How to Buy from European Stores and Ship to the UK After Brexit
Brexit cut off direct shipping from most EU stores to UK addresses. Here's how British shoppers can still buy from Zara Spain, H&M, Sephora France, Adidas Germany and hundreds of other EU sites — and get orders delivered to their UK door.
When the UK left the EU's single market on 1 January 2021, something changed that millions of British online shoppers hadn't anticipated: their favourite European stores stopped shipping to UK addresses. Zara Spain, H&M, Sephora France, LEGO, Adidas Germany, Mango — one by one, EU retailers quietly removed United Kingdom from their delivery options. Brexit created a logistics wall between British consumers and European products that, five years on, most people still don't know how to get around.
The good news: there is a straightforward solution. A European package forwarding address gives you a real physical address in Spain, France, or Germany. You ship your EU purchases there, and Resendify forwards them to your UK door. This guide explains exactly how it works, what costs to expect, and which EU stores are most worth ordering from.
Why EU Stores Stopped Shipping to the UK
Before Brexit, EU stores shipped to UK addresses exactly as they shipped to France or Germany — no customs, no paperwork, same delivery networks. Post-Brexit, a UK delivery became a cross-border international shipment with customs declarations, import duties, and VAT complications that most EU retailers weren't equipped to handle.
The specific issues:
The result: even large retailers like Zara, H&M, and Sephora France either stopped UK delivery entirely or raised prices significantly for UK customers. Many simply show "delivery not available" when a UK postcode is entered.
The £135 Import Threshold — What UK Buyers Need to Know
The UK operates a £135 de minimis threshold for import duty. Orders valued at or below £135 (the customs value, not including shipping) are exempt from UK customs duty. This covers the vast majority of everyday purchases — clothing, beauty, books, toys, small electronics accessories.
UK VAT (20%) is still due on all imports, but for orders under £135, this is typically collected at checkout by the seller or the forwarding service, not by HMRC at the border. For orders over £135, you'll pay UK customs duty (the UK Global Tariff rate, which varies by product category) plus 20% VAT on the total including duty.
Practical implications:
- A €120 Zara order: likely under £135, no duty, VAT handled at checkout — lands at your door cleanly
- A €400 Adidas trainers + clothing order: over £135, UK customs duty applies (typically 12% on clothing, 0–3% on footwear depending on material), plus VAT
- Electronics over £135: check the UK Global Tariff for the specific product category; many electronics have 0% duty
Resendify's quote calculator shows the total landed cost to the UK including shipping and any applicable duties before you commit.
Which European Stores Are Worth Buying From for UK Delivery?
Fashion — Zara Spain
Zara's Spanish site (zara.com/es/) carries styles that often appear weeks or months before the UK site — or never appear at the UK site at all. Spanish Zara pricing is in euros; at current exchange rates, many items work out 10–20% cheaper than UK Zara pricing for the same product. The seasonal sales (January and July) are deeper in Spain than in the UK. For fashion-forward Zara shoppers, ordering from Spain and forwarding is a significant upgrade.
H&M Europe
H&M's European sites carry a broader range than the UK site, and EU pricing (particularly for basics and homeware) is often lower in euros than the sterling equivalent. H&M's Spanish, German, and French sites all ship freely within the EU — with a Resendify address, you access the full European catalog.
Sephora France
Sephora's French site (sephora.fr) stocks the complete European beauty range, including many products not available in the UK. French pharmacy brands — La Roche-Posay, Vichy, Avène, Bioderma — are cheaper on the French Sephora than anywhere in the UK. Premium brands like Charlotte Tilbury or Urban Decay are priced in euros at rates that undercut UK sterling pricing. For beauty, France is one of the most cost-effective sources in Europe.
Adidas Germany
Adidas is a German brand, and its German site (adidas.de) carries the widest selection at competitive euro pricing. Limited edition collaborations, regional-exclusive colourways, and early-release footwear all appear on adidas.de first. For sneakerheads and Adidas collectors in the UK, having a German forwarding address is genuinely useful.
Nike Europe
Nike's European sites carry EU-exclusive colourways and sizing runs. Euro pricing, particularly in Spain, is frequently lower than UK sterling pricing. Nike SNKRS Europe launches are separate from UK drops — having a Spanish address opens access to European-exclusive releases.
LEGO Europe
LEGO is Danish and manufactures in Europe. EU pricing is notably lower than UK pricing on many sets — the same set can be €30–60 cheaper in euros than the sterling price on the UK LEGO site. For LEGO collectors and parents buying large sets, the savings on a single order can cover the forwarding cost with room to spare.
How to Buy from EU Stores and Ship to the UK — Step by Step
- Create a free Resendify account. You'll get a real physical address in Spain (or France/Germany). This is the address you give to any EU store at checkout.
- Shop on any EU store. Use your Resendify address as the delivery address. The EU store ships to Spain — no Brexit complications for them.
- Packages arrive at your Resendify address. You receive a notification. You can view photos of your items and decide whether to ship immediately or hold for consolidation.
- Request forwarding to the UK. Resendify ships your package from Spain to your UK address. The quote calculator shows the cost upfront, including any applicable UK import duties.
- Receive at your UK door. Standard transit from Spain to the UK is typically 3–6 business days.
Package Consolidation — Save on Multiple Orders
If you're ordering from multiple EU stores, consolidation is your biggest cost lever. Instead of paying separate international shipping costs per package, Resendify holds your items at the Spanish warehouse, combines them into one shipment, and you pay a single forwarding fee to the UK. Three separate €100 orders consolidated into one shipment typically saves £15–30 versus shipping each individually.
Is It Legal to Buy from EU Stores and Ship to the UK?
Yes, completely. There is nothing illegal about using a package forwarding service to receive EU goods in the UK. You are responsible for UK import duties and VAT on the goods — Resendify provides documentation for customs clearance, and for orders under £135, the process is typically seamless. HMRC's guidance on personal imports is publicly available and forwarding services operate within this framework.
What About VAT Refunds on EU Purchases?
EU stores charge their local VAT rate on purchases (Spain: 21%, France: 20%, Germany: 19%). As a non-EU buyer, you may in principle be entitled to a VAT refund on EU purchases — however, this typically applies to purchases made in-store with a retail export form (detaxe), not to online purchases shipped to an EU forwarding address. Most EU online retailers don't offer VAT-free checkout to forwarding addresses. The practical approach is to factor in the EU VAT as part of the purchase price, weigh it against UK import costs, and assess whether the total landed cost still beats UK retail — for many categories, it does.
Start Shopping European Stores from the UK
The Brexit shipping wall is a logistical inconvenience, not a permanent barrier. With a Resendify forwarding address in Spain, the entire European e-commerce market is accessible to UK shoppers — the same stores, the same products, the same EU prices. Create your free account, get your Spanish address, and start shopping.
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