In short
- A 5 kg parcel from the UK to Ireland starts at approximately £10.91 in the 6 October 2026 snapshot, before import costs. From the Netherlands it costs €16.40, and domestic Irish dispatch starts at €7.76. The tables compare 5 kg and 10 kg limits, including platform costs and excluding packing.
- The small example uses up to 5 kg and 35 × 25 × 15 cm; the medium example uses up to 10 kg and 45 × 35 × 30 cm. Carrier-specific locker limits can be smaller.
- Compare collection point, locker and home delivery separately. Prices and delivery estimates apply to the selected service, not every parcel on that route.
- For a shipment from Great Britain, check import costs and declarations separately from the label. Currency conversions on the rate card are approximate.
- For repeated orders from local stock, use shipping to Ireland without a warehouse to plan storage and replenishment. Those are separate costs from this parcel-price comparison.
- AirPost is a peer-to-peer fulfilment network: online shops have their orders packed and dropped at a parcel point by verified people near their customers, who earn a fee per parcel from home. No warehouse, no minimum order volume.
Ireland is often the first EU market for a British shop, and the one where the cheapest label is the most misleading. A parcel from England looks cheap on the carrier’s price list; it stops looking cheap once VAT, duty and a handling charge land on the customer. Below are the measured prices from seven countries, the carriers behind them, and the full picture for UK shops.
How much does it cost to send a 5 kg or 10 kg parcel to Ireland?
We priced a small parcel (up to 5 kg, 35 × 25 × 15 cm) and a medium parcel (up to 10 kg, 45 × 35 × 30 cm) to Ireland from seven countries on our shipping options page on 6 October 2026. Each cell is the cheapest service listed for that lane. Prices include our €0.85 platform fee; UK amounts are approximate GBP conversions shown by the rate card.
| From | Small parcel (≤ 5 kg) | Medium parcel (≤ 10 kg) |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | ≈ £10.91 · Evri to the door | ≈ £11.42 · DPD to the door |
| France | €15.20 · FedEx to the door | €20.59 · Chronopost to a point or locker |
| Germany | €15.60 · UPS to a point or locker | €16.10 · UPS to a point or locker |
| Belgium | €15.92 · DPD to a point or locker | €15.92 · DPD to a point or locker |
| Netherlands | €16.40 · UPS to a point or locker | €21.60 · DPD to the door |
| Italy | €17.64 · UPS to the door | €24.99 · UPS to the door |
| Spain | €21.19 · UPS to the door | €26.65 · UPS to a point or locker |
| Inside Ireland | €7.76 · An Post to the door | €8.41 · An Post to the door |
How much is it to send a parcel from the UK to Ireland?
From United Kingdom, the 6 October snapshot showed ≈ £10.91 · Evri to the door for a small parcel and ≈ £11.42 · DPD to the door for a medium parcel. The GBP figures are approximate conversions shown by the rate card; import costs and declarations are separate from the label.
Then comes the part that does not appear on the label. Since Brexit, a parcel from England, Scotland or Wales to Ireland is an export from the UK and an import into the EU:
| Extra cost or step | Who pays | When |
|---|---|---|
| Customs declaration | The shop (via the carrier) | Every parcel |
| Irish VAT at 23% (standard rate) | The customer at the door, or the shop through IOSS | Every parcel |
| €3 EU customs duty per item type | The seller or importer | Parcels up to €150, since 1 July 2026 |
| Carrier handling charge | Usually the customer | When VAT is collected on delivery |
IOSS lets you collect the VAT at checkout on consignments up to €150, so the customer is not surprised at the door, but GOV.UK notes that a business in Great Britain needs an intermediary to use it. The €3 duty is explained in the €3 EU customs duty, and the two ways around all of it are compared in IOSS vs holding stock in the EU.
From Northern Ireland
A shop in Belfast is in a different position. Under the Windsor Framework, Northern Ireland follows EU rules for goods, and HMRC says declarations are not needed for goods moving directly from Northern Ireland to the EU. For a Northern Irish shop, a parcel to Dublin is close to a domestic one on paperwork, even if it is priced as international.
Parcel to Ireland from the EU: which carrier is cheapest?
From France, the 6 October snapshot showed €15.20 · FedEx to the door for a small parcel and €20.59 · Chronopost to a point or locker for a medium parcel. From Germany, the 6 October snapshot showed €15.60 · UPS to a point or locker for a small parcel and €16.10 · UPS to a point or locker for a medium parcel. From Belgium, the 6 October snapshot showed €15.92 · DPD to a point or locker for a small parcel and €15.92 · DPD to a point or locker for a medium parcel. Compare the packed dimensions and collection option as well as weight; the cheapest service can change between sizes.
From Netherlands, the 6 October snapshot showed €16.40 · UPS to a point or locker for a small parcel and €21.60 · DPD to the door for a medium parcel. From Italy, the 6 October snapshot showed €17.64 · UPS to the door for a small parcel and €24.99 · UPS to the door for a medium parcel. From Spain, the 6 October snapshot showed €21.19 · UPS to the door for a small parcel and €26.65 · UPS to a point or locker for a medium parcel. Compare the packed dimensions and collection option as well as weight; the cheapest service can change between sizes.
Shipping within Ireland: what a domestic parcel costs
| Carrier | Service | Small parcel | Medium parcel | Stated delivery time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| An Post | To the door | €7.76 | €8.41 | Tomorrow |
| UPS | To the door | €11.89 | €13.89 | Tomorrow |
Two things stand out. An Post’s price barely moves with size: a medium parcel cost only €0.65 more than a small one. And both domestic services deliver to the door, so there is no cheaper pickup option to steer customers towards. Get the Eircode right on every order: according to Eircode, over 35% of Irish addresses share their address with at least one other property.
What is the cheapest way to send a parcel to Ireland?
- From the UK, count the whole cost. The label is the cheapest of any origin, but VAT, duty and the declaration come on top of every parcel.
- From the EU, compare carriers per lane. The cheapest carrier was FedEx from France, UPS from Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Spain, and DPD from Belgium.
- Ship from inside Ireland. A domestic An Post parcel was the cheapest option of all, and the customs question disappears for UK shops after one bulk import.
These service prices include the €0.85 platform fee; packing by a sender is separate. For repeated orders from local stock, see shipping to Ireland without a warehouse. Compare storage, replenishment and any tax administration in that setup rather than treating a domestic label as the whole fulfilment cost.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to send a 5 kg parcel to Ireland?
From the Netherlands the measured small-parcel price was €16.40 on 6 October 2026, including the platform fee and excluding packing. The 10 kg column can use a different carrier or collection option. Prices depend on the packed dimensions as well as weight.
Do these prices include storing stock in Ireland?
No. They compare parcel services, including the platform fee. If you want repeated orders packed from local stock, use shipping to Ireland without a warehouse and add packing, replenishment and any tax administration.
Do I pay customs sending a parcel from the UK to Ireland?
Yes, from Great Britain. Every parcel needs a customs declaration and Irish import VAT is due; since 1 July 2026 a €3 duty per item type can apply to parcels worth up to €150. From Northern Ireland no declaration is needed.
How much is it to post a parcel within Ireland?
An Post Standard to the door cost €7.76 for a small parcel and €8.41 for a medium one on 6 October 2026, including our platform fee, with next-working-day delivery stated.
Is it cheaper to ship to Ireland from Germany or the Netherlands?
From Germany: €15.60 against €16.40 for a small parcel, both with UPS to an Access Point. For a medium parcel the gap was larger: €16.10 from Germany against €21.60 from the Netherlands.
Sources
- AirPost — shipping options per lane (measured 1 October 2026)
- Revenue — current VAT rates in Ireland (standard 23%)
- GOV.UK — Check if you can register for the VAT Import One Stop Shop (intermediary for GB businesses)
- GOV.UK — Trading and moving goods in and out of Northern Ireland
- European Commission — €3 customs duty on low-value parcels from 1 July 2026
- European Commission — Import One Stop Shop and the end of the €22 exemption
- Eircode — what is an Eircode
Ship to Irish customers at Irish domestic prices
Local fulfilment in Europe