Royal Mail Postage to Ireland Prices: e-Commerce Guide

Remay Villaester (May)

As an individual or business that needs to send a package from the UK to Ireland, you may have some trouble deciding how to deliver your packages and getting a fast quote. As so many options are now available, it can be hard to find the most reliable and affordable offer. There are a few customs formalities that you need to complete. As a result, you will have to fill some official forms however, it is a quite straightforward and quick process that you can complete yourself, at no extra cost.

In addition, the good news is that you will not need to pay VAT on your shipments.¹ Royal Mail is a reliable service that your business can depend on to ship parcels to Ireland. Royal Mail postage to Ireland prices are affordable, and the amazing service will give you peace of mind.

Royal Mail specializes in pallet and package shipping services to all destinations in Europe. The company has helped many businesses in UK ship packages from the UK to Ireland, and it can understand your needs and preferences better. Affordable Royal Mail postage to Ireland prices will improve your company’s bottom line.

We will discuss Royal Mail postage to Ireland prices and also demonstrate how you can save money by using Wise when sending and receiving international transfers.

What to Keep In Mind When Sending a Parcel to Ireland

Here are some important things to keep in mind when sending a package to Ireland:

Major Shipping Routes

Note that in Ireland, the biggest container terminal is the famous Port of Dublin. The port is almost halfway down the East coast and accounts for nearly 50 percent of Ireland’s trade. As it is located in the heart of Ireland’s rail and road network, it is very accessible to other parts of the country. The other main container terminal in Ireland is the Port of Cork. This port is located on the South coast. Keep in mind that it is highly likely that your package will be shipped to one of these two ports before it goes by train or truck to your customer’s home.

Shipping Time Considerations

Keep in mind that between completing the paperwork and forms, perfecting your packaging, cross-border delivery, and customs clearance, it can take anywhere a few days up to a couple of weeks to get your parcel delivered to your customer in Ireland. This might not be of much concern if you are flexible, and the package does not need to arrive on an exact date.²

Cost Considerations

You may know that imported items in Ireland are often overpriced on the local market. In addition, this is often true when it comes to imported alcohol, a few brands of chocolates, and electronics. You should, however, also consider the total costs of International shipping, insurance, packaging, and taxes or duties.

Customs

If you use Royal Mail to ship your products to Ireland, your shipping company will help you through the customs process. As a result, you will not have to tackle all the complex paperwork on your own. Note that you will have to create a comprehensive inventory of all the goods that you are bringing into Ireland, and you should be as specific and accurate as possible.

If Irish customs officials have any uncertainties or doubts about what is coming into their country, then they have the legal right to open as well as physically inspect your package. Taxes and customs duties often depend on where you are shipping from.³

How Much Does It Cost To Send A Parcel To Ireland?

International Tracked and Signed

With this Royal Mail service, you can deliver your products to Ireland within three to four days. You will receive tracking services to the delivery point and also receive online delivery confirmation. You can enjoy free returns for all undelivered items. It will cost you £6.41 to deliver a package weighing 2 kg.⁴

International Tracked

With this Royal Mail service, you can deliver your products to Ireland within three to five days. You will receive tracking services to the delivery point and also receive online delivery confirmation. You can enjoy free returns for all undelivered items. It will cost you £7.69 to deliver a package weighing 2 kg.

International Standard

This service is more affordable, and you can deliver a package weighing 2 kg for just £1.42. You can deliver your package to Ireland within three to five days, but this service does not offer tracking service and online delivery confirmation.

How to Send a Parcel to Ireland

Step 1: Addressing Your Parcel

Ireland has had a new 7-digit postcode system since 2015. Note that this postcode must appear in the line 2nd from the last in your customer’s address, right above the destination word “IRELAND.”⁵

Step 2: Restricted and Prohibited Items

The typical prohibitions and restrictions are applicable when sending a package to Ireland. This includes prohibitions on narcotics and live animals and restrictions on passports and cash.

Step 3: Customs

You do not have to pay customs duties for sending parcels to Ireland from an EU country, such as the United Kingdom, and no specific paperwork is needed. However, there are a few exceptions to this, including Gibraltar and the Channel Islands.

How to Save Money on International Payments

As an online seller, you need a partner to optimise payments to your suppliers, collect payments from your clients, process refunds or simply transfer your profit from PayPal or other merchant accounts to your local bank account. All of these can be done using traditional banks, however, it's hard to find a bank that will not take over 5% of your money on transfer fees.

Luckily, Wise provides a simple solution. Here are the ways you can save money using Wise:

  1. Receive foreign currencies using the multi-currency account.
  2. Avoid exchange rate mark-up most banks or providers charge so you’ll end up getting more from the money you send and receive internationally.
  3. Fair and reasonable service fees as well as mid-market rates – a main market differentiator - cheaper payments to vendors and suppliers abroad.

Wise never hides extra fees and charges in its exchange rate. On the other hand, some banks charge exchange rate mark-up, which is why they are not the best option for sending and receiving international transfers. Wise uses the mid-market exchange rate with no mark-up and no hidden fees. And this means fair, transparent and low-cost transfers for your business, every time.

Here are some additional benefits of using Wise:

  • Enjoy instant or next-day delivery for a majority of currencies
  • Integration with Xeroand Quickbooks to ease your accounting process
  • Multi-currency debit card for faster and convenient payments
  • Transaction costs are always transparent.
  • Simple-to-use app

Summary

If you have to ship a package or parcel from the United Kingdom to your customers in Ireland, Royal Mail is one of your best options. You just have to prepare your package or parcel for shipping. After collection, you may also track the progress of your shipment online.

Start saving today with Wise

Sources:

  1. Blog post
  2. Royal Mail website
  3. Ireland - Customs and Borders
  4. Royal Mail website

*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.

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