At some point in your life you'll probably find yourself posting to Ireland, either to family members or an avid eBayer, so it's good to be clued up on the basics. Of course, the Republic of Ireland is classed as an international destination by couriers and each European country has its own individual laws. However, you'll be happy to know that sending something to Ireland isn't too much of a hassle.
Whether you're sending your great grandmother a birthday gift or simply posting something to a lucky bidder, you'll need to be aware of what sending a parcel to Ireland involves. Here's a short guide that will help enlighten you.
Packaging and addressing
Posting within the EU means you don't need any customs forms, which makes the process a whole lot easier. All you really need to worry about is making sure the address is laid out correctly. The first line should contain the name of the person or business you're sending your item to. Then the second line should have the number or name of the house or building followed by the road name. Lastly, you should write REPUBLIC OF IRELAND in capital letters as the final address line.
Currently, there is no postcode system in Ireland, so you will not require a postcode unless you are sending something to Dublin. In which case, you'll need to write it as the third line of the address in capital letters. For example, you might put 'DUBLIN 1'. Not having a postcode system can be troublesome for Ireland, as at the moment over 30 per cent of addresses aren't unique. However, a system will be implemented come 2015.
Restricted and prohibited items
There are a number of items that you cannot send at all to Ireland, but most of these won't surprise you. You must not send any live animals or pharmaceutical products, for example. Some of the prohibited items are rather strange though, as you can't send any dairy goods or edible products which originally came from an animal.
The list of restricted goods is even longer and these will usually require a permit or licence to send. Make sure not to post any tobacco products, video recordings, lottery tickets or books by courier without checking first that it's okay to do so. Some items will just need packaging in a specific way. If you're sending alcohol, for example, you'll need to include an inventory which details the alcohol strength and value of each individual bottle. Plus, the inventory must state how many bottles there are and how large they are.
As long as you do your research beforehand, sending a parcel to Ireland is a pretty simple process. Hopefully, the process will get even easier once a new postcode system is implemented.
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Sending parcels to Ireland