Made-to-Measure Women’s Clothing Delivered to Portugal

Delivery to Portugal: IVA, the EU duty and courier fees

Your outfit is shipped from Pakistan, outside the EU, so it is cleared through customs on arrival in Portugal, where customs sits with the Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira. Your written quote sets out the production time, the delivery method and its cost, and includes any import duties, taxes and customs or courier fees on the parcel.

The European Commission explains that since 1 July 2021 all goods imported into the EU are subject to VAT, known in Portugal as IVA; when a seller is not registered for the Import One-Stop Shop (IOSS), it is paid on import. In addition, from 1 July 2026 until 1 July 2028 the EU charges a temporary €3 customs duty per tariff line on low-value consignments worth up to €150 from outside the EU, replacing the old €150 duty exemption, as the Council of the EU confirmed.

None of that is left for you to settle. IVA, the EU duty and any courier handling fee are in the quote you approve, so there is nothing to pay at the door, and if a courier ever asks you for money, contact us before paying. We do not give tax advice; the Europe overview and ordering from Europe cover the EU rules more widely.

Portuguese sizes and the words people search for

Clothes in Portuguese shops carry continental size numbers such as 36, 38 and 40, and the same number fits differently from one brand to the next. A label also tells us nothing about your arm length or where you want a kameez to fall, so we always work from a tape measure. The size guide shows each measurement, and UK, EU and US dress sizes for a kameez explains why labels mislead.

In Portuguese, made to measure is à medida or por medida, a seamstress is a costureira, and a dressmaker is a modista, so people in Portugal looking for this kind of service often search for roupa à medida or a costureira near them. The outfit itself usually keeps its own name, shalwar kameez or salwar kameez, and a kurta is often called a túnica.

Atlantic weather, from the Minho to the Algarve

Portugal is a long, narrow country facing the Atlantic, and the weather changes as you travel. The north, around Porto and Braga, has green hills, mild summers and a great deal of winter rain, so a lined kameez, full sleeves and a warmer fabric such as karandi earn their place. Inland towns such as Coimbra get properly hot in summer and chilly in winter.

Lisbon and the south are sunnier and drier, with hot summers and mild, wet winters, which makes lawn and fine cotton the everyday choice for much of the year. Older Portuguese houses are often cool inside in winter, so even in the south a cambric kurta with a light lining is worth having. Our summer outfits for hot weather and winter fabrics guide help with choosing.

For Eid, start early and tell us your date, particularly with Stitching Only, where the fabric travels to Pakistan before the outfit travels back. Spain has its own page, and when you are ready you can request a quote for Portugal.