Shipping ecommerce orders from Europe to Australia and New Zealand
Vareya fulfils ecommerce orders from a warehouse in Breda, the Netherlands, and ships to international destinations including Australia and New Zealand. This page explains the order flow, what happens at the border and what to confirm before you ship down under.
Vareya is generally best suited to brands shipping 500 or more orders per month.
Share your current order profile and destination mix for an initial fulfilment fit assessment. No sales call required.
Quick answer
Orders for Australian and New Zealand customers are picked and packed in Breda, the Netherlands, handed to the carrier network and shipped to the destination country. Each parcel is imported into Australia or New Zealand, so the destination country's GST, duty and biosecurity rules may apply depending on value and classification. Customs processing is handled through the selected carrier.
Vareya is generally best suited to brands shipping 500 or more orders per month.
Two directions, two different questions
Brands often mix up two very different setups. One is selling to European customers while stock sits in Europe. The other is shipping orders from a European warehouse to customers in Australia and New Zealand. The table below shows what changes between the two.
| What to compare | Selling to EU customers | Shipping to AU/NZ customers |
|---|---|---|
| What the brand sells | European customers, from a warehouse inside the EU. | Customers in Australia and New Zealand, from a warehouse inside the EU. |
| Where orders are fulfilled | Orders are picked, packed and shipped from Breda, the Netherlands, and travel within the EU. | Orders are picked, packed and shipped from Breda, the Netherlands, and cross the border into Australia or New Zealand. |
| What happens at the border | No border crossing for individual EU orders when stock is already in the EU. | Each parcel is imported into Australia or New Zealand; GST, duty and biosecurity rules of the destination country may apply depending on value and classification. |
| Where to start | Compare holding stock in the EU with shipping every order from Australia or New Zealand — see the Australian and New Zealand brand pages. | Confirm the destination rules for your products, then share your order profile and destination mix for an initial fit assessment. |
The order flow in one view
From stock arriving in Breda to the order reaching a customer in Australia or New Zealand, this is how the stages connect:
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Receiving | Stock arrives at the warehouse in Breda and is checked in against the agreed intake process. |
| Storage | Stock is stored in the Breda warehouse until orders are placed. |
| Picking and packing | Each order is picked and packed for the agreed shipping method. |
| Carrier hand-off | The shipment is handed to the carrier network. Vareya's shipping system can automatically select an appropriate carrier for each shipment, based on destination and parcel characteristics. |
| Tracking | Tracking information follows the carrier's service for the destination country. |
| Returns | Returns handling is available. Contact Vareya to discuss the required returns process. |
Destination rules: Australia vs New Zealand
Both countries apply GST, customs duty and biosecurity rules to imported parcels, but the details differ. Australia administers import rules through the Australian Border Force and the Australian Taxation Office, with biosecurity conditions from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. New Zealand administers its rules through New Zealand Customs and Inland Revenue, with biosecurity conditions from the Ministry for Primary Industries.
On the Australian side, goods with a customs value up to AUD 1,000 are generally not charged duty, GST or import charges at the border (alcohol and tobacco excepted), but GST on the sale can still apply at checkout under the ATO's low-value imported goods rules for non-resident sellers. Above AUD 1,000, an import declaration is required. On the New Zealand side, goods with a value up to NZ$1,000 are generally not charged duty or GST at the border, while under Inland Revenue rules GST of 15% applies at checkout when an overseas seller's taxable turnover from New Zealand sales reaches NZ$60,000 in a 12-month period. Above NZ$1,000, goods are charged at the border and a Customs Number is required.
What a shopper ultimately pays, and whether a product is permitted, depends on the parcel's value, the product classification and the ingredients or materials involved. Vareya does not give tax or customs advice. Confirm the current thresholds and conditions for your products with the official sources linked below before shipping.
Have customs, tax or specialist handling requirements? Include them in the fulfilment scan so Vareya can confirm which parts of the proposed setup can be supported.
Official planning resources
- Import declarations — Australian Border Force ↗
- GST on low value imported goods — Australian Taxation Office ↗
- Bringing or mailing goods to Australia — Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry ↗
- Supplying low value imported goods — Inland Revenue New Zealand ↗
- Duty and GST — New Zealand Customs Service ↗
- Importing supplemented foods — Ministry for Primary Industries ↗
- Import health standards — Ministry for Primary Industries ↗
Capabilities
Shopify integration is available.
Amazon FBM fulfilment is available.
Returns handling is available. Contact Vareya to discuss the required returns process.
Carriers include DHL, PostNL, Asendia, FedEx and Royal Mail.
Vareya's shipping system can automatically select an appropriate carrier for each shipment, based on destination and parcel characteristics.
Cut-off times of up to 23:00 may be available by agreement.
Customs clearance support is available for shipments into and out of Europe. Contact Vareya to discuss specific requirements.
Good fit / may not be a fit
Typically a good fit
- ✓ Vareya is generally best suited to brands shipping 500 or more orders per month.
- ✓ Vareya specialises in cosmetics, supplements, phone cases, accessories and other smaller parcel products.
- ✓ Suitable smaller parcels have combined dimensions below 900 mm and a maximum length of 600 mm.
- ✓ Brands whose products meet the destination country's import and biosecurity conditions.
- ✓ Brands that combine EU sales with occasional AU/NZ orders from the same stock.
May not be a fit
- ✗ Order volumes well below the 500-orders-per-month level.
- ✗ Parcels that exceed the combined 900 mm / length 600 mm guideline.
- ✗ Products that the destination country restricts — confirm your product's import conditions with the official sources before shipping.
- ✗ Products with specialist customs, tax or handling requirements — include them in the fulfilment scan so Vareya can confirm which parts of the proposed setup can be supported.
Product fit is confirmed during qualification.
Frequently asked questions
What does shipping ecommerce orders from Europe to Australia and New Zealand involve?
Orders are picked and packed at the warehouse in Breda, the Netherlands, handed to the carrier network and shipped to the destination country. Each parcel is imported into Australia or New Zealand, where the destination country's GST, duty and biosecurity rules may apply depending on value and classification.
How long does delivery take?
Exact delivery timing depends on the agreed shipping method and is confirmed during qualification. It varies by destination, product and carrier.
Which carriers ship to Australia and New Zealand?
Carriers include DHL, PostNL, Asendia, FedEx and Royal Mail. From Breda, Vareya ships to Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States.
Who handles customs clearance for orders going to Australia or New Zealand?
Customs processing is handled through the selected carrier. Customs clearance support is available for shipments into and out of Europe. Contact Vareya to discuss specific requirements.
Do Australian or New Zealand shoppers pay import taxes?
Australia generally does not charge duty, GST or import charges at the border on most goods with a customs value up to AUD 1,000 (alcohol and tobacco excepted), but GST on the sale can apply at checkout under the ATO's low-value imported goods rules for non-resident sellers; above AUD 1,000 an import declaration is required. New Zealand generally does not charge duty or GST at the border on goods up to NZ$1,000, while 15% GST applies at checkout once an overseas seller's New Zealand turnover reaches NZ$60,000 in 12 months; above NZ$1,000 goods are charged at the border and a Customs Number is required. Confirm the current thresholds for your products with the official sources before shipping.
Are cosmetics and supplements allowed into Australia and New Zealand?
Both countries apply biosecurity and product rules to imported goods, and the conditions depend on the product's ingredients and classification. New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries requires imported supplemented foods to be correctly labelled, safe and free of pests, with the importer responsible for compliance; products classed as biosecurity risk goods must meet the applicable import health standard. Australia's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry applies its own conditions, checked per product through its BICON system. Confirm the requirements for your specific products before shipping.
Is this the same as holding stock in Europe for European customers?
No. Selling to European customers is about holding stock in the EU instead of shipping every order from Australia or New Zealand. Shipping from Europe to Australia and New Zealand is the opposite stream: orders are fulfilled in Breda and sent to customers down under. Both setups can run side by side from the same warehouse.
What order volume is needed?
Vareya is generally best suited to brands shipping 500 or more orders per month.
Assess shipping to Australia and New Zealand
Share your current order profile and destination mix for an initial fulfilment fit assessment.