Shopping online from Iceland: What you need to know

There are a lot of reasons you might shop online from Iceland. Maybe traveling to Iceland isn’t in the cards right now, but you’d love to have a piece of Icelandic culture in your wardrobe. Or maybe you’ve visited Iceland and want a new Icelandic wool sweater, blanket or other product that reminds you of your trip.

You might even be in Iceland right now, only to discover that your suitcase doesn’t have space for any more sweaters or souvenirs. Ordering online and having your purchases shipped home can be an easy alternative.

Whatever your motivation, shopping online makes Icelandic products available around the world. International shopping does raise a few questions, though, like:

  • Does Iceland ship to my country?

  • How long does shipping from Iceland take?

  • Will my package go through customs?

  • Will I have to pay duties or taxes?

Here’s what to know about shopping online from Iceland and having your orders shipped internationally.

Woman standing up by an old house

Does Icewear ship internationally from Iceland?#

Yes. Icewear ships orders internationally from Iceland, as do many other kinds of Icelandic brands. Icewear offers Icelandic wool clothing, outdoor wear, accessories, blankets and other Iceland-inspired products, all with worldwide shipping to most destinations.

You’ll see available shipping options during checkout based on your delivery address. International orders are generally shipped using DHL Express.

Icewear typically processes orders within 24 hours (during regular office hours on weekdays).

Once an international order has been processed and shipped, delivery usually takes approximately 3-5 business days, depending on the destination. Delivery can take longer during busy periods, holidays, severe weather or when other circumstances outside the carrier’s control affect transportation or customs processing.

How much does shipping from Iceland cost?#

There isn’t one fixed price for shipping internationally from Iceland.

For Icewear orders, the shipping price is calculated during checkout. The amount is based on:

  1. The destination of the shipment

  2. The total weight of the order

  3. The volume (size of package)

This makes the checkout your place to find the specific shipping cost for your order (rather than relying on a general estimate).

The perk to know about, when ordering from Icewear: On Icewear’s website, your shipping price includes applicable customs fees and taxes according to the laws of the receiving country. That means Icewear does not expect you to receive an additional bill for customs duties, tariffs, VAT or other import taxes when your package arrives. Plus, this gets your package delivered faster—the usual hold-ups are sidestepped proactively as part of the Icewear shipping process.

How long does shipping from Iceland take?#

For international Icewear orders, shipping usually takes approximately 3-5 business days, depending on the destination.

That delivery estimate comes after order processing is complete.

Busy shopping periods and holidays can add additional time, so if you’re ordering a gift for a birthday, holiday or another important date, ordering early is a good idea.

Icelandic weather can occasionally affect transportation time as well. Severe winter weather might disrupt roads or flights, and international shipments can experience delays once they reach their destination country, too.

Wherever you ship to, the Icewear process handles tax paperwork as part of the standard shipping process, so you skip added hold-ups and paperwork on your end.

Man on the beach, near the lighthouse

Can I track a package shipped from Iceland?#

In the case of orders from Icewear, yes. International Icewear orders are generally shipped using DHL Express, allowing you to follow each shipment as it travels from Iceland to its destination. Tracking information is provided once the shipment has been prepared and dispatched.

Whichever shipping option you ultimately use, you can also track shipment status on the Icewear website.

Tracking is particularly useful on international orders because your package is leaving Iceland, entering another country, and then going through the processes required for international delivery in that destination. Tracking gives you transparency into exactly what step of the process your package is in.

Do packages from Iceland go through customs?#

Yes. When you order goods from Iceland for delivery to another country, you are importing those goods into the destination country. The customs, duties and taxes that apply to an international shipment will depend on the rules of the destination country and, in some cases, the type, origin and value of the goods.

For Icewear customers, wherever you ship, the process is designed to be easier for you. Icewear’s shipping process includes duties and taxes in the shipping price you see at checkout. Your order can pass directly through customs without more wait, payments and paperwork.

Iceland has close economic ties with Europe and is part of the European Economic Area (EEA), but Iceland is not a member of the European Union. A shipment from Iceland to an EU country therefore should not be thought of in the same way as a shipment traveling from one EU member country to another.

Rules behind the scenes will be different depending on whether you ship from Iceland to the United States, an EU country, the United Kingdom, Canada, Latin America or somewhere else.

Is Icelandic VAT charged on international online orders?#

Iceland has a standard VAT rate of 24% and a reduced VAT rate of 11% for qualifying goods and services. However, buying goods online for export from Iceland is different from buying something while visiting Iceland and carrying it home in your luggage.

For an international online order, the only number you need is the total price shown through the purchasing and shipping process, including the applicable taxes and customs charges associated with the destination.

Travelers who physically purchase merchandise while visiting Iceland might instead qualify for Iceland’s tax-free shopping and VAT-refund program. That is a different process with its own eligibility requirements, minimum purchase amount, paperwork and export-validation requirements.

For more information about VAT reimbursement in Iceland, read the guide to Tax-Free Shopping in Iceland: VAT Refunds for Travelers.

new store in Kringlan, shopping mall

FAQ: Shipping from Iceland to your country#

International shipping rules depend on where your package is going. Here are the answers to the most common questions Icewear customers have about orders shipped internationally from Iceland.

How does shipping from Iceland to the United States work?#

Icewear ships orders from Iceland to customers in the United States using both international delivery services like DHL Express, and a “post parcel” shipment option. Any packages entering the United States are considered imports and are therefore subject to U.S. customs rules.

An important change for U.S. shoppers took place in 2025. Effective August 29, 2025, the United States suspended the general duty-free de minimis treatment that allowed imported shipments valued at $800 or less to enter without applicable duties. Low-value imports can now be subject to applicable U.S. duties, taxes and fees.

For Icewear customers, applicable customs fees and taxes are included in the shipping price according to each destination country’s rules, including new rules like the suspension of the de minimis treatment. Icewear therefore does not expect U.S. customers to receive an additional customs or tax bill when their package arrives.

How does shipping from Iceland to the EU work?#

Iceland is part of the European Economic Area, or EEA, but it is not an EU member country. This means that ordering an item from Iceland for delivery to Germany, France, Spain, Italy or another EU member state is different from ordering goods from another country within the EU.

Goods imported from a non-EU country are generally subject to the EU’s import and VAT rules, with import VAT determined by the EU country where the import takes place.

For an Icewear order, the process for customers is straightforward: applicable customs fees and taxes are included in Icewear’s shipping price based on the receiving country’s laws. So, while an Iceland-to-Spain shipment and an Iceland-to-Germany shipment are both imports into the EU, the destination is what taxes and charges are calculated on.

blanket on fence

How does shipping from Iceland to the UK work?#

Orders shipped from Iceland to the United Kingdom are international imports, too.

Shipping costs are calculated at checkout according to the destination and weight of the order. Applicable customs fees and taxes are included in the shipping price.

International Icewear shipments generally take 3-5 business days after processing, although delivery times can vary.

How does shipping from Iceland to Canada work?#

Icewear ships internationally to Canada with all available shipping options and costs shown at checkout. An order entering Canada from Iceland is an imported and is subject to the applicable Canadian import rules.

Icewear calculates shipping based on each delivery location and the weight and volume of the order, and therefore includes customs fees and taxes in the shipping price according to each country’s laws.

Can Icewear ship from Iceland to Latin America?#

Yes. Icewear offers worldwide shipping with available shipping options for each particular destination displayed at checkout.

Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and other countries each have their own import requirements, taxes, and customs procedures. For that reason, Icewear’s international shipping price always includes applicable customs fees and taxes according to the laws of the receiving country.

Sometimes, additional information that Icewear doesn’t have is needed by the receiving country. The tracking status will indicate if additional information is needed from you before the package is released in the receiving country.

Will I have to pay customs charges when my Icewear package arrives?#

Icewear does not expect customers to pay additional customs or tax charges upon delivery.

According to Icewear’s shipping policy, applicable customs fees and taxes—including costs associated with tariffs, VAT and tax—are included in the shipping price you see at checkout.

When buying from other international sellers, a low shipping charge can be an alarm for later receiving a bill for duties, taxes or carrier fees when the package reaches the destination. With an Icewear order, however, applicable customs fees and taxes are included in the shipping price so you don’t get unexpected customs bills when your package arrives.

Why does shipping cost vary by country?#

International shipping costs depend on where an order is going. There will be different customs, tax and import requirements from one destination to another.

Icewear therefore calculates country-specific shipping costs during checkout instead of using one universal international shipping rate.

How quickly will my Icewear order leave Iceland?#

Icewear does its best to process orders within 24 hours (excluding weekends and holidays). That includes handing the prepared package off to the shipper, usually DHL Express.

Once the order is shipped internationally, delivery generally takes approximately 3-5 business days, depending on the destination.

During holidays and other busy periods, processing or delivery can take longer.

Posted in March 2023

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