Shipping to Italy from Germany: Costs, Delivery Times, and Customs Rules

Shipping to Italy from Germany costs €14.49 to €25 for a standard 2 kg parcel and takes 1 to 4 business days. DHL Express is fastest at 1 to 2 days; DHL Paket, GLS, and DPD standard services take 1 to 3 days. Because both countries sit inside the EU single market, there's no customs duty, no import VAT, and no customs form to fill out. Business shippers still need to track the EU's €10,000 VAT threshold once they're selling regularly to Italian customers.

If you're shipping more than a handful of orders a month, checking rates across DHL, GLS, DPD, and UPS by hand eats time you don't have. 

Easyship pulls live rates from 550+ couriers side by side, including every major European carrier, so you can pick the cheapest or fastest option for each Italy-bound order in seconds, with savings of up to 91% off retail rates.

How Much Does it Cost to Send a Parcel from Germany to Italy?

Price depends on weight, package size, and how fast you need it there. Italy falls into DHL's Zone 1 (all EU countries), the cheapest international shipping pricing tier.

Sources: DHL.de International Prices, parcel-guide.eu, DHL Express to Italy, DHL eCommerce

What affects the price?

• Weight and dimensions. DHL, GLS, and DPD all charge on actual or volumetric weight, whichever is higher.
• Service speed. Express (1 to 2 days) costs roughly double standard Paket service.
• Package format. A small, flat "Päckchen" costs less than a boxed "Paket," even at similar weight.
• Declared value and coverage. Higher-value shipments cost more to insure.

Which courier is cheapest?

DHL Paket International usually wins on standard EU parcels, with GLS and DPD close behind. Compare live rates rather than just the base price.

Now how are the rates when you use the Easyship shipping rate calculator?

While there are variations in rates, you have multiple options to choose from and also sync your own courier in case you have a pre-existing negotiated rate of your own. 

How Long Does Shipping to Italy from Germany Take?

Based on the table above, DHL Express delivers in 1 to 2 business days from pickup. Standard DHL Paket International, GLS, and DPD typically take 1 to 3 business days within the EU. There's no customs hold-up to plan around, since Italy and Germany are both in the EU customs union.

What Delivery Options Are Available for Shipping to Italy from Germany?

You have three real choices: DHL Express for 1 to 2 day delivery, standard Paket/GLS/DPD service for 1 to 3 days, and a small-format Päckchen rate for lightweight items under 2 kg.

• Express (DHL Express, UPS Express): 1 to 2 days, tracked, highest cost.
• Standard parcel (DHL Paket, GLS, DPD): 1 to 3 days, tracked, mid-range cost.
• Small packet (DHL Päckchen): 2 to 4 days, cheaper, limited to small, light items.

Are these Couriers Tracked or untracked?

Nearly every EU parcel service tracks by default, including DHL Paket International.

What Customs Regulations Apply When Shipping to Italy from Germany?

None, for standard goods. Germany and Italy are both EU member states, so shipments between them move without customs control, import duty, or VAT at the border. This is the opposite of shipping from a non-EU country, where the EU's new €3 flat duty on parcels under €150 now applies, that rule doesn't touch intra-EU shipments at all.

Do you Need to Charge Italian VAT?

If you're a business selling to Italian consumers, you charge your home-country VAT until total EU-wide cross-border sales pass €10,000 a year. Past that threshold, you charge Italy's 22% VAT rate instead, on every cross-border sale from that point forward, not retroactively on what you already sold under the threshold.

You report Italian VAT through the EU's One Stop Shop (OSS) rather than registering for VAT in Italy directly. OSS lets you register once, in your home country, and file a single quarterly return that lists sales and VAT collected per destination country. Your home tax office then forwards the correct amount to Italy (and any other EU country where you've crossed the threshold) on your behalf.

For example: a German shop sells €8,500 total to customers in France, Italy, and Spain by June, still under €10,000, so it charges German VAT on everything. A new €2,000 Italian order in July pushes cumulative cross-border sales to €10,500. From there, it charges each customer's local rate instead: 22% for Italy, 20% for France, 21% for Spain, all reported through one OSS return filed in Germany rather than three separate country registrations.

What Paperwork Do You Need?  

For personal shipments, no. For business shipments, keep a commercial invoice and make sure both parties have a valid VAT number if claiming VAT-free treatment on a B2B sale. No CN22 or CN23 customs form is required.

What Items are Prohibited while Shipping to Italy from Germany?

Here's the UPS Germany list broken into prohibited vs. restricted items.

Please note: A courier that finds a prohibited item in a package can also charge a separate administration fee on top of any other charges, so it's cheaper to check the list before shipping than after.

How do you Address a Parcel to Italy Address?

Italian addresses follow a fixed order: recipient name, street name and number, CAP (postal code), city, and province abbreviation. The CAP is a 5-digit number, placed right before the city name.

Marco Rossi

Via Roma 123

20100 Milano MI

ITALY

Skip commas and hyphens between the CAP, city, and province.

What's the Best Shipping Solution for Business Customers?

The best shipping solution for business customers is a platform that compares DHL, GLS, DPD, and UPS automatically and shows real-time rates at checkout. If you're shipping 100 or more orders a month, checking each courier by hand doesn't scale, and neither does tracking VAT thresholds manually.

To make things easier, you can consider Easyship that compares 550+ couriers in one dashboard, shows live checkout rates on your Shopify or WooCommerce store, and includes up to $10,000 in shipment coverage.

Ready to ship to Italy from Germany?

FAQs

How much does it cost to send a parcel from Germany to Italy?

A standard 2 kg parcel costs €14.49 with DHL Paket International, or around €25 with DHL Express for 1 to 2 day delivery.

How long does delivery from Germany to Italy usually take?

DHL Express delivers in 1 to 2 business days. Standard DHL Paket, GLS, and DPD services typically take 1 to 3 business days.

Do I have to pay customs duty shipping from Germany to Italy?

No. Germany and Italy are both EU member states, so standard shipments between them move without customs duty or import VAT.

Do I need a customs form to ship to Italy from Germany?

No. Intra-EU shipments don't need a CN22 or CN23 declaration.

Which courier is cheapest for shipping to Italy from Germany?

DHL Paket International usually offers the lowest standard rate, with GLS and DPD close behind.

Do I need to charge Italian VAT if I sell to customers in Italy?

Only after total EU-wide cross-border sales to consumers pass €10,000 a year. Below that, home-country VAT applies; above it, Italy's 22% rate applies via the One Stop Shop.

Does DHL Paket International include tracking to Italy?

Yes, as standard.

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