Shipping to Great Britain: Comparison of service providers

Off to the island! As an e-commerce retailer, you are always looking for new target groups for your products and expanding your delivery area. An interesting option could be the United Kingdom. But how does shipping to the UK actually work? After all, Great Britain is an island and not part of the European Union anymore. In this article we speak about what to consider and which shipping companies you can choose from.

Shipping of mail and packages to the UK

Although the United Kingdom officially left the European Union on February 1, 2020, it will remain in the EU single market and the EU customs union until December 31, 2020. It is also possible that this period will be extended by another two years. Until then, this means only good things for you as a trader. When shipping products to GB, you will only pay VAT – and no import tax. In addition, you don’t usually have to include customs declarations with your shipments.

Here and there there are still points you should consider when sending goods to the United Kingdom. After all, you need to be sure that your shipments arrive at the recipient’s address on time and undamaged.

Addressing mail and parcels to the UK correctly

Besides the way you pack your parcel, the right address is of course crucial for smooth shipping. This is basically similar to the address for shipping within Germany. Nevertheless, you should consider the one or other point: The destination must be indicated in capital letters and the language of the recipient and the country of destination in capital letters and your language.

Other special features: Street and house number are to be entered here in reverse order and, if necessary, supplemented with other elements such as the number of the apartment. In addition, the street and postal code are to be listed one below the other.

If you send products abroad, one delivery attempt is usual, but a second one can be requested or ordered additionally. Therefore, it is always advisable to provide the shipping company with a phone number of the recipient in case he or she is not present at the first delivery attempt and a second delivery attempt can be made.

Insured shipping to the United Kingdom

Insurances of a parcel are common for shipments to the UK up to a value of 500,- EUR. If this is not the case or the goods are worth more than 500,- EUR, additional insurances can be taken out. If the package does not arrive at the recipient or if it arrives damaged, you will get the insured value back. The price varies depending on the value and the shipping service provider.

Customs declaration and import bans for shipment to the UK

Due to the fact that the UK is officially still in the EU customs union despite having left the EU, there is usually no need to submit a customs declaration when shipping goods to the UK. There are however exceptions: If the value of your shipment is too high, you have to include a customs declaration and also when you ship a certain type of product. You can find the details in the shipping instructions of your service provider.

Furthermore, some products are generally excluded from import, i.e. they may not be imported or only in a certain quantity. You can find the customs information on the tourism website of Great Britain.

Please note when shipping to the UK: Size, weight and packaging

For sending parcels, we have prepared some recommendations that you should follow to ensure that your products are received intact and safe by your customers.

Please not the following points:

• If you are shipping goods that are easily fragile or deformable, place them in the middle of your parcel – with 5 cm clearance from the packaging.
• Fill the package with bubble wrap, newspapers or polystyrene. They protect your products without increasing the total weight of your package.
• Close the package with a reinforced packing tape about 5 cm wide for more support and protection.
• Ideally, the package should not exceed the dimensions of 120 x 60 x 60 cm, otherwise most shipping services will become significantly more expensive. The strap measure of your delivery should not exceed 300 cm.
• Never use used or damaged cardboard boxes, as these can no longer guarantee the secure hold of your products. Always use new ones.

In terms of your e-commerce business, you should always follow the above points to make sure that your products reach your customers safely and in impeccable condition. If they receive damaged goods, they will be disappointed, return the goods at great expense and may never order from you again. But you can avoid this if you protect your shipments well.

Shipping to UK: duration, costs and the different shipping providers

Now that you have assembled and packaged the delivery, you can take care of the shipping. Your first task here will be to find the right shipping company for your shipment. There are many different shipping companies you can choose from, all of which have different advantages and disadvantages.

The costs for the dispatch to England cannot be called overall. But they depend on too many different parameters, such as the size or weight of the package, how high it must be insured and how quickly it should reach the customer. The shipping companies often have cost calculators that help you to find out the costs. Standard delivery takes between two and six business days, depending on the provider, but many also have express options to speed things up.

Shipping to the UK with DHL

The best known shipping service provider in Germany is DHL. They also offer shipping to the United Kingdom and can usually handle the standard wishes of the sellers as well.

The general conditions for sending parcels to the UK with DHL:

• Max. weight is 31.5 kg; prices are graded in seven categories according to weight
• Online the lightest package costs 4.99 EUR, the heaviest package 44.99 EUR
• Dimensions for packages: min. 15 x 11 x 1 cm, max. 120 x 60 x 60 cm
• Incl. shipment tracking and insurance up to 500,- EUR value of goods
• Insurance up to 5.000,- EUR value possible (costs from 14,- EUR to 70,- EUR)
• Packages are usually received within three business days, small packages can take three to six business days

Shipping to the UK with DHL Express

If three days is too long for you, you can alternatively use DHL Express. Here you can choose from various express deliveries and have your goods delivered, for example, by 9 a.m. on the next working day. The packages will be picked up directly by you.

Shipping with UPS

Also fast is the American provider UPS. It allows normal standard deliveries like DHL, but like DHL Express it also allows express deliveries until the next day. Here there are many different options.

A selection of possibilities with UPS when sending packages to UK:

• UPS Express Plus provides delivery by 9 a.m. on the morning of the next business day
• UPS Express NA1 allows delivery until the next day between 10:30 and 12 am
• UPS Worldwide Express Freight enables delivery by the end of the next day
• Notifications about the progress of the different stations on the way from the sender to the receiver are possible
• when sending a package, it is possible to arrange an exact time for pickup with UPS
• UPS can pick up goods from the recipient and bring them back to the sender

Shipping to UK with GLS

Another alternative is GLS, which usually delivers the shipments within two to three working days. Especially if the weight of the package exceeds the 31.5 kg allowed by DHL, GLS is a good option. Here up to 40 kg are allowed. In addition even a commodity value of 750,- EUR is automatically insured.

Instructions for shipping parcels with GLS to Great Britain:

• Smallest parcel (max. 35 cm side length) for 4.20 EUR, largest parcel (max. 300 cm side length) for 18.70 EUR when shipped to the recipient; prices for delivery in the ParcelShop somewhat more favorable
• Max. total weight is 40 kg
• Liability up to a goods value of 750,- EUR included

Shipping to the UK with DPD

Delivery by DPD takes one to four working days. With express options there are even more possibilities.

Information about parcel shipping to GB with DPD:

• Total weight may not exceed 30 kg
• Edge length must not exceed 175 cm, belt dimension max. 300 cm
• Surcharges possible for special features such as oversizes or the second delivery attempt
• Standard insurance value is 520,- EUR

Shipping to Great Britain with Hermes

Hermes automatically offers three delivery attempts for shipments to Great Britain. The package must not weigh more than 25 kg, is 500,- EUR insured and a tracking system is included. The shipment will reach the recipient within two to four working days.

Information about shipping to the UK with Hermes:

• As total weight max. 25 kg permissible
• Incl. shipment tracking and insurance up to 500,- EUR value of goods
• Package prices depending on size between 9.65 EUR and 28.15 EUR
• Receipt of the packages within two to four working days
• Three delivery attempts included