Ordering Perfume from the UK Since Brexit
Published on 30.09.2026
Before Brexit, a UK Order Was Just Like a German One
Until early 2021, the United Kingdom was part of the EU, and ordering from a British shop was just as simple for EU buyers as ordering from France or Germany. That has changed fundamentally since the UK left, and many buyers still underestimate by how much.
The UK Is Now a Third Country, No Exception
Since Brexit, the UK is neither part of the EU nor part of the EU single market. For buyers in the EU, this means an order from a British shop is treated the same as an order from any other country outside the EU, under the same basic import rules that apply to the US or other third countries. Geographic closeness to the EU does not change that.
UK VAT Instead of EU Import VAT
British shops come with one particular feature though: for shipments below a certain value, the shop itself already charges UK VAT directly at checkout, so it is already included in the listed price. Above that threshold, the tax is instead charged on delivery, similar to other third countries. The UK generally does not charge customs duty on perfume itself, but the VAT is a clear, reliable cost either way.
The same principle works in reverse for UK buyers ordering from the EU, just under the rules of the specific EU destination country instead of British ones.
A Real Example
Here is what that looks like with an actual offer from a British shop, calculated for your own country:
Real example from our database
Sentier Fragrance Esteemed Musk Eau de Parfum 100 ml
Sentier (from the United Kingdom)
- Price$148.81
- Shipping$14.99
- Customs duty$14.89
- Import tax 0 %$0.00
- Courier clearance fee$9.35
- Total price$188.03
$1.88 per ml
As of: 30.09.2026
Whether the tax is already included in the price or added on delivery depends on the value of that particular order.
The Rule for Your Country
Import rule for United States
The US charges no general import tax, but an additional duty depending on origin: 10 % from the EU, 10 % from the UK, 12.5 % from Switzerland of the goods value.
As of: 29.09.2026 (source: USTR Section 301 (Federal Register, gilt seit 24.7.2026) / CBP (Satz aendert sich haeufig))
What Changed for Buyers Since 2021
Before Brexit, ordering from the UK was usually price wise comparable to ordering from any other EU country. Since then, UK VAT gets added to every order, either already in the checkout price or on delivery. If you still remember old price comparisons from before 2021, it is worth redoing that math for any new UK order rather than relying on how things used to work.
Shipping Routes for Perfume
As with other countries outside the EU, perfume contains alcohol and is often classed as a flammable liquid for shipping. That limits the available shipping methods and is one reason not every British shop delivers to every EU country.
