When you buy products online, you usually have to pay a customs processing fee. This is not a fee to Norwegian Customs, but a fee charged by the shipping agent.
| Note: An update of this article is pending. Please note that some terms and/or references may differ from the Movement of Goods Act and the Customs Duty Act that enters into force from the 1st of January 2023. |
The amount of the customs processing fee varies. You have to contact the shipping agent, i.e. the transporter of the item (in most cases Posten), to obtain pricing information. The fee is unrelated to whether the item is liable for duty.
The fee is in addition to shipping costs, and you as recipient must pay the fee, even though shipping already has been paid or is included in the price.
Can I avoid the customs processing fee if I process the goods myself?
Yes, but in most cases the shipping agent will charge a fee for storage and processing. The cost of this fee may in practice be the same as the customs processing fee. You have to enquire with the shipping agent, for example Posten, for price information. Norwegian Customs does not charge a fee for customs processing.
Different names
Transporters and shipping agents may have different names for these types of fees such as "price for simplified customs clearance," "clearance fee," "customs clearance fee," "customs storage fee" or "handling fee". You must enquire with your shipping agent as to what is included in the various prices.