Shopping in Australia
And forwarding to Germany

If you want to buy from an Australian retailer and have the parcel delivered in Germany, the practical hurdle is not transport, it is the EU import VAT regime. Since July 2021, every parcel entering Germany from a third country (which includes Australia) attracts German VAT (Mehrwertsteuer) on arrival. There is no longer a low value VAT exemption. Getting that paperwork right is the difference between a parcel arriving in five days and one stuck at Frankfurt customs for three weeks.

HotSnail gives you an Australian delivery address and handles the forwarding. Order from any Australian retailer that ships domestically, we receive the parcel at our Gold Coast warehouse, and we prepare the EU compliant customs declaration before forwarding to your German address.

What German buyers order from Australia

The categories we see most often forwarded to Germany:

• Wine: Penfolds, Henschke, d'Arenberg and boutique South Australian producers. Wine attracts EU import duty plus German alcohol tax in addition to VAT, so factor that in.
• R.M. Williams boots and leather goods direct from Adelaide.
• Surf brands: Rip Curl, Billabong, Quiksilver. Australian prices are typically lower than the equivalent German retail.
• Aesop, Jurlique and Sukin skincare.
• Opals and Australian jewellery.
• UGG boots (genuine Australian made labels).
• Specialty pantry items: Vegemite, Tim Tams, Bundaberg ginger beer, manuka honey.

Shipping options and transit times

• AusPost International Express: 7 to 12 business days door to door, tracked end to end, weight cap 20 kg.
• AusPost International Standard: 12 to 25 business days, the cheapest option.
• DHL Express Worldwide: 5 to 7 business days, full tracking. DHL Express is German owned, so handover to Deutsche Post DHL for last mile is seamless.

EU customs, VAT and the EUR 150 duty threshold

Two thresholds matter for parcels entering Germany from Australia:

• VAT: applies on every parcel from the first euro of declared value. German standard VAT is 19% (with a reduced 7% for books, food and a few other categories). VAT is calculated on goods value plus shipping plus insurance.
• Customs duty: applies only on parcels with a goods value over EUR 150. Below that, no duty (but VAT still applies). Tariff rates depend on the HS code of the product.
• IOSS: The Import One Stop Shop scheme lets registered sellers charge VAT at checkout for goods up to EUR 150. As a personal forwarding service we do not use IOSS, so VAT is collected by the carrier on delivery.
• Handling fee: Deutsche Post and DHL add a handling fee (often around EUR 6) for processing import VAT collection.

Prohibited and restricted items for Germany

The EU has strict rules around novel foods and supplements. Items HotSnail will not forward to Germany include fresh meat and dairy, fresh fruit and vegetables, plant material and seeds (EU plant health rules), CBD products in some forms, supplements with ingredients not approved on the EU novel foods register, ivory and wildlife products, and counterfeit branded goods. Some Australian supplements with melatonin, kava or high dose vitamins are restricted at the EU border. Ask before ordering if you are unsure.

Addressing your parcel

Standard German address format: recipient name, street and house number (Strasse and Hausnummer on the same line), then a line with the 5 digit postcode (PLZ) and city. For DHL and most carriers a mobile number is helpful but not required. Note that German postal addresses are strict on the house number, missing or wrong numbers are the most common last mile failure.

How HotSnail helps

You get your own Australian delivery address. Shop with any Australian retailer that ships domestically, we will consolidate multiple parcels, photograph and weigh each on arrival, prepare EU compliant customs paperwork, and quote the forwarding cost before anything ships.