UK to EU fulfilment ship the EU as a local
Since Brexit, every parcel from Britain crosses a customs border. Hold stock inside the EU instead, and find a European fulfilment partner that ships your EU orders from inside the EU, with no customs step on each order.
The difference
Fewer customs delays, EU delivery that feels domestic
Shipping from Great Britain into the EU means a customs declaration on every order, EU VAT (at checkout through IOSS, or at import) and, depending on value and origin, customs duty, including the EU's 3-euro-per-item duty on parcels of 150 euros or less since 1 July 2026, plus the delays and surprise charges that make EU customers abandon carts. Placing stock with an EU-based partner takes the border off each order, and every listing shows its warehouse locations so you can find partners inside the EU.
An EU base, not a border on every parcel
Filter by the EU countries a partner serves and check each listing's warehouse locations to find partners that hold stock inside the EU, so your EU customers get local delivery speeds and no customs charge at the door. The border is crossed once, on a bulk inbound, not on every order.
Set up for the paperwork
Filter for partners that list VAT/IOSS support, then ask how they help with the EU import. You become the importer of your stock, so you will need an EU EORI number, usually an EU-based customs representative, a VAT registration where the stock is held and an EU responsible person for product safety. A good partner helps you set these up.
How it works
- 01
Set your constraints
Tell us the EU countries you sell into, your platforms, your monthly volume and needs such as VAT/IOSS handling, returns or COD.
- 02
Compare shortlists
Partners that serve your target countries and meet every need you ticked are shortlisted, then scored on countries, needs, platforms and volume. Check their warehouse locations to see which hold stock inside the EU.
- 03
Request an intro
Send a request with a short message to the partners worth talking to. They see who you are once they accept, so the first conversation starts from facts, not a generic quote.
- 01
List your capabilities
Publish your warehouse locations, whether you support VAT/IOSS, the countries you serve and your carriers.
- 02
Get matched to demand
Your listing surfaces for brands whose target countries and needs you cover, not for anyone who typed a keyword.
- 03
Take qualified intros
Requests arrive in your dashboard with the brand's message. Accept to see who they are and how to reach them.
Turn EU orders into domestic ones
Start from the directory, or publish a store profile and let the matching shortlist partners that serve your EU countries and meet your needs, then pick one with a warehouse inside the EU.
What is UK to EU fulfilment?
UK to EU fulfilment is the practice of a British ecommerce brand holding stock at a fulfilment centre inside the European Union and shipping EU orders from there, rather than sending every parcel across the post-Brexit customs border from Britain. Goods are exported once, in bulk, to the EU warehouse; from that point EU orders ship from inside the EU, with no per-order customs clearance, no import VAT collected at the customer's door and delivery speeds that match a local seller. It is a common way UK brands keep the EU market viable after Brexit added a customs border to every shipment.
Also called: Brexit fulfilment, EU fulfilment for UK brands, post-Brexit EU logistics
Shipping into the EU as a local, not an importer
Why a UK brand's fastest route into Europe runs through an EU warehouse, and what Brexit changed at the border.
The problem with shipping every order from the UK
Since Brexit, every parcel sent from Great Britain to an EU customer is an import. That means a customs declaration, potential duty, import VAT, and a courier that may present the buyer with charges and a handling fee before they can receive their order. The result is slower delivery, unpredictable costs, and a doorstep experience that makes EU shoppers hesitate or refuse the parcel outright. For a UK brand trying to grow in Europe, shipping each order across the Channel one at a time turns what used to be a frictionless single market into a border crossing on every sale. The delays and surprise charges quietly cap conversion in exactly the markets you are trying to win. Fixing it is less about finding a cheaper courier and more about changing where your stock sits relative to your customers.
Hold stock in the EU, deliver like a local
The clean solution is to bulk-ship your stock into an EU fulfilment centre once, clear it through customs as a single import, and then fulfil EU orders from inside the bloc. Duty on that inbound is zero only for goods that meet the EU-UK trade agreement's rules of origin; goods made elsewhere, for example in China, normally pay the EU's standard duty, and you will need an EU EORI number and usually an EU-based customs representative for the import. Your customer in Germany, France or the Netherlands receives a local parcel at local speed and local cost, with no duty demand at the door, the border friction moves off every individual order and onto one planned inbound shipment. It also lets you offer the fast, predictable delivery EU marketplaces and shoppers now expect. The trade-off is holding inventory abroad and managing the import, which is exactly what a European fulfilment partner is for. When you compare partners, look at their EU warehouse locations relative to your biggest markets and how they handle the UK-to-EU inbound leg, because that combination is what turns a border on every order into one planned import.
Common questions
Why do UK brands need an EU fulfilment base after Brexit?
Since Brexit, a parcel sent from Great Britain to an EU customer crosses a customs border, which means clearance, import VAT and often duty, plus delays and unexpected charges the customer sees at delivery. Holding stock inside the EU and shipping domestically removes all of that from the individual order. The border is crossed once, on a bulk inbound shipment, instead of on every sale.
How does the VAT work if I fulfil from inside the EU?
Once your stock is in the EU, you register for VAT in the country where it is stored and pay import VAT on each inbound shipment, which is normally recoverable. Sales to customers in that country are domestic sales. Sales to consumers in other EU countries are taxed at the customer's rate from the first sale, because the 10,000-euro threshold applies only to businesses established in the EU, and the Union OSS lets you report them in one return. IOSS does not apply to goods already in the EU, and marketplace sales may be taxed by the marketplace. Confirm a partner's VAT/IOSS support and take your own tax advice before committing.
Do I still deal with customs at all?
Yes, but only once per inbound shipment rather than once per order. Your goods are exported from the UK and imported into the EU in bulk when you restock the warehouse. A good partner handles or guides that customs documentation, so day-to-day orders ship without any border step. Duty on the import is zero only for goods that meet the EU-UK trade agreement's rules of origin, and you need an EU EORI number and usually an EU-based customs representative.
Can I keep a UK warehouse and add an EU one?
That is a common setup: fulfil UK orders from Britain and EU orders from an EU base, so each market gets domestic delivery. Filter for partners that serve your EU countries, then ask shortlisted partners whether they can coordinate stock with your UK warehouse.
Explore further
VAT & IOSS fulfilment in Europe
The tax side in detail: EU VAT and IOSS, and partners that list support for them.
Fulfilment in Europe
The full picture: get matched to a European partner by country, platform and volume.
Ecommerce fulfilment in Europe
The outsourced pick, pack and ship model for growing brands.