How to Ship with Poste Italiane, Customs, Pros & Cons

Poste Italiane is Italy's state postal service. Shipping with it means choosing between 3 domestic services (Poste Delivery Web, Standard, and Express) and 4 international ones (Europe, Globe, International Standard, and International Express). You book a shipment at a post office, on poste.it, or through the Poste Italiane app, then pay based on weight and speed. 

Domestic parcels arrive in 1 to 4 business days; international parcels take 2 to 25 days depending on the destination and service tier. Every shipment leaving Italy for a non-EU country needs a completed CN23 customs form.

For sellers who ship often, comparing Poste Italiane's rates against other couriers before every shipment is usually the easiest way to cut costs. Easyship's shipping rate calculator puts Poste Italiane next to 550+ other couriers for the same route, so you can see the cheapest and fastest option before you book.

What is Poste Italiane?

Poste Italiane is Italy's national postal and logistics company, majority-owned by the Italian state. It delivers mail and parcels across Italy and to roughly 175 countries, and also runs banking, insurance, and digital identity services.

For shipping specifically, Poste Italiane runs its parcel business under the Poste Delivery brand. You can drop off a parcel at any post office, or manage the whole shipment online through Poste Delivery Web.

How Do You Ship with Poste Italiane?

You can ship with Poste Italiane 3 ways: at a post office counter, online through poste.it, or through the Poste Italiane app. Each method lets you pick a domestic or international service, weigh your package, and pay before it moves.

Using Poste Italiane for Domestic Shipping

For shipments within Italy, choose between Poste Delivery Standard and Poste Delivery Express.

Both include 2 delivery attempts. If nobody's home, the recipient has 10 days to collect the parcel at the local post office. Sellers who ship often can buy prepaid booklets of 5 to 100 shipments to lock in a rate before it changes.

Using Poste Italiane for International Shipping

For shipments leaving Italy, Poste Italiane offers 4 tiers, each with its own weight limit and starting price.

The higher tiers include online customs help. Before you pack, check Poste Italiane's list of banned international shipping contents. It covers items from alcohol and ivory to fluorinated gases and cured meats.

Customs Documentation When Shipping Abroad with Poste Italiane

Every parcel leaving Italy for a non-EU country needs a CN23 customs declaration, listing the sender, recipient, contents, weight, and value in the shipment currency.

You can pick up a CN23 free at any post office or download it as a PDF. Add a commercial invoice if you're shipping goods for sale. Shipments worth more than €1,000 also need a declaration of free export, and items made from leather or protected species need a Washington Convention certificate.

Which Poste Italiane Service Works Best for Overnight, Cheap, or Premium Shipping?

Poste Delivery Express and International Express are the fastest options, built for next-day or 2-to-4-day delivery. Poste Delivery Standard and International Standard are the cheapest, trading speed for a lower price. Poste Delivery Globe and Europe sit in the middle, adding online customs support for a higher price.

What is Poste Italiane's Online Shipping?

Poste Delivery Web is Poste Italiane's online shipping platform. It lets individuals and businesses book a shipment, pay, and arrange pickup or drop-off without visiting a post office counter.

To use it, register on poste.it with a fiscal code (individuals) or VAT number (businesses). From there, you enter shipment details, choose home pickup, a post office, or a Punto Poste kiosk, and add extras like insurance, cash on delivery, or SMS tracking updates. You can also upload multiple shipments at once, which matters once you're shipping more than a handful of parcels a week.

What are the Pros and Cons of Shipping with Poste Italiane?

Poste Italiane's biggest strengths are reach and price options; its biggest weakness is that you can't compare it against other couriers in one place before you book.

Pros:

• Nationwide coverage across Italy plus roughly 175 international destinations.
• 3 domestic price tiers, from budget Standard to next-day Express.
• Online booking through Poste Delivery Web, with pickup or kiosk drop-off.
• One carrier for both domestic and cross-border shipments.

Cons:

• Retail rates are fixed per shipment, with no automatic volume discount.
• International Standard can take up to 25 days to non-EU countries.
• Customs paperwork (CN23, commercial invoices, export declarations) is filled in manually.
• No built-in way to compare Poste Italiane against other couriers before you book.

That last point adds up fast once you're shipping regularly. Easyship's shipping rate calculator shows Poste Italiane's rates next to 550+ other couriers for the same route, so you can pick the cheapest or fastest option per shipment instead of defaulting to one carrier.

What Taxes Do You Need to Pay When Shipping with Poste Italiane?

Customs duty and VAT on international shipments are set by customs authorities, based on the value you declare on Poste Italiane's CN23 form. For goods shipped into Italy, that means 22% VAT plus duty once the declared value passes a €150 threshold. 

The value on the CN23 directly affects what the recipient owes at the border, so declaring an accurate value matters. For shipments over €1,000, Poste Italiane also requires a declaration of free export. If you sell internationally often, Easyship's duties and taxes tool calculates what a buyer owes in their own country before you ship, so there are no surprise charges at delivery. While you’re talking about international shipments, it is also important to make note of the EU withdrawal policy if you are shipping to the EU nations. 

What IATA and other EU-Related Regulations Do You Need to Remember?

Poste Italiane bans 9 classes of dangerous goods from every shipment under IATA's Dangerous Goods Regulations, including lithium batteries, aerosols, flammable solvents, and oxidizers.

Domestic shipments follow a separate but overlapping list: weapons, explosives, live animals (except miniature plants like bonsai), and anything under Italian or international export bans are all excluded. EU rules add restrictions of their own, covering fluorinated greenhouse gases, fur from dogs and cats, and materials from protected species.

How does Easyship Help You Ship To and From Italy?

Whether you're shipping out of Italy with Poste Italiane or shipping into Italy from abroad, the fastest way to know your real cost is to compare rates before you book. 

Easyship helps you compare rates between Poste Italiane next to 550+ other couriers, with real-time rates at checkout, up to $10,000 of shipment coverage, and 60+ store integrations including Shopify and WooCommerce.

Ready to see how Poste Italiane stacks up against other couriers for your next shipment? 

You can now compare rates with Easyship and ship with an option that is better for your business.

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FAQs

How Much Does It Cost to Ship Domestically With Poste Italiane?

Domestic prices start around €10.30 for Poste Delivery Standard and €13.90 for Poste Delivery Express, depending on weight.

How Long Does International Shipping With Poste Italiane Take?

It depends on the service: Poste Delivery Europe takes about 3 days, Globe takes 2 to 5 days, International Express takes 2 to 4 days, and International Standard takes 10 to 25 days.

What Items Are Banned From Poste Italiane Shipments?

Weapons, explosives, live animals other than miniature plants, pornographic material, and anything restricted under Italian, EU, or IATA rules are banned from every Poste Italiane service.

Do I Need a Customs Form to Ship From Italy to the US?

Yes. Any parcel leaving Italy for a non-EU country, including the US, needs a completed CN23 customs declaration listing the contents, weight, and value.

Can I Book a Poste Italiane Pickup Online?

Yes. Poste Delivery Web lets you schedule a home pickup, choose a post office, or drop off at a Punto Poste kiosk, all from poste.it or the Poste Italiane app.

Is Poste Italiane Cheaper Than Comparing Multiple Couriers?

Not usually for regular shippers. Poste Italiane's retail rates are fixed per shipment, while comparing several couriers for the same route typically turns up a cheaper or faster option case by case.