As an e-commerce merchant, you usually start by selling goods in Germany or in the UK. Here the tax issues are still easy to handle, as well as the logistics. If you start selling to other countries, it will gradually become more complex. We will tell you what to consider when shipping goods to Austria and which provider suits you best.
Antonia Klatt
Last Updated on 22 October 2021Shipping of Mail and Parcels to Austria
Good news first: Austria is a member of the European Union – which simplifies a lot for you. If you send goods there, no import taxes have to be paid. Only the value added tax is due. In addition, there are no annoying customs declarations to be expected when crossing the border. In addition, Austrians are buying more and more goods online, mostly in online stores from abroad – especially from Germany. You can now benefit from this by entering this new market.
Although the barriers for shipping to customers in Austria are low, one thing or another must be taken into account to ensure that the goods arrive safely at the customer.
Addressing mail and parcels to Austria correctly
In order for the buyer to actually receive the goods, the correct addressing of the shipping goods must be checked. This can differ from one country to another and should therefore always be considered.
The address is given in Austria relatively similar to the address in Germany. There is to notice, that the adress is completed at the end by the naming of the country. In addition, it is common in Austria to mention the floor and the door number in addition to the house number, so that the corresponding messenger finds his way directly to the door of the recipient’s apartment.
When sending parcels, it always makes sense to include the recipient’s telephone number with the provider. If a first delivery fails, a second delivery attempt can be made.
Insured shipping to Austria
Especially if the goods you ship are valuable, it makes sense to insure the shipment. This way, the carrier will pay for it if your package disappears or gets damaged on the way to the recipient. You can have your delivery insured directly with the respective service provider. They charge different fees depending on the value of the goods.
Customs declaration and import bans for shipment to Austria
As mentioned above, customs is usually not interested in the shipment of goods from Germany to Austria. However, there are two reasons why this may change: If the value of your goods exceeds a certain number, a customs declaration must be enclosed with the delivery. The same applies if the goods are of a special kind. How much your package may be worth and what kind of goods are affected by this regulation can be found out from the respective shipping service provider in the corresponding shipping instructions.
In addition to goods that require a customs declaration, there are also goods that are generally prohibited for import, i.e. they may not be sent to Austria. Alcohol, tobacco products, perfume, medicines and pharmaceuticals in general may generally not be imported into Austria. The import of these goods is punishable by law if they are discovered.
Please note when shipping to Austria: Size, Weight and Packing
So that the goods reach your customers definitely, safely and in a good condition, there are one or two points to consider when shipping to Austria, as well as basic instructions that ensure good protection against external influences.
Please note the following points when shipping to Austria:
- Always orientate yourself by the contents of your package. Goods that can break or be dented must be placed in the middle of the package and wrapped by padding.
- As a rule of thumb: There should be a distance of about 5 cm between the goods and the package.
- The ideal padding material is bubble wrap, newspapers or polystyrene, as these are nice and light and have little effect on the total weight of the package. If the package becomes heavier, shipping will be more expensive.
- Always use new cardboard boxes to make sure that they are not damaged and therefore still stable. Cardboard boxes that have already been used may already be deformed or give way more easily. This need not be visible from the outside.
- Ideally seal the package with a packing tape 5 cm wide.
- As a rule, your package should not exceed the dimensions of 120 x 60 x 60 cm.
- The strap measure for shipping to Austria is usually max. 360 cm.
The basic rule here is: The recipients of your goods, i.e. your buyers, should remain customers in the long term in order to buy from you again and again. To achieve this, their satisfaction should be your focus. Therefore, always make sure that the goods are securely packed so that the customer does not receive the goods damaged, is dissatisfied, returns the goods and you lose him as a customer.
Shipping to Austria: Duration, Costs and different Shipping Service Providers
If your package is ready and the goods are safely packed, you can now send your goods. The only question is: With which shipping service provider do I send my goods? There are many different possibilities and there is not one right solution. In the following we will introduce you to the most common possibilities.
Basically, the following applies: The costs for shipping to Austria cannot be generalized. They depend on the size of the parcel, on the insurance depending on the value of the goods, on the shipping service provider itself and on the time until when the parcel must arrive at the recipient. Incidentally, standard delivery from Germany to Austria usually takes two to five working days.
Shipping to Austria with DHL or Austrian Post
The best known provider for parcel shipping in Germany is certainly DHL. Since August 1, 2019, Austrian Post has been shipping DHL standard parcels from Germany to Austria. However, as usual, DHL will handle the shipment, only the delivery itself will be handled by Austrian Post. Delivery here usually takes two working days.
The general conditions for sending parcels to Austria with DHL:
- Max. weight is 31.5 kg; prices are graded in five categories according to weight
- Online the lightest package costs 13.99 EUR, the heaviest 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)
- Receipt of the packages usually within two working days
Shipping to Austria with DHL Express
In contrast to DHL, DHL Express is still delivered by DHL itself when delivering goods to Austria. You as a retailer can choose from various express options, such as a delivery of your goods until the next working day at 9 a.m. – in Austria and all over Europe. The packages would even be picked up at your place.
Options for sending parcels to Austria with DHL Express:
- Packages can be delivered with DHL Express Domestic until the next working day; depending on the tariff, e.g. at 9, 10 or 12 o’clock
- Package may have max. 30 kg total weight and dimensions of 120 x 80 x 80 cm
- Shipments up to 70 kg total weight can be delivered by 12 noon at the earliest
Shipping to Austria with UPS
If you send your goods with UPS, they usually arrive at your customers in Austria within one to two working days. In addition, there are various options for express shipping to enable even faster delivery.
A selection of possibilities with UPS when sending packages to Austria:
- UPS Express Plus provides delivery by 9am 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 Austria with GLS
Similar to UPS, your goods arrive at the recipient within one to two working days when shipped with GLS. GLS has its own transport network in Austria and can therefore guarantee fast delivery times.
Information about shipping parcels with GLS to Austria:
- 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 of 40 kg allowed
- Liability up to goods value of 750,- EUR inclusive
Shipping to Austria with DPD
DPD also uses its own transport network in Austria. Delivery times here range from one to four working days for standard shipping and one to three working days for express shipping.
Information about parcel shipping to Austria 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
Shipping to Austria with Hermes
With Hermes, your customers receive their packages within two to four working days. The total weight must not exceed 25 kg. If the recipient is not at home, the goods are delivered to one of around 16,000 parcel stores and stored there for 21 days. Included in the shipment is tracking and tracing, as well as liability up to 500,- EUR per shipment.
The prices range online from the smallest to the largest package from 9.65 EUR to 28.15 EUR.
Information about shipping to Austria with Hermes:
- A maximum total weight of 25 kg is permissible
- Incl. tracking and insurance up to a value of goods of 500,- EUR
- Package prices depending on size between 9.65 EUR and 28.15 EUR
- Receipt of the packages within two to four working days