When you ship internationally, your goods may be subject to duties and taxes charged by the destination country. How and when you pay these depends on the shipping terms – known as Incoterms – applied to your shipment.
DDP is not the default, and it isn't available on every shipment. It's an option on certain courier services, from certain warehouses, to eligible destinations. Whether you can ship DDP depends on three things:
- the warehouse you ship from,
- the courier you choose, and
- your destination country.
This page explains what DDP is, how to tell whether it's available to you, and how it compares to the standard option.
forward2me Offer DDP for Some Shipping Services
Most shipments are sent DAP (Delivered at Place), meaning your shipping cost covers transport only, and you pay any duties and taxes separately to your local customs authority or courier before your package is released.
On eligible services, you can choose DDP (Delivered Duty Paid), where duties and taxes are calculated and included in your shipping cost and paid upfront – so your package clears customs with no further payment required. If the DDP option appears in your account at checkout, your warehouse, courier, and destination all support it.
DDP Shipping
Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) is an international commerce term (Incoterm) describing a shipment where the shipper is responsible for all costs of international delivery, including duties and taxes. With DDP, those costs are calculated and paid before the package ships, so the recipient pays nothing on arrival.
Under DAP (Delivered at Place), by contrast, the recipient is responsible for paying duties and taxes on arrival before the package is released.
DDP May Not Be Available for All Shipments
During checkout, you'll see a DDP option if your selected warehouse, courier service, and destination country are eligible. Duties and taxes are calculated in real time based on the product, declared value, and destination country, and you'll see the full landed cost and pay upfront.
If DDP doesn't appear, your shipment will be sent under DAP terms.
Services That Offer DDP
DDP availability depends first on the warehouse you ship from and the courier you choose. Use the table below to check what's available from your warehouse:
Warehouse (origin) | DHL Express / Economy Select | FedEx Int'l Priority | UPS Express Saver |
UK | ✅ Available | ✅ Available | ❌ Not available |
USA | ❌ Not available | ✅ Available | ❌ Not available |
Germany | ✅ Available | ✅ Available | ❌ Not available |
Japan | ❌ Not available | ❌ Not available | ❌ Not available |
Guernsey | ❌ Not available | ❌ Not available | ❌ Not available |
The table above shows the warehouse your goods ship from, not their destination. UPS Express Saver does not currently support DDP from any warehouse.
Destination Rules
Even where a warehouse and courier support DDP, your destination country must also allow it. Around 90 countries don't permit packages to be shipped under DDP terms. If the DDP option doesn't appear in your account at checkout, your destination may be one of them. We're continually adding more countries and courier services, so availability can change.
Some destinations also have specific rules:
- Saudi Arabia (FedEx): DDP only. All FedEx shipments to Saudi Arabia are sent DDP, from all warehouse locations. This can't be overridden.
- Turkey: DAP only. Customs clearance in Turkey is complex and unpredictable – rules change frequently, charges are often reassessed at the border, and extra documentation or inspections may be required. Because pre-paying under DDP could cause delays or unexpected charges, shipments to Turkey are sent DAP, with the recipient responsible for clearance and payment.
- Germany (as a destination): DDP unavailable via DHL. DDP is only offered via FedEx where required; otherwise shipments default to DAP.
Note that Germany appears both in the warehouse table (as an origin that supports DDP) and here in the destination rules. These refer to different stages of the journey: you can ship DDP from the Germany warehouse, but you can't ship DDP to Germany.
Estimating Duties and Taxes
For a rough estimate before you ship, you can use a third-party duty and tax calculator such as Zonos or SimplyDuty. For exact figures, check with your local customs office, which holds the definitive rules for your country. See also How taxes and duties are applied.
Why Your Parcel Might Still Be Held If You've Chosen DDP
Please note that even with duties and taxes pre-paid, a DDP shipment can still be held – for reasons such as random inspections, incomplete documentation, or regulatory holds. DDP covers the duties and taxes; it doesn't exempt a shipment from customs checks.
DDP Covers Duties and Taxes but There Maye Be Other Fees
Under DDP, the sender is responsible for the duties and import taxes. However, clearance-related service fees – such as customs brokerage or advancement fees – may still apply, depending on the courier's terms and how it implements DDP. For more on the different charges that can apply to an import, see How taxes and duties are applied.
If you have further questions, please contact our Customer Experience team.