Portuguese · CTT
Customs charge on a parcel from outside the EU: what to say in Portuguese
A parcel from outside the EU, and at the post office they say you have to pay extra for it.
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How it's done. On parcels from outside the EU, VAT and a customs handling fee may be charged, even if the item is cheap.Prepared by the Movko team, November 2026. This is language help, not legal or medical advice: check the rules with the office itself.
Cheat sheet for your visit
The first phrase is open: tap ▶ to listen, or “Show” to show it to the other person. The rest of the dialogue is in the course in the app.
1
THEY SPEAK FIRST
THEY SAY
Esta encomenda tem taxas alfandegárias.ESH-tuh ayn-koo-MAYN-duh tayn TAH-shuhz uhl-fahn-dih-GAH-ryuhsh.
This parcel has customs charges.
They might also say:
Tem de pagar a alfândega.
Tayn d puh-GAHR uh uhl-FAHN-dih-guh.
You have to pay customs.
YOU REPLY
Porquê? Não comprei nada caro.
Poor-KEH? Now kom-PRAY NAH-duh KAH-roo.
Why? I didn't buy anything expensive.
THEY SAY
É o IVA e a taxa de serviço.Eh oo EE-vuh ee uh TAH-shuh d sir-VEE-soo.
It's the VAT and the handling fee.
2
YOU REPLY
Quanto é?
KWAHN-too eh?
How much is it?
THEY SAY
São doze euros e cinquenta.Sow doz EH-oo-rooz ee seen-KWAYN-tuh.
It's twelve euros fifty.
3
YOU REPLY
Está bem, pago com cartão.
Shtah bayn, PAH-goo kohn kuhr-TOW.
All right, I'll pay by card.
THEY SAY
Aproxime o cartão, por favor.uh-proo-SEEM oo kuhr-TOW poor fuh-VOR.
Please hold your card to the reader.
4
YOU FINISH
Obrigado!
oh-bree-GAH-doo!
Thank you!
Or say:Muito obrigado!
MWEE-too oh-bree-GAH-doo!
The course is in the app
This dialogue is part of the course “Portuguese for life in Portugal”: 416 situations with audio, a pronunciation guide and spaced review.
On the website the first dialogue, the 112 category, the rescue phrases and the “Basics” are fully open.
Words worth knowing
encomenda
ayn-koo-MAYN-duh
noun
parcel
tem
tayn
verb
have
taxas
TAH-shuhz
noun
fees, charges
alfandegárias
uhl-fahn-dih-GAH-ryuhsh
adjective
customs (adjective, plural)
Porquê
Poor-KEH
adverb
why?
Não
Now
adverb
no
26 more words, with explanations, base forms and tap-a-word help, are in the app.
If you did not understand
Pode repetir, por favor?
Pod rih-pih-TEER, poor fuh-VOR?
Can you repeat that, please?
Pode escrever, por favor?
Pod shkrih-VEHR, poor fuh-VOR?
Can you write it down, please?
Similar situations
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