An EU 3PL, or third-party logistics provider, stores your inventory and handles order picking, packing, and dispatch from a warehouse based in the European Union. Alongside fulfilment, an EU 3PL typically manages VAT, IOSS registration, and customs requirements for shipping within and into the EU, so you're not handling that separately.

Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands are common hubs, chosen for central access to major EU consumer markets and strong road and rail links across the continent. Where your fulfilment centre sits affects delivery speed to your customers, so it's worth checking a provider's actual warehouse locations rather than assuming EU-wide means EU-fast.

It depends on your sales volume and which countries you're shipping into, since EU VAT rules and thresholds vary by member state. A fulfilment partner with EU experience can advise on this directly, and many handle VAT and IOSS registration as part of their service.

UK brands shipping into the EU now face customs declarations and duty considerations that didn't exist before Brexit. Using an EU-based fulfilment partner removes most of this friction, since orders ship from within the EU rather than crossing the UK-EU border for every purchase.

The right fit depends on which EU countries you're shipping to most, your order volume, and your product type, not just which provider has the widest warehouse network. Share your requirements with fulfilment.com and we'll match you with EU 3PL partners suited to your specific business, rather than a generic shortlist.

Many EU 3PLs run local returns hubs across different territories rather than routing every return back to one central warehouse. This gets returned stock back into circulation faster and avoids the cost of shipping single items across borders, so it's worth asking a provider directly how their returns network is set up.

Most EU 3PLs focus on member-state coverage, so shipping to Switzerland, Norway, or the UK from an EU warehouse usually means the same customs and duty process as any other non-EU destination. If these markets matter to your business, ask a provider directly whether they handle this or whether you'd need a separate arrangement.

A well-managed switch involves transferring or rebalancing stock across the new provider's warehouses without a gap in order fulfilment, though timing depends on your order volume and how many EU countries you're shipping into. Providers experienced with switches will usually plan a transition period rather than a hard cutover date.

A UK 3PL, or third-party logistics provider, stores your inventory and handles order picking, packing, and dispatch on your behalf from a UK-based warehouse. Alongside the core fulfilment work, a UK 3PL also manages the customs, VAT, and trading regulations that come with operating and shipping domestically and into the EU, so you're not left navigating that alone.

UK 3PLs tend to cluster around major transport hubs, particularly the Midlands, given its central position and motorway access to the rest of the country. Warehouse location affects delivery speed to your customers, so it's worth checking where a provider is actually based rather than assuming UK-wide coverage.