We make plastic miniatures, not customs regulations.
Unfortunately, since the UK left the European Union, shipping products from the UK into Europe has become increasingly complicated. Customs, tax, shipping and packaging requirements continue to change, and we know that keeping track of them can be just as confusing for customers as it is for businesses.
For our European customers, orders are fulfilled from the UK by our partners at Sarissa Precision, who have considerable experience shipping into the EU and managing the customs requirements involved.
Our aim is simple. When you order from Wargames Atlantic, we want the price you pay at checkout to be the price you pay.
How We Ship EU Orders
Wargames Atlantic orders sent from the UK to customers in the European Union are shipped using Delivered Duty Paid, usually referred to as DDP.
DDP means that the duties, taxes and customs fees associated with importing your order are dealt with as part of the shipping process rather than being left for you to pay when the parcel arrives.
In practical terms, EU customers should not normally be asked to pay additional import VAT, customs duty or carrier clearance fees when their Wargames Atlantic parcel is delivered.
Sarissa Precision handles this process for us as part of fulfilling and shipping our European orders.
This has replaced the IOSS system previously used for Wargames Atlantic EU orders and gives us a more comprehensive way of dealing with the increasingly complicated requirements surrounding imports into the European Union.
The New €3 EU Customs Duty
From 1 July 2026, the European Union removed the customs duty exemption that previously applied to many imported consignments valued at €150 or less.
A temporary €3 customs duty now applies to qualifying low-value e-commerce imports entering the EU.
Importantly, this is not necessarily a single €3 charge per parcel. The duty is calculated according to the different tariff classifications represented within a consignment. Several products covered by the same customs classification may therefore attract one charge, while an order containing products falling into several classifications could attract more than one.
For Wargames Atlantic customers, these charges are dealt with through our DDP shipping arrangements.
We do not expect you to be asked to pay the €3 customs duty separately when your parcel arrives.
The temporary system is currently intended to remain in place until 1 July 2028, when further changes to the EU customs system are planned.
Will I Have to Pay Anything When My Parcel Arrives?
Under our DDP shipping system, you should not normally have to pay anything additional when your Wargames Atlantic order is delivered within the European Union.
The necessary import duties, taxes and customs fees are handled as part of getting your parcel to you.
That is one of the principal reasons we have moved to DDP. Rather than presenting customers with an apparently cheaper shipping price and leaving them with an unexpected customs bill when the parcel arrives, we would rather deal with those costs as part of the order.
If a postal operator or courier attempts to charge you import VAT, customs duty, or a clearance fee on a Wargames Atlantic order shipped DDP, please get in touch with us before making the payment so that we can investigate what has happened.
Further EU Customs Changes
The new €3 duty is only one part of a much larger reform of the European Union’s customs system.
Further changes to the information required for low-value e-commerce customs declarations are also being introduced. From 1 November 2026, additional Product Identifier requirements are due to apply to affected low-value e-commerce declarations.
There are also proposals for further EU-wide handling charges connected with e-commerce imports.
We are working with Sarissa Precision to keep our shipping systems up to date as these requirements develop. Much of this work happens behind the scenes, which is exactly where we would like it to remain from the customer’s point of view.
Packaging and Environmental Regulations
European rules governing packaging and packaging waste are also changing, bringing additional responsibilities for businesses placing packaged goods onto the EU market.
We already try to minimise the environmental impact of the materials we use.
The majority of the materials used for our shipping and packaging come from recycled sources, and all of our packaging is recyclable.
We take a similar approach to the hard plastic used to manufacture our miniatures. Wherever technically viable, we use the maximum practical amount of recycled, ground-down plastic in our production material.
There is a balance to be maintained. The material still needs to produce strong components, crisp detail and the quality we expect from a Wargames Atlantic plastic kit. Within those limits, we are continually looking for opportunities to increase the proportion of recycled material we use.
Reducing unnecessary material, increasing recycled content and ensuring our packaging can itself be recycled will remain part of how we develop our products and fulfilment.
Will Wargames Atlantic Continue Shipping to the EU?
Absolutely.
European hobbyists are an important part of the Wargames Atlantic community, and we intend to continue making it as straightforward as possible for you to order directly from us.
Our commitment is to:
- Continue supplying Wargames Atlantic products throughout the European Union.
- Ship EU orders using DDP so duties, taxes and customs fees are dealt with as part of the shipping process.
- Work with Sarissa Precision to manage the changing customs requirements.
- Avoid unexpected import charges for customers wherever possible.
- Keep our postage and fulfilment costs as reasonable as we can.
- Use recycled and recyclable packaging materials.
- Increase the amount of recycled plastic used in our miniatures wherever manufacturing quality allows.
- Keep this page updated as EU customs and packaging regulations change.
International shipping has become more complicated.
Our job is to deal with as much of that complication as possible so that yours remains deciding what to build next.
Last updated: 12 August 2026
