Poland Is Wide Open for UK Retailers - Here Is How to Get In Before July 2026

Poland is the largest e-commerce market in Central Europe, projected to reach 192 billion zloty (around £38 billion) by 2028. It is growing fast, it is underserved by UK brands, and a regulatory change coming in July 2026 is about to make it significantly easier for professional UK retailers to compete there.

That is not a typo. A rule change is about to make things easier for you, not harder. Here is why.

For years, the EU's €150 de minimis exemption allowed ultra-cheap goods (primarily from Chinese marketplaces) to flood into Poland and the rest of Europe without paying customs duties. According to the European Commission, roughly 4.6 billion shipments valued under €150 entered the EU in 2024, with around 91% originating from China. Systematic undervaluation, shipment splitting, and creative invoicing meant these goods dodged the costs that legitimate sellers had to pay.

If you are a UK retailer selling quality products, you have been competing with one hand tied behind your back. That is about to change.

On 11 February 2026, the Council of the European Union gave final legislative approval to abolish the €150 customs duty exemption for low-value imports. From 1 July 2026, every parcel entering the EU will attract customs duties, regardless of value. The initial measure is a flat €3 customs duty per consignment, with full standard duties to follow.

This is the playing field being levelled in your favour. The cheap-import loophole is closing. Quality UK brands that get their setup right will be competing on a genuinely fair basis for the first time since Brexit.

Poland deserves your attention for reasons that go well beyond market size.

Polish consumers are research-driven, brand-loyal, and willing to pay for quality. But they are also famously intolerant of surprise costs. Poland scores 93 out of 100 on Hofstede's Uncertainty Avoidance Index, one of the highest in Europe. Polish shoppers want to know exactly what they are paying at checkout, with zero hidden extras. A parcel that arrives at a Paczkomat with an unexpected VAT charge is not just a bad experience. It is a permanent loss of that customer.

This is actually good news for UK sellers who do things properly. If you can offer transparent, all-inclusive pricing at checkout, you immediately stand out from competitors who leave their customers to deal with surprise charges on delivery. Polish consumers reward reliability and punish ambiguity. That is a dynamic that favours well-prepared businesses.

The opportunity is real, it is large, and it is available right now. The question is how to capture it cleanly.

The Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) is an EU VAT scheme introduced in July 2021, and it is the single most important tool for UK retailers selling into Poland and the wider EU. Think of it as your all-access pass to frictionless cross-border commerce.

Here is what IOSS does for you in practice. You charge the correct local VAT rate at checkout (23% for Poland, varying rates for other EU countries). The customer pays one clear price, VAT included, at the point of sale. When the parcel arrives at the EU border, customs recognises your IOSS number and releases the goods immediately. No additional charges for the customer. No carrier surcharges. No friction.

Without IOSS, your customer gets charged import VAT at the point of delivery. They have to pay the carrier or postal service before they can collect their parcel. In Poland, that is a conversion killer.

With IOSS, you get a single VAT registration that covers all 27 EU member states. One monthly return, one process, full coverage. You do not need to register for VAT individually in every country you sell into (which would be expensive, complex, and impractical for most SMEs).

With the de minimis exemption ending, every parcel entering the EU will face customs scrutiny. Having an IOSS number means your shipments clear customs smoothly while competitors without IOSS see their parcels delayed and their customers frustrated. This is a genuine competitive advantage.

Here is the detail that unlocks everything. Since Brexit, the UK is a non-EU country, and non-EU businesses cannot register for IOSS directly (unless their country has a mutual assistance agreement with the EU, which the UK does not have).

This sounds like a barrier, but it is really just a setup step. UK sellers need an IOSS intermediary: an EU-established entity that handles the registration, files monthly returns, calculates and remits VAT to each member state, and maintains transaction records for ten years. The intermediary assumes joint liability for any unpaid VAT, which is why you want a partner you trust.

Once your intermediary is in place, you have full access to IOSS. Your checkout charges the right VAT, your parcels clear customs without friction, and your Polish customers get exactly the transparent buying experience they expect.

This is where glpd comes in.

glpd is a cross-border commerce consultancy based in Poland, specialising in helping UK businesses sell into the Polish and EU markets. As an EU-established entity, glpd can act as your IOSS intermediary. That means we handle the registration, the monthly returns, the VAT calculations, the compliance reporting, and the record-keeping. You focus on selling.

But IOSS registration is just the starting point. Selling successfully into Poland requires more than VAT compliance. It requires understanding how Polish consumers shop, how they pay, and what they expect from delivery and customer service.

glpd provides end-to-end support for Polish market entry. Payment integration with the methods Polish shoppers actually use. Logistics setup that works with local delivery networks. Native localisation so your store feels Polish, not translated. And ongoing compliance management so you never have to think about filing deadlines or rate changes.

We understand both sides of the Channel because we operate on both. Our job is to make Poland feel as simple to sell into as your domestic market.

You do not need to become an expert in EU customs reform to sell into Poland. That is our job. But for transparency, here is what is happening and what glpd manages on your behalf.

The de minimis abolition. From 1 July 2026, every shipment entering the EU incurs customs duties. The interim measure is a flat €3 per consignment. Full standard duties will follow. glpd keeps you ahead of each phase so you are never caught off guard.

Customs data requirements. EU customs authorities now demand accurate Harmonised System codes, country of origin declarations, proper product descriptions, and valid EORI numbers. Vague or incomplete data triggers delays, rejections, or penalties. glpd ensures your product data meets the standard before your first shipment.

Pricing and Incoterms. For the Polish market, shipping DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) with VAT included at checkout is strongly recommended. Under DAP (Delivered at Place), your customer gets hit with unexpected charges on delivery. glpd helps you structure your pricing so your Polish customers see one clear, final price at checkout, with nothing extra on arrival.

Checkout configuration. Your store needs to display prices inclusive of VAT for EU customers, charge the correct local rate for each country, and communicate clearly that there are no additional charges on delivery. glpd integrates this into your existing platform.

Monthly IOSS returns. Every month, VAT collected across all EU member states needs to be reported and remitted through a single return. glpd files this for you, on time, every month.

The EU is not acting alone. The US removed its $800 de minimis exemption in August 2025. The UK is also moving to eliminate its own £135 customs duty relief for low-value imports, confirmed in the Autumn Budget 2025, with full removal expected by March 2029.

This global convergence means one thing: the era of cheap imports dodging duties is ending everywhere. Sellers who invest in proper compliance infrastructure now are not just solving a short-term problem. They are building the operational foundation that cross-border e-commerce will require permanently.

For UK retailers, this is a structural advantage. You already operate in a market with high standards for product quality, consumer protection, and business legitimacy. The new rules reward exactly those qualities. The sellers who were competing on loopholes are losing their edge. The sellers who compete on quality, trust, and professionalism are gaining theirs.

1st July 2026 is the date. That gives you just over three months - at the time of writing - to get set up. The businesses that move now will have their IOSS registration active, their checkout configured, and their logistics tested before the deadline. They will be selling smoothly into a 192 billion zloty market while their competitors are still figuring out what changed.

The businesses that wait will be scrambling. Customs delays, confused customers, lost sales, and a frantic search for an intermediary when demand for IOSS services spikes in June.

This is not a situation where "wait and see" is a strategy. The regulation is final. The date is set. The only variable is whether you are ready.

glpd makes Polish market entry straightforward. We act as your IOSS intermediary, handle your compliance, set up your payments and logistics, and localise your store for Polish consumers. You get access to the largest e-commerce market in Central Europe without the complexity.

Book a discovery call and we will assess your current setup, map out exactly what you need, and get your IOSS registration underway. Poland is open for business. Let us get you in.