After Brexit, the UK government and the European Union (EU) agreed to the Windsor Framework, a regulatory arrangement that modifies the protocol for shipping goods from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) to Northern Ireland to simplify customs procedures and optimise transport management.
This agreement, which will affect both individuals and businesses, will come into effect on 1 May 2025. Its main measures are aimed at improving logistics and cross-border trade, reducing controls and speeding up the clearance of goods.
As a result, Packlink will continue to accept shipments from the UK to Northern Ireland, except for B2B (business to business) shipments, which will not be allowed.
Windsor Framework customs requirements that you must consider and comply with when purchasing a shipment with Packlink:
Shipments regulation
The parcel you send must comply with the applicable regulations to ensure proper customs clearance, avoid delays in delivery or the return of the goods to their origin.
In the table below, you can find the types of shipments that Packlink will accept and those that will not be allowed:
| Type of shipment | Description | Is it allowed by Packlink? |
|
B2B (Business to Business) |
Business to business: goods sent by business in Great Britain to another business in Northern Ireland. |
|
|
B2C (Business to Consumer) |
Business to private: goods sent by a business in Great Britain to a private individual residing in Northern Ireland for personal use. |  YES |
|
C2B (Consumer to Business) |
Private to business: goods sent by a private individual in Great Britain to a business in Northern Ireland. | YES |
|
C2C (Consumer to Consumer) |
Private to private: goods sent by a private individual in Great Britain to a private individual residing in Northern Ireland for personal use. |
|
NO
Important
Packlink will not be responsible for any incidents, delays in customs clearance or return to origin of parcels corresponding to B2B shipments.
Customs invoice
All shipments from Great Britain to Northern Ireland must include a customs invoice.
For this reason, it will be mandatory for you to complete the customs form during the purchase process of the service. This will ensure that all parcels are properly registered and processed by Customs and arrive at their destination.
In our Help Center we explain how to complete a customs invoice.
Acceptance of responsibility
In the event that a parcel cannot be delivered to its destination or is returned to origin because it is a B2B shipment, the costs associated with the storage, return to the sender or destruction of the goods will be charged to the person who purchased the shipment. Packlink will automatically charge these additional costs through the same payment method used to purchase the service.
What should you do if your package is held at customs?
If your package is held at Customs due to the new Windsor Framework regulations or because the customs authorities detect that it is a B2B shipment, you must contact the transport company directly to manage the incident and provide all the necessary documentation for proper clearance.
If the tracking of your shipment shows an Incident or Missing Documentation status, please contact the Packlink Customer Service team. To do this, go to the support page, select the Contact Support option and then choose the Delivery category.
Our agents will be available to assist you during the process, but it will be the carrier's support team that will guide you on the best way to proceed to resolve your case.
For further information, consult the UK government's guide to moving parcels to Northern Ireland.