Import charges in Cyprus: what you’ll actually pay
Buy from outside the EU and the sticker price is only part of the story. Here’s how customs duty, VAT and Cyprus Post’s fees work when a parcel arrives on the island — in plain English.
The Summary
- Buying from the EU? No import duty or import VAT — the price you pay is the price.
- Buying from outside the EU at €150 or less? Cypriot VAT (19%) plus the new €3 customs duty per product category.
- Over €150? VAT plus real customs duty by product type; over €1,000 the parcel needs a clearing agent through the THESEAS system.
- Charges not collected at checkout? Cyprus Post adds a €3.50 presentation-to-customs fee and holds the parcel until you pay — online via THALISUPP or at the post office.
The €3-per-category duty, precisely
It’s charged per product category(tariff classification), not per parcel. Cyprus Customs’ own worked example: a parcel from Asia with a blouse, earrings and a keyring pays €3 × 3 = €9, while several identical cotton t-shirts count as one category and pay €3 in total. Legally the fee falls on the seller or platform — which is why the big marketplaces show it in your checkout price — but if the seller doesn’t collect it, you pay it before delivery. The flat fee is temporary, running until 1 July 2028 when item-level tariffs take over.
VAT: the bigger number
Cyprus VAT is 19% on most goods and has applied to everynon-EU parcel since July 2021 — there’s no minimum. It’s calculated on the customs value: the price paid plus transport and insurance, and since July 2026 plus the €3-per-category duty itself. When a marketplace collects VAT at checkout under IOSS, nothing more is due on arrival — but see the double-charge gotcha below.
Cyprus Post, THALISUPP and the €3.50 fee
When charges weren’t settled at checkout, Cyprus Post presents the parcel to customs and charges a €3.50 presentation fee per itemon top of the taxes — its fee, not a tax. You’re notified and pay through the THALISUPP portal (or at the post office); pay online before the parcel reaches Cyprus and it can qualify for home delivery instead of a pickup. Collect within 30 days of notification. Private couriers charge their own clearance fees — typically substantially more than €3.50 — so for small orders the postal route is often the cheap one.
Gifts, disputes and returns
Genuine gifts (private person to private person, occasional, unpaid-for) are exempt up to €45 — and the value can’t be split: a €60 gift pays VAT on the full €60. If you think a charge is wrong, you can file a written Request for Review with the Customs Department within 60 days. On returns: the €3 duty is refunded only with customs approval on a justified request (defective or misdescribed goods), the €3.50 fee doesn’t come back, and VAT depends on the seller’s policy.
Frequently asked
I ordered from Temu, Shein or AliExpress to Cyprus — do I now pay customs duty on orders under €150?
Yes, since 1 July 2026. The EU scrapped the €150 duty-free allowance and replaced it with a temporary €3 duty per product category — Cyprus Customs’ own example: a blouse, earrings and a keyring in one parcel pays €9, while several identical t-shirts count as one category and pay €3 total. Big marketplaces build it into the checkout price; if the seller doesn’t collect it, the post office or courier asks for it before delivery. The flat fee runs until 1 July 2028.
How much VAT do I pay on foreign online orders in Cyprus?
Cyprus VAT is 19% on most goods, and since July 2021 it applies to every parcel from outside the EU no matter how small. It is charged on the goods price plus shipping and insurance — and since July 2026 the €3-per-category duty is included in the taxable amount too. Marketplaces registered for IOSS collect the VAT at checkout on consignments up to €150, so nothing extra is due at the door.
What does Cyprus Post charge on top of the taxes?
A €3.50 "presentation to customs" fee per item on any parcel that owes taxes or duties, regardless of value — Cyprus Customs confirms this is a postal fee, not a tax. You can pay all charges online through Cyprus Post’s THALISUPP platform; pay before the parcel arrives in Cyprus and it can qualify for home delivery instead of a post-office pickup. You have 30 days from notification to collect. Couriers charge their own clearance fees, typically higher.
I already paid VAT at checkout — why is Cyprus Post asking for VAT again?
For checkout VAT to count, three things must line up: the store is IOSS-registered, the sending postal service filed the electronic customs declaration, and the store’s valid IOSS number is in that declaration. If any of those is missing, Cyprus Post asks for VAT again on collection — pay to release the parcel, then claim the double-charged VAT back from the seller.
Are gifts from family or friends outside the EU taxed in Cyprus?
Genuine gifts (private person to private person, occasional, nothing paid) worth up to €45 are exempt from duty, VAT and excise. Above €45 the value can’t be split: a €60 gift pays 19% VAT on the whole €60, not just the excess — plus Cyprus Post’s €3.50 handling fee. Alcohol, tobacco and perfume have separate limits and are never fully exempt.
Can I return an online order and get all my money back?
From an EU-based store you have the standard EU 14-day cooling-off right from delivery (you usually pay return postage; personalised goods, perishables and opened sealed media are excluded, and purchases from private individuals aren’t covered). On non-EU orders, the €3 import duty is not automatically refunded when you return an item — Cyprus Customs grants refunds only on an approved request, for example for defective or misdescribed goods — and VAT refunds depend on the seller’s policy.
Want the number for your actual basket? Use the Cyprus import cost calculator — item price in, landed cost out.