If you are ordering from outside the UK, your parcel may attract import VAT, customs duties or clearance fees in your country. This page explains how that works, who pays for it, and what to do if your parcel is held at customs.

Who pays customs charges?

Customs charges, import VAT and any clearance fees are set by your local customs authority and are the recipient's responsibility. They are not the same as the shipping cost you paid us at checkout. Shipping is what you pay us to send the parcel; import charges are what your country charges to bring goods in.

For this reason, we are unable to refund customs or import VAT charges.

Why has DHL contacted me asking for payment?

For many international destinations, including the United States and parts of the EU, DHL handles customs clearance on your behalf and will contact you by email or text to collect any import VAT or duty before delivering. This is genuine. Your parcel will not be released until the charge is paid.

You can pay DHL directly through the link they send you. If you would like to confirm the exact amount, contact DHL using the reference on their message before paying.

What if I refuse the customs charge?

If the customs charge is not paid, the parcel will be returned to us. In that case the original shipping cost is not refundable, and any return charges DHL applies will be deducted from your refund. Sometimes those return charges can exceed the value of the order, in which case we may ask the carrier to destroy the parcel and no refund will be available.

If you are in any doubt, please contact us at hello@naviorganics.uk before refusing.

My parcel is stuck at customs. What can I do?

International orders can take up to 21 working days to be delivered, partly depending on how quickly customs in your country process the parcel. If your tracking shows the parcel is with customs:

• Check whether you have received any messages from your local customs authority or courier asking for information or payment.
• Contact your local sorting office or customs office, as they can often release the parcel once any required information is provided.

If your parcel has been with customs for more than 21 working days with no movement, please email us at hello@naviorganics.uk and we will look into it from our end.

Do I need an invoice for customs?

Invoices are not physically included with parcels. If you, or a parcel forwarding service, need an invoice with full product description for customs, please email hello@naviorganics.uk and we will send one over.

Are you UK-based? Do UK orders incur customs?

Yes, we are based in Scotland. Orders shipped within the UK do not incur any customs or import fees, this only applies to international deliveries.

Brexit and EU customers

Since Brexit, EU customers may see import VAT and clearance fees on UK parcels. The amount and the way it is collected varies country by country. Some countries (such as Ireland and Spain) have made shipping supplements from the UK very difficult, and we have had to turn off shipping to them. See our international shipping article for the current list.

Need more help?

For anything we have not covered here, please email hello@naviorganics.uk.