Does anyone have any knowledge about the best way to send a gift to Italy.
Do they charge customs and duty on all items
Posted by
Gettysburg, PA
1589 posts
If you can handle a three week delivery it should be OK. On the bright side, they rarely seem to lose things we send over and this is based on about one package every month.
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
The last time I tried this was a few years ago, the recipient had to fill out forms and the gift had to go through customs (I used the post office). If you send it via UPS, FedEx, or some other private carrier, they may be able to handle the paperwork. Or the whole process may have changed.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23266 posts
When sending anything of value other than a letter to a foreign country, you are required to complete a customs form to accompany the package. What happens after that I have no idea but the packages always went through. Makes no difference if it is the US post office or a private shipper.
Posted by
Oak Park, Illinois
4535 posts
Whether the Italians charge a duty to your friend depends on what it is and what their laws are. You will have to fill out a customs form declaring the contents.
Posted by
Portland, OR
282 posts
I have had better luck with private shipping companies (FedEx) than the post office. With FedEx I have had 100% arrival success, but with the post office 66% arrival success (2 out of 3 packages arrived). Of course, FedEx was MUCH more expensive than the post office. You always have to fill out the customs form and often the recipient must pay a certain amount to receive the packages based on the value that you list for the contents of the package - but I think that may have only applied in my case to the post office packages. I always put "used household goods" and a minimal value. If you do a google search for "shipping to Italy" or something similar you will find several blog posts on the subject.
Posted by
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
1127 posts
You will have to declare a value for the gift and if it's over about $25USD the receiver will have to pay duty fees. Do not surprise the recipient with a package in the mail. Find out the best address to receive the package or if he/she even recommends mailing the item at all. In some parts of Italy the mail is extremely unreliable and unless a signature is required for receipt the package may never reach its destination.