Sending a parcel to Australia is a customs job with a courier attached, and the order matters. Measure and weigh first, because the route is priced on volumetric weight and a guess at this stage invalidates every quote you collect. Then choose a service, then complete the declaration. The cheapest published figure in this record is 11.10 pounds, the lowest of five services Parcel2Go prices on its Australia page, and Parcelforce publishes an Australia page with the customs detail and no price.
Measure and weigh before you price anything
Take the three outside dimensions of the packed box, not the item, and weigh it packed. Long-haul services charge on the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight, which is the volume divided by the carrier's own divisor, so a large light box is priced as a heavy one. Entering an optimistic guess produces a quote the carrier will correct later, usually with a surcharge attached. Doing this first also tells you whether repacking is worth it, because losing a few centimetres on the longest side often moves the chargeable weight down a whole band.
Choosing a service, and what the published prices tell you
Parcel2Go's Australia page prices five named carrier services and the cheapest of them was 11.10 pounds on the day it was read. Royal Mail publishes no per-country international page, only zones, so there is no Australia row to compare against, and Parcelforce's Australia directory page carries service and customs guidance without a price. The practical consequence is that you cannot shortlist by reading published pages the way you can for a domestic parcel; you collect live quotes for your measured box and compare those.
The customs declaration, which is the part that goes wrong
Every parcel to Australia needs a declaration describing the contents specifically, giving a value and stating whether it is a gift, a sale or personal effects. Vague entries such as goods or samples are the usual cause of a parcel stopping at the border. Australia charges duty and GST on imports above its own threshold, payable by the recipient, with a carrier handling fee on top, so tell whoever is receiving it what to expect. Prohibited and restricted items are stricter than most senders assume, particularly anything organic, including food, seeds, wood and leather.
Packing and proof for a route this long
A parcel to Australia is handled many more times than a domestic one and travels by air and road across several networks. Use a double walled box for anything heavy or fragile, fill the voids so nothing moves, and put a duplicate of the address inside the box in case the outer label is damaged. Keep the tracking reference and the declaration copy until delivery is confirmed. If the contents are worth more than the service's default liability, buy the cover at the point of booking; adding it afterwards is generally not possible.
Questions people ask about how to send a parcel to australia
What do I need to send a parcel to Australia from the UK?
The packed box's three dimensions and its weight, a service booking, and a customs declaration naming the contents specifically with a value and a reason for export. Australia charges duty and GST above its own threshold and the recipient pays them.
How much does a parcel UK to Australia cost?
The only published figure in this record is 11.10 pounds, the cheapest of five services on Parcel2Go's Australia page read on 10 September 2026, for the parcel that page quotes by default.
What must not go in a parcel to Australia?
Australia's biosecurity rules are strict on organic material, including food, seeds, wood, plant matter and some leather goods, alongside the usual dangerous goods restrictions. Check the current prohibited list before booking.
Should I write gift on the customs form to avoid charges?
Only if it genuinely is one. Misdeclaring value or purpose is an offence and the usual result is the parcel being held, with the charges applied anyway.