Ordering from Europe: customs, delivery and paying

Customs: every parcel crosses a border

Every outfit is made in Pakistan, which is outside the EU, so parcels to and from us go through customs wherever you live in Europe, including non-EU countries such as Norway. With Fabric + Stitching, where we supply the agreed fabric, only the finished outfit travels. With Stitching Only, there are two separate shipping stages: your fabric travelling to us in Pakistan, which is yours to arrange unless your quote says otherwise, and your finished outfit being shipped to you, with delivery and import charges included in your quote.

Send daylight photos with your quote request first. Before you post anything, we confirm that the fabric is suitable, how much is needed and how and where to send it. Our guides to photographing fabric for a quote and posting your fabric explain how. When you do post it:

• Every parcel needs a customs declaration. Describe the contents plainly, for example “unstitched cotton suit fabric, three pieces, for tailoring”, and give an honest value.
• Do not mark it as a gift unless it genuinely is one.
• Use a tracked service, and keep the tracking number until the parcel has arrived.
• Keep your receipts for fabric you bought, in case you are asked about its value.
• Ask us first if you are unsure how to describe something.

Import charges: included in your quote

Parcels sent to Europe from outside the EU are normally subject to import charges: import VAT, customs duty and often a handling fee from the carrier that clears the parcel. For the EU, the European Commission says that since 1 July 2021 all goods imported into the EU are subject to VAT, and that if the seller is not registered for IOSS, the customer pays it on import (European Commission). From 1 July 2026 the EU also applies a temporary €3 customs duty for each category of goods on low-value consignments (up to €150) from outside the EU, until 1 July 2028 (European Commission). In Norway, import VAT applies to goods from abroad unless a VOEC-registered seller collects it, clothing is one of the few goods subject to customs duty, and carriers normally charge a customs-handling fee (Norwegian Customs).

With The Gilded Seam, those charges are included in your quote. Your written quote includes delivery to your address and any import VAT, customs duty and customs or courier fees in your country, so your order is shipped delivered duty paid and there is nothing extra to pay when your parcel arrives. Beyond the official points above, we do not quote rates or thresholds here, and we do not give tax advice. If a courier ever asks you for payment on delivery, contact us before paying anything.

Delivery

Your finished outfit is shipped to you from Pakistan. Production time and the cost of delivery, including any import charges, are confirmed in your written quote, so you know them before you approve anything, but delivery dates cannot be guaranteed. Parcels can occasionally be held at customs, so build in some slack if you have a date to meet, and give the date when you ask for a quote. If a carrier contacts you about delivery, respond promptly, since a parcel waiting for collection is not held forever.

The simplest way to cut down on border crossings is to let us supply the fabric: choose Fabric + Stitching, and only one parcel travels, to you.

Paying in euros, pounds or dollars

Wherever you are in Europe, you choose whether your quote is written in euros (EUR), pounds sterling (GBP) or US dollars (USD); tell us which when you ask for a quote, and your quote explains how to pay. If you can, pick the currency your money is already in, so nothing needs converting: in the euro area, that usually means euros. If you pay from an account in a different currency, such as Swedish kronor or Norwegian kroner, your card issuer or bank converts the amount at its own rate and may add a fee; that depends on your provider. Import VAT, duty and handling fees are not charged on top: whichever currency you choose, they are included in your quote. Our guide to paying from abroad in pounds, euros or dollars goes into more detail.

Ready to start? The first order checklist helps you gather everything, and the stitching quote form is where every order begins.