Gifts

If you are going to purchase gifts online from abroad or receive gifts from family and friends abroad, you will find information about Customs regulations for this here.

You may receive a gift shipment free from duties and taxes provided the value is NOK 1 000 or less and provided the shipment is sent from a private individual residing abroad to you as a private individual in Norway. However, there may be some restrictions or a ban on some types of goods being sent as gifts, and you can read more about this further down.

If you order gifts from abroad and they are sent directly from the online shop to the person you wish to give the gift to in Norway, the shipment will be Customs cleared as normal and the receiver will be charged import duties and taxes. The same applies if you order gifts from abroad and have them sent to yourself. Then you will be charged import duties and taxes.

If you receive a gift shipment containing gifts for several family members, you do not pay import duties or taxes provided the value of the gift to each individual family member is NOK 1 000 or less. This means that as an example, if your family consists of five members, a gift shipment may have a value of NOK 5 000 and you will not pay any import charges provided the gifts are marked to the different family members and the value of the gift to each individual is NOK 1 000 or less. The sender must clearly mark this both on the outside of the shipment and in the transport documents.

Gifts to be sent abroad

If you intend to send a gift to someone abroad, please be aware that different countries have different rules and regulations for gifts shipments. You should contact the Customs authorities in the country you intend to send the gift to for information about rules and regulations for receiving a gift shipment from Norway.

Frequently asked questions

What is considered as a gift shipment?

A gift shipment is a shipment from a private individual residing abroad to a private individual in Norway. The receiver in Norway shall not pay anything for the gift and it must be for the receiver’s private use. The shipment is free from duties and taxes provided the value is NOK 1 000 or less. However, there may be some restrictions or a ban on some types of goods being sent as gifts, and alcohol is exempt from free import as gift. You will find more information about this under the other Q & A further down.

What is the procedure when the gift shipment arrives in Norway?

Alle sendinger fra utlandet blir sendt med en transportør. Ved ankomst Norge, blir gavesendingen lagt inn på lageret til transportøren. Hvis gavesendingens verdi er 1 000 kroner eller lavere, vil mottaker få den utlevert. Er verdien over 1 000 kroner, vil transportøren fortolle den.

Det er transportøren som fortoller gavesendingen, og de tar kontakt med mottaker i Norge hvis det er behov for mer informasjon. Det er derfor viktig at avsender skriver hva sendingen inneholder og den reelle verdien på pakken / i følgedokumentene, slik at transportøren kan fortolle den raskt.

Når transportøren har fortollet sendingen, vil mottaker i Norge få den utlevert, og mottaker betaler toll og avgifter til transportøren. Mottaker må også betale et fortollingsgebyr til transportøren. Dette er et gebyr som transportørene tar for å fortolle varer, og de har ulike navn på dette gebyret. Eksempler er «Pris forenklet fortolling», «Fortollingsgebyr», «Ekspedisjonsgebyr», «Tollagerkostnad» og «Utleggsgebyr». Har du spørsmål om gebyret, må du ta kontakt med transportøren.

What is the procedure if I send a gift with a value exceeding NOK 1 000?

The receiver in Norway must pay import duties and taxes of the entire value including the shipping costs.

Can I send alcohol as a gift?

You may send alcohol but be aware that alcohol is exempt from free import, even as a gift. If you send alcohol, the receiver must pay ordinary import duties and taxes regardless value of shipment. Read more about this here.

Can I send tobacco, cigarettes or snuff in a gift shipment?

No, tobacco, cigarettes, snuff and other tobacco products cannot be sent as a gift due to strict regulations to health warning marking. All tobacco products must be marked with a Norwegian health warning according to Regulations on the contents and labelling of tobacco products. Read more about this here.

Can I send food as a gift, for example, cakes / cookies / biscuits, chocolate, dry goods, etc.?

Yes, you can provided you send this from a country within EU / EEA. If you send this from a country outside EU / EEA, there may be restrictions, and we recommend that either you or the receiver check this with the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. You can read more about this here.

What happens if I send meat / meat products, milk or other dairy products in a gift shipment?

The receiver in Norway may receive these types of goods provided you send them from a country within EU / EEA. A private individual in Norway cannot receive meat / meat products, milk or dairy products from countries outside of EU / EEA without a special permit from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. This applies regardless level of processing, also for tinned products. Read more here.

If a private individual in Norway or abroad is buying a gift from an online shop outside Norway and this is sent directly from the online shop to the receiver in Norway, is this shipment free from duties and taxes when the value is NOK 1 000 or less?

No, the receiver in Norway must pay ordinary import duties and taxes since the gift is not sent from a private individual residing abroad.

I have a large family in Norway. May I send a gift shipment containing several gifts?

Yes, you may send gifts to several family members in one shipment. This will be free from import duties and taxes provided the value of the gift to each individual family member is NOK 1 000 or less.

When you send a shipment like this, it is important that you clearly mark the shipment on its outside and the transport documents that it contain gifts to several family members and that the value of the gift for each individual is NOK 1 000 or less.

We are a company abroad and wish to send gifts to our Norwegian customers. Must our customers pay duties and taxes?

Yes, your customers will be have to pay ordinary import duties and taxes even if you send this as a gift without any charges.

I miss a shipment with Christmas gifts, is this shipment with you?

No, the Customs do not receive nor store shipments from abroad. If you are missing a shipment, you must always contact the transport company for information about it’s whereabouts.

I have wrongly been charged duties and taxes on a gift shipment. What do I do?

Then you have to apply to us for reimbursement. Read more here.

Updated: 11/12/2024