Bangladeshi families in Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal and across the EU often want to ship food from Bangladesh to Europe: tea, spices, chanachur, pickles, the snacks you grew up with. Most dry, sealed, plant-based food can go. Meat and milk products cannot. This guide explains the EU rules in plain words, what VAT and duty to expect, and what it costs, as of October 2026.
You can ship most sealed, dry, plant-based Bangladeshi food to EU countries: tea, spices, biscuits, chanachur, muri, plant-based pickles. EU rules ban meat and milk products in personal parcels, so I don't send ghee or milk sweets, and fresh fruit needs a plant health certificate. Expect VAT from the first euro. A 1 kg express parcel costs about €55–75 to ship (estimate). Request a free quote.
Yes, if you choose the right food. The EU has one set of rules for personal parcels of animal products, and it applies in every member state. These rules cover parcels sent by post and courier, not only food in a traveller's suitcase.
The simple rule: dry, sealed, factory-labelled and plant-based is usually fine. Anything with meat or milk is not. I check every item against the current rules before I buy, so you do not pay for food that will be stopped.
These items travel well and are what most EU customers ask for:
For ideas, see the Bangladeshi foods expats miss most.
EU Regulation 2019/2122 does not allow meat, milk or products made from them in personal parcels from countries like Bangladesh. Parcels that break the rules are seized and destroyed, and you may be fined. So I do not send:
What about shutki (dried fish)? EU rules allow up to 20 kg of fish products in a personal parcel. The problem is the courier: most international couriers refuse dried fish because of the strong smell. So I do not ship shutki. The full list is in what I can't ship from Bangladesh.
Almost always some VAT. Since the 2021 EU VAT reform, VAT is charged from the first euro on goods from outside the EU. The good news for food: many EU countries use a lower VAT rate for food. In Germany, for example, many foods are taxed at 7% instead of the standard 19%.
There is also a new charge. From 1 July 2026 until 1 July 2028, the EU applies a temporary €3 customs duty per item to low-value parcels (up to €150) sold at a distance. "Item" means each different type of product, not each packet: five packets of tea count as one item, but tea plus spices count as two. Whether this charge applies to your parcel depends on how it is declared, so I estimate it in your quote.
The courier usually collects VAT and duty before delivery, sometimes with a small handling fee. I declare every parcel honestly, with the real contents and value. Country details are in my customs duty guide.
Food is cheap in Dhaka but heavy, so shipping is the biggest cost. These are estimates, converted at about 1 US dollar = €0.89 (October 2026). Your quote gives the exact figure.
Example: about €20 of tea, spices and chanachur in a 1 kg express parcel to Rome comes to roughly €85–105 before VAT. Heavier boxes cost less per kilo, so one bigger box a few times a year is better value than many small ones. Compare carriers in my best courier from Bangladesh guide.
I buy sealed products from trusted Dhaka grocers and check every expiry date. I photograph the items and the dates for you before packing. Oil bottles are double-bagged, jars are taped and wrapped, and strong-smelling spices are sealed in extra bags. Every parcel has tracking from Dhaka to your door.
Send your list (brand names or photos help), your budget and your EU address. I reply within 24 hours, tell you honestly which items can go to your country, and send an itemized quote. You pay only after you approve it, by PayPal, Wise, bKash or bank transfer; Wise works well from the eurozone. Then I shop, pack and ship.
Ordering clothes or gifts too? See buy from Bangladesh to Europe. Family in Britain or America? Read ship food to the UK and ship food to the USA.
Yes, if it is sealed, dry and plant-based, such as tea, spices, biscuits, chanachur and plant-based pickles. The same EU rules apply in Germany, Italy and every other member state. Meat and milk products are not allowed.
I don't send them. Ghee and milk-based sweets such as roshogolla and sandesh contain milk products, which EU rules restrict in personal parcels from Bangladesh. Parcels that break the rules can be seized and destroyed.
EU rules allow up to 20 kg of fish products in a personal parcel. However, most international couriers refuse dried fish because of the smell, so I do not ship shutki.
Usually yes, because the EU charges VAT from the first euro. Many countries use a lower VAT rate for food, such as 7% for many foods in Germany. From 1 July 2026 a temporary €3 duty per item type can also apply to low-value parcels.
As an estimate, about €55–75 by express courier or €35–55 by Bangladesh Post EMS, plus my US$12 service fee. Your quote gives the exact figure before you pay.
Send me your food list and your country. I'll tell you honestly what can go, what it will cost, and what VAT to expect, before you pay anything.
Sealed products, expiry dates photographed, honest declaration, every cost shown before you pay.