Customs Administration: Montenegro will not introduce a €3 fee per ordered item from 1 July

Montenegro's Customs Administration has announced that the country will not introduce the €3 fee per ordered item that will begin to apply in the European Union from 1 July.

The Administration explained that Montenegro has not amended its national legislation in this area and that the existing legal framework therefore remains fully in force.

They added that, under the current legislative framework, the Ministry of Finance, in cooperation with the Customs Administration, is working to harmonize national regulations with the EU acquis. Any future amendments, it said, will be implemented through the prescribed legislative procedure.

- As with previous regulatory changes, the public will be informed in a timely manner of any amendments relating to the customs treatment of shipments and the obligations of citizens - the Customs Administration said.

As part of its upcoming customs reform, the European Commission and EU member states decided in November 2025 to abolish the customs duty exemption previously applied to parcels valued at up to €150.

As an interim measure, they agreed to introduce a €3 customs handling fee per ordered item across the European Union, effective 1 July 2026.

The removal of the €150 threshold is intended to create a level playing field between e-commerce and traditional retail, restoring fair competition while preserving consumer choice.

This temporary measure will remain in force until July 2028, when the EU's comprehensive customs reform for e-commerce is expected to become fully operational. At that point, the regular customs tariff system will apply.

In addition, no later than 1 November 2026, the European Union plans to introduce a handling fee for goods imported into the EU to help offset the rising costs faced by customs authorities. The proposed fee has been set at €2 per customs declaration.