Frequently Asked Questions
1. Customs, DDP & Importer of Record
All inventory from outside the EU must be shipped Delivered Duty Paid (DDP). This means you handle all shipping costs, import duties, and VAT before the pallet arrives. We act strictly as the delivery point, never as the Importer of Record.
To maintain fast processing and low fees, we cannot manage customs payments at our door. Pallets sent under other Incoterms, where duties remain unpaid, will be refused.
You are. You own the goods and are legally responsible for EU import compliance, your EU EORI number, and ensuring all duties and taxes are settled via your carrier under DDP terms. We act solely as the consignee, meaning the delivery address.
No. We never take ownership of your goods. This keeps our service focused, our rates competitive, and our liability clear.
Upon request, we can perform a brief administrative completeness check to identify obvious missing information. This does not constitute customs advice, customs verification, or validation of the accuracy of the documentation. The Client remains solely responsible for all customs data and compliance. Catching potential issues early helps prevent delays or refusals at the border.
For non-EU inbound shipments (import into the EU):
Place the following in a clear plastic pouch on the side of each pallet or consolidated box:
- Commercial Invoice: Showing your EORI number, HS-codes, goods description, total value, and the Incoterm DDP.
- Packing List: A detailed breakdown of the goods contained within the shipment.
- CMR (Waybill): The transport document listing Kontor of Bruges as the delivery address.
For intra-EU shipments (goods already located within the EU):
Place the following in a clear plastic pouch on the side of each pallet or consolidated box:
- Packing List: A detailed breakdown of the goods contained within the shipment.
- CMR (Waybill): The transport document listing Kontor of Bruges as the delivery address.
2. EORI, VAT & Compliance
If your project involves importing goods into the European Union from outside the EU, you will need an EU EORI number. For intra-EU projects where goods are already located within the EU single market, no import EORI is required. You remain solely responsible for determining and obtaining all required customs registrations for your specific situation.
As the Importer of Record, you handle the import VAT via your DDP shipment. For the VAT on your final customer sales, you remain responsible for your own tax affairs. This does not affect how we process your boxes.
For most corporate distribution projects, no. Since you are distributing goods to your own offices, partners, or recipients rather than making sales in Belgium, you typically do not require Belgian VAT registration. Import VAT is handled at the border through your carrier’s deferment account: they advance the payment and invoice you directly. For specific scenarios, consult your tax advisor.
The Client is solely responsible for ensuring all items comply with EU laws, including packaging, safety standards, and GPSR labeling requirements. As your logistics partner, we do not verify the legal or regulatory compliance of your box contents.
3. Shipping, Packaging & Delivery
For very small volumes, direct shipping can seem cheaper on paper. But that price is rarely the full picture. International DDP parcels from outside the EU carry unpredictable surcharges that can spike dramatically during geopolitical events or carrier rate revisions.
During the 2026 Iran crisis, the 2024 Red Sea disruptions, and annual peak season adjustments, we’ve seen international surcharges jump up to 80-100% within a single month.
This isn’t an exception—it’s the reality of international shipping. Carrier surcharges are designed to be volatile, protecting carrier margins at your expense. Our consolidated model insulates you from these volatile swings. By injecting your boxes directly into the EU delivery network from our Belgian hub, you pay stable, local shipping rates. For established brands shipping regularly to the EU, the predictable cost and the superior, surprise-free experience for your customers outweighs any marginal price difference.
With us, your cost per box is fixed. The only variable is the inbound shipment you send to our hub. Everything after that is predictable.
Contact a freight forwarder or your supplier with the brief below. The exact wording depends on where your goods are located before shipment.
For non-EU inbound shipments (import into the EU):
I want to ship [number] pallets to Belgium under DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) Incoterms.
I will act as the Importer of Record. My EU EORI number is [your number].
The delivery address is:
[Your Company Name]
c/o Kontor of Bruges
Lekestraat 6B
8433 Schore
Belgium
For intra-EU shipments (goods already located within the EU):
I want to ship [number] pallets to Belgium.
The delivery address is:
[Your Company Name]
c/o Kontor of Bruges
Lekestraat 6B
8433 Schore
Belgium
For multi-supplier campaigns:
If your campaign involves multiple suppliers shipping from different EU countries, provide each supplier with the same delivery address and coordinate the inbound schedule with our operations team. We will consolidate the flows into a single project timeline.
We do not book transport, but we provide a Shipping Brief with all technical details (Incoterms, delivery hours, documentation) for your carrier.
No. Every box needs its own unique shipping label. Taped-together or bundled packages are unstable for automated carrier sorting belts and will be subject to manual handling surcharges or network refusal.
Round, unstable, or loosely wrapped packages cannot be sorted automatically. Carriers charge a manual handling fee for every package requiring human intervention. Use sturdy, stackable, rectangular boxes.
Once your parcels are handed over to our carrier network, they are delivered through established intra-EU routing with full tracking. Final delivery times depend on the destination zone and carrier service tier.
Upon request, we can provide a shipment overview containing all relevant tracking numbers so your team can monitor deliveries and handle customer service queries.
We ship to all mainland EU destinations, divided into 5 zones based on local carrier rates:
Zone A: Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France
Zone B: Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia
Zone C: Hungary, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Portugal, Ireland
Zone D: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Croatia, Romania
Zone E: Finland, Bulgaria, Greece
Note: We currently do not ship to Cyprus, Malta, and the United Kingdom.
We accept boxes from businesses worldwide, subject to applicable laws and trade sanctions. Whether you ship from the US, the UK, Vietnam, or beyond, our relay model is built for any brand outside the EU. However, we are unable to process shipments from or involving countries, entities, or individuals subject to EU and UN sanctions. Contact us to discuss your route and we’ll help you get set up.
4. Assembly, Data & Processing
Our standard minimum volume is 250 units per project distribution campaign. Smaller, specialized project runs are reviewed on a case-by-case basis depending on complexity and capacity.
Our standard handling fee includes the sorting and placement of up to 2 items per box. For multi-item campaigns containing additional variations, an extra handling fee of +€0.50 per extra item applies to cover the operational layout and placement time.
Yes. If your campaign requires placing custom internal cardboard dividers, formatting grid layers, or executing specific presentation layouts to keep premium items secured, we offer a Custom Inlay & Premium Handling add-on at +€1.50 per box.
Yes. For campaigns requiring a high-end touch, we offer personalized matching at +€2.00 per parcel. We physically match custom printed inserts, named letters, or personalized notes to the exact, corresponding shipping label of the recipient.
Projects are handled on a white-label basis. Kontor of Bruges branding does not appear on parcels or packaging materials supplied by us, ensuring the shipment appears to come directly from your brand.
Use the Standard Shipping Template we provide. Export your customer data from your webshop as CSV or Excel and email it to us once your stock is in transit.
Our system validates all recipient addresses in bulk before we generate labels. If a street name, house number, or postcode is missing or incorrectly formatted, we send you an Error List so you can correct those entries. We then process all remaining boxes. This bulk validation helps prevent failed deliveries and the associated return costs. To keep handling fees low, we do not manually correct addresses as standard.
If you send incorrect data, you will need to correct it yourself. The processing of your shipment will be delayed until the data is correct. If the shipment remains in our holding area for more than 5 business days due to delayed data, standard holding fees (€5 per day) will apply.
If a box requires a new shipping label due to an address error or customer correction after processing has begun, this is treated as relabelling. The standard handling fee for that chargeable weight class applies again.
Your handling fee is based on the total weight of your sealed, shipping-ready box. This includes the carton, any internal packaging, and all contents. During onboarding, you tell us the average weight per parcel type, and we use that for invoicing. This ensures complete transparency from day one.
We use chargeable weight, which is the greater of actual weight (kg) or volumetric weight. Volumetric weight is calculated as (L × W × H in cm) ÷ 4,000. This is the same method used within the carrier network. For example, a box measuring 50 × 40 × 30 cm has a volumetric weight of 15 kg, even if it only weighs 5 kg on a scale. Your handling fee and shipping rate are based on this chargeable weight.
5. Pricing, Payment & Onboarding
We charge a one-time Account Setup Fee of €125, which covers custom data mapping, a pre-check of your shipping data formats for operational compatibility and carrier processing, and profile setup in our carrier networks. This prepares your account for a smooth start from the first shipment.
Once your stock arrives and your address data is verified, we send an invoice for handling and shipping. Prepaid invoices must be paid within 24 hours. Other invoices (holding fee, address corrections, returns, etc.) are payable within 14 days. We start processing and dispatch your boxes after your payment is confirmed.
It covers the full assembly and processing of your project campaign. This includes: box assembly, product placement inside the parcel (up to 2 distinct items), sealing, validating recipient addresses, generating and applying the correct EU shipping labels, preparing the shipment for carrier handover, and handing the boxes over to our carrier network.
For the pallet-level intake and project administration fees, see our Pricing Page. Assembly occurs directly from inbound shipments in a single operational run. We do not pick items from stored inventory or operate as a traditional fulfillment center.
Yes. For time-critical shipments, priority processing targeted within 24 operational hours of inbound delivery is available. This service incurs an express surcharge of +25% on the total assembly & handling fees (with a minimum charge of €150). This service is strictly subject to prior capacity verification and written agreement before your inventory is dispatched to our hub.
Volume pricing is already reflected in the Assembly & Handling table on our Pricing Page.
6. Returns, Insurance & Liability
We handle carrier returns (e.g., undeliverable addresses, failed delivery attempts), not commercial returns from dissatisfied customers. Returned boxes are kept unopened in our holding area for up to 10 business days. A processing fee of €5.00 applies per returned box, and carrier return charges are passed through at cost. We can hold the box, re-ship it, or dispose of it, based on your instructions. After 10 business days, if no instructions are received, unclaimed parcels will be disposed of at your expense.
We notify you when a parcel is returned to our hub. You can instruct us to hold it, relabel it for a new address (relabelling fee: standard handling fee applies again), or dispose of it. Carrier return fees and any carrier address correction fees (€15 per occurrence) are passed through directly. Unclaimed parcels are held for 10 business days, after which they are disposed of at your expense.
Our responsibility starts once a shipment is officially signed for at our hub and ends once the carrier scans and accepts the boxes. In the event of proven negligence during assembly or handling, our liability is strictly limited to the lowest of the following options:
(i) the total fees actually paid by the Client to Kontor of Bruges for that specific project campaign;
(ii) €10 per kg chargeable weight of the affected goods; or
(iii) an absolute maximum liability cap of €10,000 (ten thousand euros) per project campaign.
For higher-value goods, you should maintain your own transit or marine insurance.
Since we operate a project-based model without long-term storage, your goods should be covered by your own transit insurance from pickup until final delivery. Our liability is limited to professional handling and assembly while the goods are in our care.
7. Prohibited & Restricted Items
To comply with Belgian and EU regulations, we never accept:
Excise goods: All alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, coffee, tea, and tobacco products (including e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches).
Hazardous materials (ADR): Flammable liquids (e.g., perfumes with high alcohol content, nail polish), explosives, corrosives, and loose lithium batteries.
Perishable goods: Any items requiring temperature-controlled storage.
Illegal substances and narcotics: Including CBD products exceeding EU legal THC limits.
Prescription medicines.
These product categories are classified as Restricted & Subject to Review based on their origin.
For intra-EU campaigns (goods already located within the EU single market), we accept non-perishable dry foods, cosmetics, and supplements provided the client gives explicit written confirmation of full EU compliance prior to project intake.
For international shipments originating from outside the European Union, we do not accept any dry foods, vitamins, or dietary supplements due to mandatory border control, health certificate requirements, and food safety inspection regulations. Any non-EU cosmetics must be fully registered within the EU portal prior to arrival.
The client carries sole legal and financial responsibility for any enforcement actions resulting from non-compliant inventory.
Our standard rates cover mainland EU destinations. Deliveries to islands (for example, Corsica, Canary Islands, Madeira) or remote areas as defined by the carrier may incur an additional surcharge. We check every address list upon arrival; if any addresses are flagged as remote by the carrier, we will inform you of the extra cost before processing.