Customs Clearance with Royal Mail
Customs Clearance with Royal Mail
Whether you’re importing commercial road freight or bulk air shipments for postal parcels, our fast & efficient processes and direct access to the UK’s largest delivery network ensure your goods move smoothly from border to doorstep.
Why Choose Royal Mail for Customs Clearance?
- In-House Clearance Expertise – All our clearance solutions are delivered through Royal Mail’s own customs systems – no third-party brokers. This gives you consistent quality, full visibility and a single trusted partner for every type of import
- Multiple Clearance Pathways – From frontier/pre-lodged commercial clearance to postal clearance via Freight to Post, we offer a full suite of options to suit commercial freight and postal parcels
- Fast, Compliant Processing - Whether clearing as commercial goods or as post, our processes are designed to minimise friction, accelerate release at the border and move your shipments into free circulation quickly
- Flexible Entry Points & Delivery Options – Choose the UK point of entry and the delivery model that works for you – UK delivery or onward transit to Europe and worldwide destinations
- Confidence from Border to Doorstep – Once cleared, your shipments can be injected directly into the UK’s largest delivery network, giving you end-to-end reassurance and trusted nationwide coverage
- Scalable solutions for growing businesses – Our portfolio supports everything from small parcel flows to high-volume freight. Road freight clearance is available now, and we’re continuing to expand our clearance capabilities – watch this space
Commercial Customs Clearance
Our Frontier / Pre-Lodged Commercial Customs Clearance service gives you a fast, compliant and fully controlled way to move goods into the UK. Using our inhouse customs systems (with no third-party brokers) we complete frontier/pre-lodged clearance at the border, ensuring your shipments enter free circulation and can be injected straight into the UK’s biggest, most trusted delivery network
Key Features & Benefits
• Inhouse clearance expertise – no third-party brokers, full visibility and control
• Clearance at the border – frontier/pre-lodged process triggers automatic clearance
• No value restrictions – suitable for low value and high value commercial goods
• Flexible entry points – choose the UK border location that works for you
• Confidence from border to doorstep – your goods stay within Royal Mail’s trusted network
• Scalable for growth – supports road freight today, with transit and air freight solutions coming soon
Speak to Our Clearance Experts
Speak to us today to explore how our Clearance Solutions can streamline your imports, reduce friction, and give you confidence that your goods will move smoothly into the UK!
Frequently asked questions
Frontier/Pre-lodged clearance is a customs model where import declarations are submitted before goods arrive in the UK. If all customs checks and authorisations are complete, HMRC can release the goods on arrival. Once released, the goods enter free circulation and can move directly to any agreed downstream location, such as Royal Mail processing sites, for onward delivery.
Frontier/Pre-lodged clearance is a customs model where import declarations are submitted before goods arrive in the UK. If all customs checks and authorisations are complete, HMRC can release the goods on arrival. Once released, the goods enter free circulation and can move directly to any agreed downstream location, such as Royal Mail processing sites, for onward delivery.
Transit clearance is where clearance is completed once the goods have reached a designated Royal Mail External Temporary Storage Facility (ETSF). Once the goods are cleared at the Royal Mail ETSF , they're in free circualtion so can then enter our network for processing and delivery.
Unique to Royal Mail, Freight to Post lets you send goods into the UK as air freight, then we seamlessly convert them into postal items on arrival. We manage everything - from customs clearance to delivery - giving you faster processing, simpler compliance, and a smooth, end-to-end solution.
Unique to Royal Mail, Freight to Post lets you send goods into the UK as air freight, then we seamlessly convert them into postal items on arrival. We manage everything - from customs clearance to delivery - giving you faster processing, simpler compliance, and a smooth, end-to-end solution.
Commercial Clearance means your goods enter the UK as standard commercial freight. They’re cleared through customs using full commercial data by our in-house team, ensuring a smooth entry into free circulation before injection into our network for delivery.
Yes. Our clearance solutions support both B2B and B2C shipments: our Commercial Clearance supports both B2C and B2B, and our Freight to Post supports B2C goods
Freight to Post
A value limitation of £900 (total parcel value) applies.
Commercial Customs Clearance
Value limitations apply. Speak with our experts to understand more.
Where Royal Mail completes the commercial clearance of goods entering Great Britain from Rest of World, latest guidance can be found here: royalmail.com/windsor-framework
Where Royal Mail is not completing the RoW to GB clearance, and Royal Mail are only moving the goods from GB to NI, we must submit a GB to NI customs delcration to HMRC. This is completed via existing integration methods.
Visit our guidance on prohibited and restricted items
Royal Mail Commercial Clearance gives you a faster, simpler way to move goods into the UK. We handle everything in-house - no brokers - providing full control, flexible entry points, and seamless injection into the UK’s largest delivery network, supporting both Royal Mail and Parcelforce shipments.
Customs data can be submitted via CSV file or API integration.
Royal Mail are subject to GB import regulations, which can be found here: ...
See advice on what business customers can and cannot send with Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide
Yes, we can can provide this service.
Yes - Royal Mail Commercial Clearance supports both Royal Mail and Parcelforce shipments.
For official guidance on importing into the UK, visit gov.uk/import-goods-into-uk, which explains the key requirements, processes and responsibilities. To check commodity codes, duty rates and VAT information for your goods, use gov.uk/trade-tariff. These resources can help you understand the rules that may apply before you ship.
Grow your business in the UK
Visit our Import Into UK page to discover our services, support and expertise that can help you grow in the UK