What does free circulation mean in Europe?

Goods that enter the customs territory of the EU from a non-EU country are referred to as 'non-community goods’. Before these goods can be marketed within the EU, they need to be released into free circulation. This means that a customs entry should be raised for the goods and a duty and/or VAT should be paid.

Once these conditions have been met, the non-community goods will become 'community goods'. They will get the same status as goods that have been produced, harvested or mined within the EU and can be transported freely throughout the EU.

Very hard
Very easy

Can’t find what you’re looking for?

Contact us through one of these options.

Chat to us

Our virtual assistant is available 24/7 to answer all your questions. If it doesn’t have an answer for you, our team will jump in to help.

Agents are not currently available

Write to us

Simply fill in a quick form with your query and our team will get back to you.

Go to form

Talk to us

If you don’t mind waiting a while, you can call us to speak to one of our team.

See phone numbers