Importing Vitamins into the Netherlands: A Practical Guide

The simplest way to import vitamins into the Netherlands is not to import them at all. A supplement that is assembled in the Netherlands and shipped within the country has no customs declaration, no import duty and no surprise invoice at the door. If you do order from abroad, the route matters: a parcel from another EU country is straightforward, while a parcel from outside the EU can bring duty, VAT and handling costs. This guide covers both routes, for private buyers and for small businesses, and ends with a checklist you can use before you order.

TL;DR

• Orders from another EU country need no customs declaration or import duty. Dutch VAT usually applies.
• Orders from outside the EU are declared to Customs. Expect VAT, often import duty, and from 2026 a fixed per-category charge that the seller may pass on.
• Medicines are treated differently from supplements. Do not order medicines online from abroad.
• Businesses that import supplements register with the NVWA through MijnNVWA, and non-EU importers also need an EORI number.
• Vivetus supplements are assembled in the Netherlands, so ordering from us involves no import step. Shipping is free on orders over €50.

Table of Contents

• Why people import vitamins in the first place
• Route 1: ordering from another EU country
• Route 2: ordering from outside the EU
• Supplements and medicines are not the same at the border
• Bringing bottles in a suitcase
• If you plan to resell: the practical steps
• What to check on any imported bottle
• A comparison of the three routes
• Perspective
• Order from the Netherlands instead
• Using what you buy safely
• FAQ
• Sources

Why people import vitamins in the first place

Most people who search for this have one of three situations.

1. A private buyer has found a product on a foreign website, often a specific form of a compound that is hard to find in local shops, and wants to know what happens at the border.
2. A traveller wants to bring bottles home in a suitcase.
3. A small business wants to resell vitamins and needs to understand the steps, the paperwork and the taxes.

The route is different for each. The sections below take them in turn.

Route 1: ordering from another EU country

When a parcel travels between EU member states, nothing is declared at the border. KVK, the Dutch Chamber of Commerce, states that imports of food supplements from another EU member state require no import duties or import declaration. For a private buyer, that means the price you see at checkout is usually close to the price you pay, with VAT charged by the seller.

For a business, the VAT treatment is more detailed. According to the same KVK page, the supplier usually charges 0% VAT if you give your VAT identification number. You then add Dutch VAT of 9% to your own VAT return, and you can usually deduct it as input tax in that same return.

Where this route goes wrong

• Delivery times. A parcel from southern or eastern Europe can take a week or more, and a wrong address detail can hold it at a depot.
• Language on the label. A bottle labelled only in another language is hard to read for dose and storage. Check that the label is readable to you before you order.
• Different dose per serving. The same compound is sold in very different amounts per capsule across countries. Compare milligrams per serving, not the number on the front of the tub.
• Return costs. Sending a bottle back across a border is rarely worth the postage.

Route 2: ordering from outside the EU

This is where the costs appear. Dutch Customs explains that when a private person orders from a web shop outside the EU, extra costs such as VAT, import duty and excise may follow on top of the item price, shipping and insurance.

Two recent changes are worth knowing, because they affect small orders most:

• Since 1 July 2026, the company that files the customs declaration pays €3 import duty per product category for shipments up to €150.
• Since 1 November 2026, a European handling fee of €2 per product category is added, and it also applies to shipments above €150.

VAT is calculated on both amounts. The web shop may pass these costs on to you, and you do not pay them directly to Customs. The Customs page is the place to check the current figures, because these amounts can be revised.

What a business importer pays

For commercial imports, KVK states that supplements from outside the EU must be declared to Customs and need an EORI number. It also gives the duty rates by commodity code: supplements under codes starting with 21069092 carry 12.8% import duty, and those under codes starting with 21069098 carry 9%. Agricultural levies can be added depending on dairy fats and sugars in the product. Dutch VAT on supplements is 9%.

Regular importers can apply for an article 23 permit. It lets them account for VAT in their VAT return instead of paying it at import, which helps cash flow.

A worked example

Take a hypothetical business order of €1,000 of capsules under a code with 9% duty, shipped from outside the EU. The customs value is the goods plus transport and insurance to the EU border, so assume €1,100. Duty at 9% is €99. VAT at 9% is then calculated on the value plus duty, which is €1,199, giving about €107.91. Without a deferral permit you pay roughly €207 at import, and you reclaim the VAT in your return. The figures are illustrative, and your own commodity code decides the actual rate.

Where this route goes wrong

• Long transit and holds. Parcels can wait in a customs depot while paperwork is completed.
• Costs after the fact. A seller that does not collect duty at checkout leaves the carrier to invoice you on delivery.
• Wrong product category. A product described in a vague way on the invoice can be assigned a different code and a different rate.
• Products that count as medicine. See the next section.

Supplements and medicines are not the same at the border

This is the one point where private buyers get caught. Dutch Customs states that you may only bring medicines into the Netherlands for your own use and in the original packaging, and that you may not have medication imported after an online purchase. Customs seizes such parcels unless the proper licences are submitted through Farmatec.

In practice, a product with a strong therapeutic claim on the website, or a high-dose product sold as a treatment, is more likely to be treated as medicine. Take the same care with a travel suitcase: for medication that falls under the Opium Act, Customs asks for an official statement, and a medication passport from a physician or pharmacy can serve as proof of personal use. If you take prescription medicine, speak to your GP or pharmacist before you travel or order.

For ordinary vitamins and plant compounds bought for yourself, the practical advice is simple: keep the original packaging and the receipt, and buy from a seller that states what is in each capsule.

Bringing bottles in a suitcase

Travellers often ask whether they can bring several bottles back. For personal use, a reasonable number of bottles in the original packaging, with the receipt, is normal. Keep the following in mind:

• Pack the original labelled containers, not loose capsules in unmarked bags.
• Keep the receipt or invoice in the same bag.
• Declare anything when you are asked, and be able to say it is for your own use.
• Large quantities look like trade stock, and trade stock follows the business route above.

If you plan to resell: the practical steps

A business that wants to bring in and sell supplements in the Netherlands has a short list of tasks. The NVWA states that businesses producing or trading supplements must register through MijnNVWA, using eHerkenning, or DigiD for sole proprietors. The same page says there is no notification duty for individual supplements, and that you must work with a food safety plan based on HACCP. Unsafe supplements must be reported within 4 hours of discovering or suspecting a problem.

Put in the order you will meet them:

1. Register with the NVWA through MijnNVWA.
2. Get an EORI number if you import from outside the EU, and check which commodity code fits each product.
3. Read the label before you buy stock. The NVWA’s handbook sets out what a supplement label must carry: the nutrient categories, the recommended daily portion, a warning against exceeding it, a statement that supplements do not replace a varied diet, and a warning to keep the product out of reach of young children. The NVWA supplement handbook lists them in full.
4. Keep traceability records for every batch you receive and sell. KVK names traceability as part of what importers keep in order.
5. Plan the VAT before the first shipment, using the figures above.

If building this yourself sounds like more than you need, a Dutch-assembled product removes steps 2 and 5 for private buyers entirely.

What to check on any imported bottle

Whether the vitamins come from Belgium or from Asia, the same short check applies before you buy.

Our own guides go deeper on three of these: how to read a supplement label, how to confirm a batch certificate in 60 seconds and what expiry dates mean. For the shipping side, we have also written a checklist for international shipping of supplements.

A comparison of the three routes

Perspective

We assemble our supplements in the Netherlands, and that shapes how we think about this question. Most of the trouble in importing vitamins comes after the order: a parcel held at a depot, a duty invoice at the door, a label that cannot be read, a dose that differs from what you expected.

Our range is built around ingredients with clinical backing for healthy aging: NMN as capsules and powder, resveratrol, fisetin, quercetin, pterostilbene, apigenin, TMG and berberine. All of them are vegan, and they are tested for purity and certified. We publish the formulation openly, because a buyer who compares milligrams per serving makes a better choice than one who compares marketing.

For buyers across Europe we offer multi-language customer support and international shipping, with free shipping on orders over €50. If you take a product every day, a subscription means it arrives without a new order each month.

Jord

Order from the Netherlands instead

If you wanted to import vitamins mainly to get NMN, resveratrol or another longevity compound, you can skip the import step. Our NMN range includes 60 x 250 mg capsules, 60 x 500 mg capsules and NMN powder. Other lines cover resveratrol, fisetin, quercetin, pterostilbene and apigenin.

They are assembled in the Netherlands and shipped free on orders over €50. You choose a one-time purchase or a subscription. The full list is on vivetus.eu.

Using what you buy safely

Whichever way a bottle reaches you, use it with care:

• Follow the recommended daily portion on the label and do not exceed it.
• Keep supplements out of reach of young children.
• If you are pregnant, take prescription medicine, or have a medical condition, speak to your GP or pharmacist before starting a new supplement. This matters for compounds that affect blood sugar, such as berberine.
• If you buy for an older relative, check their medication list with their GP or pharmacist first.
• Resveratrol has a sensible upper range, and our resveratrol safety guide explains it for Dutch buyers.

FAQ

Can I bring vitamins into the Netherlands in my luggage?

Yes, for your own use. Bring a reasonable quantity in the original labelled packaging and keep the receipt. Medicines follow separate Customs conditions and must be in the original packaging for personal use only. Large quantities are treated as trade stock.

Do I pay duty on vitamins ordered from another EU country?

No import duty and no customs declaration apply within the EU, according to KVK. The seller usually includes VAT in the price. A business with a VAT number follows the 0% supplier rate and adds Dutch VAT in its own return.

What extra costs apply to vitamins ordered from outside the EU?

Expect VAT and, depending on the product code, import duty. Customs also lists a €3 duty per product category for shipments up to €150, and a €2 handling fee per category from 1 November 2026. The web shop may pass these on to you.

Does a business need a licence to import vitamins?

Business.gov.nl states that usually no import licence is needed, with exceptions for medicines and agricultural products. The NVWA does require businesses that trade supplements to register through MijnNVWA. Importers from outside the EU also need an EORI number.

Is it simpler to buy from a Dutch seller?

For most private buyers, yes. There is no customs step, no duty invoice and no cross-border return. You pay one price at checkout and the order travels within the Netherlands.

Sources

• Importing food supplements | KVK
• Extra kosten bij online bestellingen | Douane
• Medicines | Dutch Customs
• Supplementen importeren, produceren of verkopen | NVWA
• Handboek Voedingssupplementen | NVWA

Recommended

• Vitamin selection guide for adults: choose wisely
• International shipping of supplements: rules, risks and checklist
• Essential supplement guide for beginners: start safely in 2026