Short answer: an Oopbuy parcel to the Netherlands pays Dutch VAT (21% on most goods) and, since 1 July 2026, EU customs duty: a flat €3 per item type on parcels worth up to €150. If those weren't paid when you shipped and PostNL delivers, PostNL adds a €10 handling fee (€16 from €150 up) and holds the parcel until you pay. The EU expects to add a €2 handling fee per item type from 1 November 2026.

Shipping a haul to the Netherlands got a bit more expensive this summer, and some of the extra costs only show up at the door, not in your Oopbuy cart. Here's what you pay, who asks for it, and how to keep it down. The general EU rules are in my EU customs and VAT guide; this page sticks to what's specific to the Netherlands.

What you pay on a parcel to the Netherlands

  • VAT: 21% on most goods. Calculated on the price of the items plus shipping, insurance and customs duty.
  • Customs duty: €3 per item type on parcels worth up to €150. Above €150 the rate depends on what the product is, what it's made of and where it comes from.
  • PostNL's handling fee, if PostNL pays the charges for you: €10 per parcel under €150, €16 from €150 up. Some goods always cost €16, like alcohol, perfume and tobacco.
  • The EU handling fee, expected from 1 November 2026: €2 per item type, on parcels of any value.

PostNL's own example: €25.09 on €20 of goods

PostNL shows this example for an order from China: earbuds (€8), a T-shirt (€7) and a phone case (€5), with free shipping. Three item types means €9 in duty. VAT is 21% of €29 (goods plus duty), so €6.09. Add the €10 handling fee and you pay €25.09 before PostNL delivers. The EU handling fee expected from November isn't in that example.

The lesson for agent hauls: lots of cheap, different items in one small parcel get hit hardest, because every item type costs €3 no matter how cheap it is.

Why three of the same item can still cost €9

On paper, identical items count once. But PostNL says that when it declares your parcel, it has to count the lines the sender filled in on the customs form (CN22 or CN23). If three pairs of trousers are listed on three separate lines, you pay €9 instead of €3.

What to do about it: when you submit a parcel, Oopbuy lets you fill in the customs declaration yourself. Put identical items on one line, with the value you actually paid. That's not a trick, it's how the EU defines an item: goods with the same customs code and description.

How paying PostNL works

  • PostNL sends you to its track & trace page by email or post. Enter your tracking code and postcode, and you'll see the invoice under the clearance costs.
  • You pay with iDEAL | Wero or a credit card, and PostNL delivers after that.
  • You have 14 days to pay. After that the parcel goes back.
  • PostNL says it never sends a direct payment link. Always go through track & trace, so a phishing text pretending to be a customs payment can't catch you out.
  • Think the amount is wrong? You can object through PostNL's chat, but only after you've paid and received the parcel. If you don't want to pay at all, you can refuse it and it goes back to the sender.

Not every Oopbuy line ends with PostNL. If another company delivers your parcel, it sets its own fee, which you'll see on its payment request.

What Oopbuy handles

Oopbuy's customs page says that for parcels worth up to €150 its system generally collects the VAT when you submit the parcel. When I checked on October 21, 2026, that page didn't mention the €3 duty or the coming EU handling fee. So before you pay for shipping, check whether your line says duties are included. If it doesn't, count on a payment request at the door.

One more thing from that page: Oopbuy says customs risks, like extra taxes, delays or a returned parcel, are yours to carry. That's normal for any agent, but good to know before you build a big haul.

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How long shipping to the Netherlands takes

I'm not going to give you a number Oopbuy doesn't give. Its help pages don't list a time for the Netherlands, and they don't even agree with each other: one says 5 to 12 days from the warehouse to your address, another says about 15 to 30 days depending on the destination. Use the estimate shown for the line you pick in Oopbuy's shipping calculator, pick a line with tracking, and leave a few extra days for customs. For how lines and weight work, see Oopbuy shipping explained.

Sources

All checked on October 21, 2026.

  1. PostNL: hoe berekenen jullie inklaringskosten? (Dutch): VAT base, handling fees, the China example.
  2. PostNL: pakket ontvangen uit het buitenland (Dutch): customs-form lines, paying, 14 days, payment links.
  3. Council Regulation (EU) 2026/382 (EUR-Lex): the €3 duty from 1 July 2026.
  4. European Commission (DG TAXUD): temporary flat fee FAQ: what counts as an item.
  5. European Commission, Access2Markets: €3 customs duty per item: an item is goods with the same customs code and description.
  6. European Commission guidance on the €3 duty and the Union handling fee, 5 October 2026 (PDF): the €2 handling fee.
  7. Your Europe: VAT rules and rates: 21% standard rate in the Netherlands.
  8. Belastingdienst: btw berekenen bij invoer (Dutch): what import VAT is calculated on.
  9. Oopbuy: Customs and Taxation, Delivery Notice and Delivery Time.