
It isn't the only sensible choice. From Gothenburg, parcels to Spain or Italy typically take 3–5 business days; a warehouse in the Netherlands or Germany sits closer to those customers, and Rotterdam is Europe's largest port by cargo volume. If most of your customers are in Southern Europe, weigh that – compare Sweden, the Netherlands and Germany.
Near Sweden's largest port
Our warehouse in Hisings Kärra, Gothenburg, is near the Port of Gothenburg, Sweden's largest port, which handles more than half of Sweden's container traffic.
Inside the EU customs union
Sweden is part of the EU customs union and the EU VAT area. Once your goods are cleared here, they move to customers in other member states without customs duties at internal borders – VAT rules still apply to each sale.
The Nordics included
According to Eurostat, Denmark and Sweden are among the EU countries with the highest share of people who shop online, and Finland is well above the EU average. From Gothenburg they are typically 1–2 business days away.
Customs, VAT and product safety for EU fulfillment, in brief
Four questions come up with every brand outside the EU. The short answers are below, each with a link to the detail.
Customs & EORI
A business based outside the EU generally can't lodge an EU import declaration itself. We coordinate the customs clearance of your bulk shipment with our customs partners, who can lodge the import declaration on your behalf as your customs agent. Your customs agent will tell you whether your setup needs your own EORI number. Duty depends on each product's tariff code and origin – where it was made, not where it ships from.
EORI numbers explainedVAT
Selling to consumers from stock in Sweden normally means registering for VAT in Sweden. Businesses from the US, Canada, Australia or the UK should also plan for a VAT agent approved by the Swedish Tax Agency, and confirm the requirement with a tax advisor. Sales to consumers in other EU countries can be declared in one place through the One-Stop Shop (OSS). We guide you through the setup and can put you in touch with accounting partners.
EU VAT for non-EU sellersIOSS
IOSS is the EU's optional VAT scheme for low-value parcels – up to €150 – shipped straight to EU consumers from outside the EU. When your inventory is already imported and stored in Sweden, your sales to EU consumers are not imports, so IOSS does not apply. VAT runs through your Swedish VAT return and, for other EU countries, the One-Stop Shop instead.
IOSS explainedProduct safety (GPSR)
Under the EU's General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), a consumer product can only be placed on the EU market if an economic operator established in the EU is responsible for it. For a brand based outside the EU, that means appointing its own EU responsible person – an EU importer or an authorized representative with a written mandate – before the stock ships. Their name, postal address and electronic address must appear on the product, its packaging, the parcel or an accompanying document, and in your online product listings.
What to prepare before you shipWhere to fulfill in Europe
Sweden, the Netherlands or Germany? How to choose a location for your European stock.
Read moreWhat EU fulfillment costs
Every cost line from bulk import to returns – and the questions to ask when you compare 3PL quotes.
Read moreHow EU fulfillment works
The whole route in four steps – from your factory to a customer's door in Europe, and who does what.
Read moreShopify fulfillment in Europe
How your Shopify store connects to a European warehouse – orders in, stock levels and tracking back.
Read moreReady to ship to Europe?
Tell us about your products, volumes and target markets. You'll get a clear, itemized quote – no obligation.