Selling in Europe from a Shopify store: what to check first

Before selling to EU customers from Shopify, work through the seven checks below. They cover VAT, customs if you ship from outside the EU, product safety, returns, the legal guarantee, displayed prices and privacy. The right answers depend on where you are based and where your goods ship from, so start with those two facts.

This is general information as of November 2026, not tax or legal advice. Rules change and national laws vary, so confirm your situation with a tax or legal professional.

Check 1: which VAT situation are you in?

Under the EU’s One Stop Shop rules, the schemes are optional and your situation decides which one is relevant.

The €10,000 threshold excludes VAT, covers the current and preceding calendar year, and applies only to sellers established in one member state. Once you pass it, the general rule applies straight away.

Check 2: is VAT set up in Shopify?

Go to Settings > Taxes and duties, then European Union under Regional settings, and follow Shopify’s EU tax setup. Enter your VAT number for a local, One Stop Shop or micro-business registration. Shopify says OSS is available only with Shopify Tax or Basic Tax, and that Basic Tax in the EU is limited to stores set up to collect there before May 13, 2026. Its EU tax reference covers IOSS.

Check 3: do you ship from outside the EU?

The old duty-free treatment of low-value parcels has ended. Since July 1, 2026, the EU applies a temporary €3 customs duty on low-value goods imported from outside the EU. It is counted per item by tariff classification, not by quantity: five T-shirts owe €3, three T-shirts and a watch owe €6.

• It covers consignments up to €150 sold at a distance, whichever VAT scheme you use.
• The seller or importer declares and pays it, and normal duties are due to replace it from July 1, 2028.
• A separate €2 Union handling fee applies from November 1, 2026.

Ask your carrier how they handle both charges, then decide whether your prices absorb them or checkout adds them. Add HS codes and a country of origin to your products either way. Our guide to selling internationally on Shopify shows where those settings live.

Check 4: do your product pages meet product safety rules?

The General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) has applied since December 13, 2024 to non-food consumer products sold online or in stores. Shopify’s GPSR summary lists what to prepare:

• Identifying elements and manufacturer contact details on labels and on your website.
• An EU Responsible Person if the manufacturer is outside the EU. Shopify does not provide this service.
• Warnings and safety information in the language of each EU country where you sell.
• A way to report accidents to EU authorities and to handle recalls.

In Shopify, legally required warnings go in the Disclosures product metafield. Other details can go in the description or a custom metafield. Some products are also covered by their own EU legislation, so check what applies to yours.

Check 5: does your returns page match EU rights?

Online customers can cancel within 14 days of delivery without giving a reason. Exceptions include made-to-order or clearly personalized goods, rapidly perishable goods and unsealed audio, video or software.

• Return shipping: the customer normally pays, but only if you said so before the sale.
• Refund: within 14 days of cancellation, including standard delivery. You can wait until the goods are back or you have proof they were sent, according to the Commission’s consumer rights factsheet.
• Missing information: if you did not clearly explain the right to cancel, the period is extended to a year.

Our guide to the returns page shows how to lay this out.

Check 6: do you honor the legal guarantee?

EU law gives a minimum 2-year guarantee on faulty goods, starting when the customer receives them. Defects appearing in the first year are presumed to have existed at delivery unless you prove otherwise. Some countries go further. You pay to return a faulty product.

Check 7: prices and privacy

• Total price: customers must be clearly told the total, with all taxes and additional charges. Shopify’s dynamic tax display shows tax-inclusive prices in the EU. See how to handle currencies on Shopify for local pricing.
• Extras: pre-ticked boxes do not count as consent to an additional payment.
• Personal data: the GDPR also covers non-EU businesses offering goods to people in the EU, and those businesses may need a representative there.
• Accessibility: EU accessibility rules cover online shops. Service businesses with fewer than 10 employees and under €2 million in turnover are exempt.

Forgefont builds the store, not the compliance: registrations and legal checks stay with you and your advisers. It creates a Shipping and returns page if you give it your terms, and it never invents delivery times. Once your terms are ready, configure your store with the languages you need.