Importing Japanese Knives into the EU

Importing a Japanese knife into the EU is legal and, on the duty side, cheap, because the EU-Japan trade agreement removes customs duty on Japanese-made goods. What changed in 2026 is the treatment of low-value parcels: the EU ended its duty-free threshold for small imports on 1 July 2026 and brought in a flat €3 charge. This guide covers the current picture. Rates and rules vary by member state and change over time, so confirm with your national customs authority and the European Commission’s customs pages before ordering.

Is it legal?

Yes. A plain fixed-blade kitchen knife is not a restricted import anywhere in the EU. There is no EU-wide knife law: possession and carry are governed by each member state. A few countries restrict specific knife types such as automatic knives, butterfly knives, or blades over a certain length for carrying in public, but none of that stops you importing or owning a santoku, gyuto, nakiri, or petty for your kitchen.

A few examples of national rules, which apply to carrying a knife in public and not to owning one at home or importing it:

• Germany restricts carrying fixed blades over 12cm and any one-handed folding knife in public, with exceptions for a justified need such as transport straight home from a shop.
• Austria allows most knives to be owned and carried by adults, but bans automatic and some disguised knives.
• Several countries set an age limit, usually 18, for buying a knife.

None of this stops you buying a santoku or a gyuto and using it in your kitchen. If you plan to carry a knife anywhere other than home, check your country’s rules first.

Customs duty: normally zero, plus a €3 charge

The EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement has been in force since 1 February 2019. Under it, goods that qualify as Japanese in origin, including kitchen knives, generally enter the EU at zero per cent customs duty, provided the shipment carries a statement of origin. Any established Japanese retailer supplies this.

Separately, the EU removed the €150 customs duty relief for low-value imports on 1 July 2026. As an interim measure until mid-2028, a flat customs duty of €3 per item applies to distance sales of goods brought in from outside the EU with a value of €150 or less. This is charged per item, not per parcel, so two knives in one box means €6.

Import VAT

VAT is the larger charge, and it is set by each member state. Rates run from around 17 per cent in Luxembourg to 27 per cent in Hungary, with 19 to 21 per cent common.

• €150 or less: the seller, if registered for the Import One-Stop Shop (IOSS), charges your country’s VAT at checkout and the parcel clears without further payment.
• Over €150: import VAT is charged on arrival, calculated on the price plus shipping, and collected by the carrier with their fee.

Where IOSS is not used, the €3 customs duty is itself included in the amount VAT is calculated on.

The carrier handling fee

As elsewhere, when there is duty or VAT to collect on arrival, the courier pays it to customs for you and charges a fee for clearance and collection, typically €10 to €20 depending on the carrier and country.

The carrier can hold the parcel

If there is anything to pay on arrival, the courier will not deliver until you have paid. You usually get an email or a text with a link to settle the charges online, after which the parcel is released, though this can add a day or two. If you ignore it, the parcel is eventually returned to the sender and you may lose the outbound shipping. Prepaid delivered-duty options at checkout avoid this entirely.

Buying from an EU-based retailer

Several specialist Japanese knife retailers are based inside the EU, in Germany, Slovenia, the Netherlands, and elsewhere, and many stock the same knives you would order from Japan. Buying from one is a purchase within the single market: no import process, no €3 charge, no carrier clearance fee, and VAT already included in the shelf price. It also makes returns and warranty claims far easier, since you are not shipping a knife back to Japan. For most buyers this is the simpler route, and once you add VAT and fees to a direct-from-Japan order the totals are often close.

Before you order

• Does the retailer ship to your country, and will they declare the shipment as Japanese origin?
• Is there a delivered-duty-paid or IOSS option so VAT and the €3 are handled at checkout?
• If not, what will the carrier’s clearance fee be, and how is it paid?
• Have you checked your own country’s import VAT rate and any national rules that matter to you?

A worked example

A knife priced at €140 with €18 shipping from a shop in Japan, to a country with 21 per cent VAT:

• Customs duty: €3 (the flat low-value charge, since the knife is under €150)
• Import VAT: 21 per cent of about €161 = roughly €34
• Carrier handling fee: about €15
• Total landed cost: roughly €192

The same knife from an EU retailer might be €165 to €175 delivered, with nothing to pay on arrival.

Frequently asked questions

The short version

A Japanese-made knife imported into the EU pays no real customs duty under the EU-Japan trade deal, but since July 2026 a flat €3 applies to parcels worth €150 or less, and import VAT at your country’s rate always applies, plus a carrier fee. Buying from an EU-based Japanese knife retailer avoids all of that. Confirm current rules with your national customs authority, and see our main guide to importing Japanese knives for the wider picture.