Shipment From the USA to Portugal
Introduction: Ship Boxes from the USA to Portugal
ExpediShip is a professional international shipping company providing fast and affordable shipping from the USA to Portugal for boxes, luggage, and parcels.
We handle business shipments, personal effects, gifts, and product samples — safely, efficiently, and with full customs support.
You can ship pallets, crates, barrels, boxes, luggage, and totes with confidence using our reliable door-to-door delivery service.
Get a Free Quote:
https://expediship.com/contacts/
What Can You Ship
International Shipping from USA to Portugal — What You Can and Can’t Ship
Shipping from the USA to Portugal is generally simple, and most items are allowed. At the end of this page, you’ll find a detailed list of items that are not permitted for international shipping.
Common goods such as auto parts, makeup, clothing, office supplies, and sports equipment can all be shipped without issues.
If you’re unsure whether your item is allowed, contact Expediship — we’ll help you confirm before shipping.
Shipping Cost & Transit Time From the USA to Portugal
We ship boxes to every corner of Portugal — Lisbon, Porto, the Algarve, and door-to-door to Madeira and the Azores (island routing adds a few days). The table below shows typical starting rates; your exact price depends on box size, weight, and pickup ZIP.
Below are estimated starting prices for shipping boxes from the USA to Portugal. Final cost depends on box size, pickup address, and delivery city.
| Weight Range | Starting Price (USD) |
|---|---|
| 1–10 lbs | From $35 |
| 11–20 lbs | From $113 |
| 21–30 lbs | From $150 |
| 31–40 lbs | From $230 |
| 41–50 lbs | From $280 |
| 51–60 lbs | From $340 |
| 61–80 lbs | From $395 |
| 81+ lbs | From $427 — for larger shipments, please contact customer service for an exact quote. |
Note: Prices are estimated starting rates for air freight shipments. Expediship offers door-to-door service with full tracking and customs guidance.
Customs, the €45 Gift Rule & the 2026 EU Duty Changes
Sending a Box to Family in Portugal? Here’s What Changed in 2026
The €45 gift rule (still in force). Gifts sent by a private individual in the USA to a private individual in Portugal are exempt from duty and IVA up to a declared value of €45 — provided the shipment is occasional and genuinely free of charge. Above €45, Portuguese customs applies 23% IVA on the full declared value (22% in Madeira, 16% in the Azores).
Worked example: a gift box declared at $100 (≈€92) to Lisbon exceeds the €45 threshold, so the recipient owes roughly €21 in IVA before delivery. Declare accurately — under-declaring risks seizure and fines that cost far more than the tax.
The €150 duty exemption is gone. As of July 1, 2026, the EU abolished the €150 customs duty exemption. Low-value consignments now carry a temporary flat customs duty of €3 per item type (HS6 line) on distance-sale shipments valued up to €150, with standard tariff rates (0–17%, averaging ~4%) above €150. Most competitors’ guides still quote the old rule — if you read “duty-free under €150” anywhere, that page is out of date.
Not sure what your box will owe? Run it through our Customs Duty Tool before you ship.
From Fall River to Faro: America’s Portuguese Communities Ship With Us
The USA is home to the world’s largest Portuguese diaspora — Fall River and New Bedford (Massachusetts), Newark’s Ironbound, San Jose, and Rhode Island. Every month we carry care packages, birthday gifts, and family shipments from these communities to the mainland, Madeira, and the Azores — a route especially close to New England’s Azorean families.
Popular items that ship well: American packaged snacks, peanut butter, maple syrup, vitamins, branded clothing, toys, and electronics. What can’t go: fresh or perishable food, meat and dairy, aerosols, loose lithium batteries — and alcohol, which we do not carry in any form.
Portuguese Holiday Shipping Deadlines
| Holiday | Date | Ship from the USA by |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas | December 25 | December 8 |
| New Year / Dia de Reis | January 1 / 6 | December 15 |
| Mother’s Day in Portugal | First Sunday of May (earlier than the US date!) | April 20 |
| Easter | March–April | 12 days before |
| Santo António (Lisbon) | June 13 | June 1 |
| São João (Porto) | June 24 | June 12 |
| Dia de Portugal | June 10 | May 29 |
Don’t get caught by Mother’s Day: Portugal celebrates on the first Sunday of May, usually a week before the American date. A box shipped on the US schedule arrives late.
Documents: Commercial Invoice marked “Gift” listing every item with its value (no vague “gift items” descriptions), plus recipient name, phone, and address.
Gifts between private individuals up to €45 enter free of duty and IVA; above that, 23% IVA applies (22% Madeira, 16% Azores).
Estimate duties and see the full document checklist in our Customs Duty Tool.
Documents: Commercial Invoice marked “Commercial Sample — Not for Resale” with HS codes and realistic per-unit values, plus your company details and the recipient business in Portugal.
Samples are not automatically duty-free — customs assesses declared value. Samples with no commercial value (marked or mutilated) may be assessed lower. Your Portuguese consignee needs an EORI number — clearance cannot complete without it.
Estimate duties and see the full document checklist in our Customs Duty Tool.
Personal effects and relocations → our luggage page. Commercial freight, donations, or tradeshow materials → our pallet page. Full checklists for any purpose → Customs Duty Tool.
How to Pack Boxes for International Shipping | Step-by-Step Guide
First time shipping a box overseas? Our box packing guide covers carton choice, cushioning, and sealing in five minutes.
We usually pack items using pallets, crates, suitcases, or cardboard boxes.
In this section, we’ll focus on cardboard boxes.
Use strong boxes. Visit Home Depot, Lowe’s, or U-Haul to find heavy-duty moving boxes in various sizes—small, medium, large, and extra-large.
Plastic totes are also an option, depending on the type and weight of your items.
Recommended weight limits:
Small box: up to 20 lbs
Medium box: up to 40 lbs
Large box: up to 60 lbs
Keeping boxes within these limits helps protect your items and prevents damage.
You may reuse boxes you already have, but make sure they’re clean, sturdy, and free of old shipping labels.
Before you start packing, prepare the necessary materials:
Bubble wrap or packing paper for protection
Packing peanuts or crumpled paper to fill empty spaces
Strong packing tape (like duct tape or shipping tape)
If your item is fragile, wrap it individually with bubble wrap for extra protection.
Place a protective layer (such as bubble wrap or crumpled paper) at the bottom of the box.
Arrange items securely and fill all gaps so nothing moves inside.
Avoid overfilling the box—this can cause it to burst during handling.
Before sealing, place a copy of the shipping label inside the box, near the top.
Seal all seams and edges using strong tape. Apply tape in a cross shape across both top and bottom flaps for added strength.
Clearly mark the box with:
Contents
Destination address
“Fragile” or “Heavy”, if applicable
Leave a clean, flat area on one side of the box for the official shipping label.
Insurance Options for Shipping Boxes, Pallets, Crates, or Luggage from the USA to Portugal
Every shipment automatically includes $100 of cargo insurance free of charge — if anything is lost or damaged, you are covered up to $100 at no extra cost. Need more protection? Add full coverage for just 3% of the declared value when requesting your quote. For eligibility rules, non-insurable items, and how claims work, see our Shipping Insurance Guide.
International Shipping Prohibitions and Restrictions
Ship from USA to Portugal — Know What You Cannot Ship
Certain items cannot be received, stored, shipped, imported, or exported due to government regulations, safety concerns, or international trade laws. Transactions involving these commodities are strictly prohibited, regardless of the shipment’s origin or destination.
Note: These items are completely forbidden to be exported or imported between countries.
Shipping Process
Ship Box or luggage from USA to Portugal
Frequently Asked Questions When Shipping Boxes or Luggage from USA to Portugal
Nothing if the declared value is €45 or less (private individual to private individual). Above that, 23% IVA on the full value on the mainland — 22% in Madeira, 16% in the Azores.
Yes — we deliver door-to-door to Funchal, Ponta Delgada, and all island addresses. Allow a few extra days beyond mainland transit times.
No. We do not carry alcohol of any kind. Everything else in a typical gift box — snacks, clothing, cosmetics, toys — is fine.
No — it was abolished EU-wide on July 1, 2026. Shipments up to €150 now carry a temporary flat €3 duty per item type, and standard tariff rates apply above €150.
