Shipping from the UK to Poland: the fastest growing EU ecommerce market

Poland is the EU's fastest growing ecommerce market, and it rewards UK sellers willing to navigate the post-Brexit customs process. Polish consumers are increasingly buying from international sellers, English is widely spoken among younger demographics, and demand for British products — particularly fashion, beauty, and homeware — is strong.

So what does a Polish customer pay when your parcel arrives? Here's the breakdown.

Poland's VAT rate

Poland's standard VAT rate is 23% — above the EU average, level with Ireland, Portugal and Slovakia. Applied to the CIF value of your shipment, this is usually the largest charge Polish customers face on UK parcels.

For a £150 product with £13 shipping and 0% duty, your Polish customer faces a VAT bill of around £37 on delivery. At 23%, the VAT bill climbs quickly on higher value orders.

Import duty

Under the UK-EU TCA, most UK-made goods attract 0% duty when exported to Poland, provided you claim the preference with a statement on origin on your commercial invoice. Standard consumer goods, clothing, homeware, and handmade products typically qualify. Check your commodity code for your specific product category.

Polish ecommerce growth — the opportunity

Poland's ecommerce market grew by over 25% in the past two years and is still accelerating. Polish consumers are comfortable buying online from international sellers and are increasingly looking beyond domestic options. Poland is also still underserved — most UK small businesses aren't shipping there yet, which means less competition for Polish customer attention.

The catch is that 23% VAT adds nearly a quarter to what Polish customers pay, and Polish average incomes are lower than western European counterparts. Transparency about landed costs is especially important — a Polish customer who knows upfront what they'll pay is far more likely to proceed than one surprised at the door.

Delivery times to Poland

Poland is further from the UK than western European destinations, and parcels typically take 5–8 working days via standard courier services. Express services are available but significantly more expensive. Factor realistic delivery times into your customer communications.

One thing about the last mile: Polish ecommerce runs on parcel lockers. InPost's paczkomaty handle a huge share of domestic deliveries, and many Polish buyers expect a locker option at checkout, not just home delivery. DPD and DHL both serve Poland well from the UK, but if your service can hand off to an InPost locker, offering it puts you in the delivery channel Polish customers actually use.

The €150 threshold

Since 1 July 2026 the €150 customs-duty exemption no longer exists — the EU abolished it. The threshold now only matters for IOSS: if you're registered, you collect Polish VAT at checkout on B2C orders where the goods alone (shipping excluded) are worth up to €150, and until 1 July 2028 those low-value consignments carry a temporary flat customs duty of €3 per item, charged to you or your platform rather than to your customer at the door. Without IOSS, your customer pays import VAT on delivery whatever the order value, plus a carrier handling fee — and standard tariff duty applies unless the goods are UK-originating and you claim TCA preference with a statement on origin.

A Poland-specific wrinkle: Poland uses the złoty, not the euro. The €150 IOSS ceiling is applied in PLN at official conversion rates, so an order that looks just under €150 on your price list can tip over the line once converted. Leave a margin rather than pricing right up against the threshold.

A real example

A UK beauty brand ships a skincare set worth £120 and a gift set worth £55 to a customer in Warsaw. Total order: £175.

What to do

Poland's high VAT rate and the importance of price transparency to Polish consumers makes landed cost calculation especially valuable here. Use ClearShip to calculate the full landed cost before shipping, then communicate it clearly to your Polish customers. Sellers who quote landed costs upfront convert Polish buyers that competitors lose at the door.