Sweden Introduces a New €2 Online Shopping Fee: What Temu, Shein and Other Customers Need to Know

A new €2 handling fee applies from 1 November 2026 to goods bought online and shipped to Sweden from countries outside the European Union. The measure is part of an EU-wide change affecting orders from platforms such as Temu and Shein, as well as purchases from other non-EU retailers.

The fee applies regardless of the value of the goods. It is separate from the €3 customs duty already introduced for certain low-value imports in July. For shoppers, the practical impact will depend on how retailers and delivery companies account for the charges at checkout or when a parcel arrives.

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What is the new €2 fee?

The new charge is an EU handling fee on goods sold through online distance sales and dispatched from outside the EU. It came into effect on 1 November 2026 and is set at €2 per goods item.

Swedish Customs explains that the fee applies to goods regardless of their value. It is not limited to cheap parcels or purchases from China. The country from which the goods are dispatched is what matters: an order sent directly from a non-EU country can be covered even if the retailer is familiar to Swedish customers.

The fee is intended to help cover the administrative costs of customs supervision, including the processing and monitoring of the large volume of small e-commerce parcels entering the EU.

Does the fee apply to Temu, Shein and other online shops?

It can apply to purchases from Temu, Shein, AliExpress and other online retailers when the goods are shipped from outside the EU.

However, the platform’s name alone does not determine whether the fee applies. A retailer may use different warehouses and shipping arrangements. If an item is dispatched from a warehouse in another EU country, the Swedish Customs guidance says that no customs or handling fees are payable to Swedish Customs for that intra-EU purchase.

Customers should therefore check the actual dispatch location and delivery terms rather than assuming that every order from a particular platform will be treated in the same way.

Is the €2 fee charged per parcel or per item?

The fee is not simply €2 for every parcel. Swedish Customs describes it as €2 per goods item. Different types of goods can count as separate items for customs purposes, while identical goods are generally treated as one goods item.

For example, an order containing different types of products may attract more than one €2 handling fee, even if everything arrives in a single parcel. The exact calculation depends on how the goods are declared.

This distinction matters for customers who place large mixed orders. The number of products in the shopping basket does not necessarily equal the number of chargeable goods items.

The €2 handling fee is separate from the €3 customs duty

The new handling fee should not be confused with the temporary €3 customs duty introduced on 1 July 2026.

The €3 customs duty is charged by category of goods rather than per parcel. The EU Council gives the example of a parcel containing toys, a wool coat and shampoo: because it contains three categories, the temporary duty would total €9. The €2 handling fee is a separate charge and may apply as well.

For a qualifying low-value order containing three different goods categories, the two fixed charges could therefore add up to €15: €9 in temporary customs duty and €6 in handling fees. This is an illustration, not a universal total; the actual calculation depends on the customs classification and declaration.

Will customers pay the fee at checkout?

Not necessarily as a separate payment.

According to Swedish Customs, the declarant is responsible for paying the handling fee to the customs authority in the EU country where the goods are declared. Depending on the retailer’s arrangements, the relevant charges may be collected when the customer places the order or later through the transport company.

If the retailer has not collected the relevant amounts at checkout, the carrier or company handling the customs declaration may issue an invoice. The customer may have to settle that invoice before receiving the parcel. Swedish Customs advises consumers to contact the retailer or transport company about the payment method for a specific order.

The new EU rules also place responsibility for customs formalities and duty payments on the relevant e-commerce platforms and sellers rather than leaving those obligations with the final consumer. That does not necessarily mean shoppers will never see the cost: businesses may account for import-related charges in the prices or delivery terms they offer.

What if the order is shipped from an EU warehouse?

The dispatch location is crucial.

If a product is already in an EU country and is sent to Sweden from there, Swedish Customs says that the customer does not pay customs or handling fees to Swedish Customs for that purchase. By contrast, an order placed with a European-facing online shop may still be covered if the goods are actually dispatched directly from a country outside the EU.

Before paying, customers should check:

• Where the product is dispatched from: the seller’s registered address is not necessarily the shipping origin.

• Whether import charges are included: read the checkout information and delivery terms carefully.

• Who will collect any outstanding amount: it may be the retailer or the transport company.

• Whether the order is split into shipments: separate dispatches can affect how charges are declared and collected.

Why has the EU introduced the new charge?

The EU is responding to the sharp increase in small parcels arriving from outside the bloc. These shipments create additional work for customs authorities, which must process declarations, assess risks and carry out checks.

The Council of the EU says that 4.6 billion e-commerce parcels valued below €150 entered the EU in 2024, with 91% of those shipments coming from China. The growth has also raised concerns about unfair competition for European businesses, unsafe or non-compliant products and the environmental impact of large numbers of individual deliveries.

The handling fee is intended to contribute to the cost of customs controls and monitoring. It is part of a wider reform of the EU customs system, rather than a measure introduced exclusively by Sweden or aimed only at Chinese shopping platforms.

What does the new fee mean for Swedish shoppers?

The impact will vary from one order to another.

For someone buying a single item shipped from outside the EU, the new handling fee is €2. For a mixed order containing several different types of goods, the charge may be higher because the fee is calculated per goods item rather than simply per parcel.

The additional €3 customs duty may also apply to qualifying consignments valued at €150 or less. VAT remains payable on goods bought from outside the EU, regardless of their value. For most goods, the Swedish VAT rate is 25%, although reduced rates apply to certain categories.

Customers should also distinguish official customs charges from separate administration fees that a carrier may charge for handling a customs declaration. Swedish Customs notes that transport companies can charge for their services independently of the customs charges.

Our assessment: check the delivery origin before ordering

The new fee makes the final cost of low-price online shopping more important to check before completing a purchase. An item advertised at a very low price may cost more once handling fees, customs duty, VAT and any carrier charges are taken into account.

The most useful habit for consumers is to look beyond the platform’s name and check where the goods will actually be shipped from. A product dispatched from an EU warehouse is treated differently from one sent directly from outside the Union.

For shoppers who regularly use Temu, Shein or similar platforms, comparing the full delivered price with offers from Swedish and other EU retailers may now be more worthwhile than comparing the headline product price alone.

Frequently asked questions

Does the €2 fee apply to every Temu and Shein order?

It applies when goods are bought online and dispatched from outside the EU. Orders shipped from an EU warehouse are generally not subject to this import handling fee in Sweden.

Does the fee apply to cheap products as well?

Yes. The €2 handling fee applies regardless of the value of the goods.

Is the €2 fee charged for each product in a parcel?

It is charged per goods item, not automatically for every individual product or every parcel. Different types of goods can count separately, while identical goods are generally treated as one goods item.

Do customers also have to pay the €3 customs duty?

The temporary €3 customs duty applies to qualifying consignments valued at €150 or less and is calculated by category of goods. It is separate from the €2 handling fee.

Will I pay the fee when I place the order?

That depends on the retailer’s payment arrangements. The charges may be collected at checkout or later through the transport company before the parcel is delivered or released.

Official Sources

• Swedish Customs (Tullverket) — Frequently asked questions about customs duties and fees — https://www.tullverket.se/en/startpage/private/online/shoppingonline/customsdutiesandtaxeswhenshoppingonline/newcustomsdutyfrom1july2026.4.5dd2f9d519e1cbdf1a0a38.html

• Swedish Customs (Tullverket) — Handling fee on distance sales — https://www.tullverket.se/en/startpage/business/infocus/futuredevelopmentsinthecustomsarea/thecustomsreformpackageareformofthecustomsunion/handlingfeeondistancesales.4.cff3feb19f36d238ff5e21f.html

• Swedish Customs (Tullverket) — What are the charges on my goods? — https://www.tullverket.se/en/startpage/private/online/shoppingonline/customsdutiesandtaxeswhenshoppingonline.4.422c8052175b1d827691793.html

• Council of the European Union — EU action on the influx of small parcels — https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/eu-action-influx-of-small-parcels/

• European Commission — EU Customs Reform — https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/customs/eu-customs-reform_en