How to ship tobacco products
According to the information provided by the European Parliament, sending tobacco in the mail within the European Union is not generally prohibited. However, as products including this substance are usually not recommended for shipping, caution is also needed to avoid any issues. To avoid potential problems and ensure a safe and reliable delivery, a reliable shipping partner such as Eurosender is of central importance. We arrange transports with the help of the most renowned logistics companies on the market while providing guidance and tips. The guidelines below will help you to get started and book the service in just a few easy steps.
How to place an order for sending tobacco internationally?
Choose the pick-up and delivery countries, the number of packages and their weight.
You will be provided with the best available offer.
Fill in the form with your details and pay for the service.
Get informed on how to pack tobacco products for shipping.
Sending tobacco in the mail is much easier with Eurosender’s help. We arrange the cheapest as well as the most reliable transport of your shipment and represent you in the communication with the services responsible for the delivery. Your package will be collected at your desired address and delivered to any destination you wish at prices that will never break the bank.
If you want to know even more about how to ship tobacco products internationally, do not hesitate to give us a call or write us an e-mail. Our logistics experts will be happy to help you in any way they can, be it with booking the service itself or advice on proper packaging methods.
How to ship tobacco products internationally
Taking all the right steps during the booking process and protecting your shipment is crucial in ensuring successful delivery of any package. However, as shipping non-recommended items requires special attention and as tobacco shipping laws differ from country to country, make sure you also do your research.
To make sure you know all the basics even before booking the shipping, we have gathered the most important bits of info on booking and legal matters below:
- If you plan to pack tobacco products together with other items and send several things in a large box, measure it and use our Shipment Size Checker to see what service is suitable.
- When your chosen pick-up location for the package service is Poland, Sweden or Spain, do not forget about the shipping label. It will be sent to you via e-mail and you will have to print it and attach it to your package. This is a task for the couriers in all other countries.
- If you plan to leave the pick-up address in the days following the booking, make sure that you always place the order at least 2 days before your departure to avoid any issues with the pick-up.
Shipment Size Checker
How can you send tobacco in the post without taking risks?
- Whether sending tobacco in the mail on your chosen route is allowed or not depends on the laws of the pick-up as well as the delivery country. Double check them all before moving on with placing an order. If unsure, contact our logistics specialists and they will do their best to help you find the answers.
- Products containing tobacco are mostly not recommended for shipping. This means that you can only send them at your own risk.
- When transporting tobacco products between several European countries for personal use, their quantity is limited by the EU regulations. The limits are as follows:
Cigarettes: 800 items
Cigarillos (cigars that do not weigh more than 3 g each): 400 items
Cigars: 200 items
Smoking tobacco: 1 kg
- Bear in mind that every European country also has special regulations that may differ from the above norms. These are normally based on many factors, for instance on the strength of tobacco etc.
- Never try to exceed these limits and make sure all the items are properly packed. Bear in mind that sending smaller quantities of tobacco products or a small number of cigarette packs is much less risky than shipping large boxes only filled with non-recommended items.
- To ship tobacco products internationally in larger quantities, a special license is needed in all cases.
- It is not illegal to buy tobacco over the internet from another European Community country, but VAT and excise duty have to be paid before these goods are sent to the destination country. You need to check all these requirements before the goods are sent to you.
For even more info on the topic, make sure you also check our pages on how to ship cigarettes or even e-cigarettes and e-liquid.
Packaging tips for shipping tobacco products
Tobacco itself can be packed in pouches, cans or bags while cigarettes and cigars are usually sold in packs. What matters most is that all types of packaging need to be properly protected before shipping. For this task, the following materials are needed:
- A cardboard box. The box should be neither too big nor too small. You can buy such boxes at almost any hardware or stationery store. Used ones are fine, but you need to always make sure that these are sturdy enough and have no holes, tears or dents.
- Bubble wrap. This will be your first layer of protection for the items you want to ship. This way, your shipment will also not be at risk of coming into contact with water.
- Cushioning materials like crumpled paper or polystyrene chips (packing peanuts). These materials will further protect your shipment. However, their purpose is also to keep the contents of the package in place so they do cannot move around in the box and get damaged on its way.
- Adhesive tape and scissors. To seal the box when finished.
How to pack tobacco products for shipping
Is shipping tobacco legal on your route? Great news, you can start packing! Follow our guidelines for best protection.
It might come naturally to you, but we would like to point out that any tobacco product you want to send – be it cigars, pipe tobacco, cigarillos, e-liquid or anything else – must be packed in its original packaging and sealed.
- Protect the product packaging with bubble wrap. Wrap several layers of bubble wrap around each individual item. Especially if you are sending tobacco products in bags or thin cardboard boxes, make sure you have thoroughly protected the product before proceeding with the following steps.
- Prepare the package. Take the box that you want to use for shipping and cover the bottom part with the cushioning material of your choice. Use foam, crumpled paper, polystyrene chips(packing peanuts). If you are shipping cans, you can even use some cardboard dividers to separate them from one another.
- Add more cushioning materials. Make sure that the items are completely surrounded by these materials and therefore cannot move inside the box. Gently shake the package to check if anything moves about. If there are no movements or noise, you’ve made it.
- Seal and label (if needed). Seal the box on all sides with adhesive tape. Print and attach the shipping label if you have to do this yourself.
Is shipping tobacco legal? How do people do it?
As already mentioned, shipping tobacco internationally (including products such as cigarettes, e-liquid etc.) is often not recommended by courier companies. This simply means that if anything goes wrong along the way, the courier service normally takes no responsibility for the delivery problems. Despite this fact, many shippers know very well that sending these items in smaller quantities after taking care of proper packaging is rarely a big issue. While some of them even sell tobacco products online and need a delivery service to dispatch their merchandise, many simply need the shipping to enjoy their favourite products wherever they are. If you need to send some tobacco through courier services, you are therefore definitely not alone.
Still not sure whether you can send tobacco in the post on your desired route? Are you struggling with checking the tobacco shipping laws? Let us know. Our friendly customer support agents can help you directly or point you to other useful sources of information. Whether you are posting tobacco to the UK, Ireland, Germany or any other country, Eurosender will be happy to become your reliable shipping partner.
Take into consideration these guidelines when shipping cigarettes. Nevertheless, please consider that following them does not guarantee that the courier company will transport your package without restriction. In case you decide to ship cigarettes, Eurosender will not be held responsible for any damages caused by the transportation of your shipment.