RECEIVING MAIL & PACKAGES FROM ABROAD
customs & import taxes
If you can avoid it, we recommend that you don't order (or receive from a loved one) anything of value from outside of Europe during your semester abroad. Ordering from outside of the EU means that customs will add on a hefty tax. These charges can be quite high (often more than the value of the goods themselves) and must be paid by the receiver (you) before final delivery is made.
If your package is stuck in Customs, THE ONSITE STAFF CANNOT HELP YOU GET IT! Doing so requires a Spanish ID number (called DNI or NIE) and due to data protection rules, our onsite staff is not legally able to vouch for the package on your behalf.
If your package gets stuck in customs and you need a NIE/DNI (Spanish ID number to get it out), and you are in Spain on a student visa, you can check your visa in your passport to see if there is a NIE number listed that you can use.
The process of getting a package out of customs is long and complicated and REQUIRES A SPANISH ID as well as lots of time and energy. Packages sent through FedEx and DHL also are subject to these taxes but the process can be a bit easier. This is why we recommend using private mail services rather than normal post (and not having anything of value mailed). If you must send items of value, send via Fed Ex as it has a better delivery rate through customs.
If you need items of value (camera, phone, laptop) we strongly urge you to buy the item locally or have someone who is visiting you bring it with them. Do not mail these items. Tell senders to be extremely careful in how they complete the customs declaration form for your packages. We suggest that the sender provide a complete description of the package contents and, in most cases, the words “UNSOLICITED GIFT.”
Is your package stuck in Customs?
If this happens with your package, you might receive a burofax (the Spanish equivalent of a special registered letter) with a letter telling you to fill out documentation or risk having your package destroyed. In these cases, you can get in contact with Customs and ask to speak with an agent in English. Please mind that these calls take time, so don't call if you're in a hurry. Have in hand:
Charged phone
Something to take notes if needed
Your package's shipping number (you'll find it in the aforementioned letter).
Once you call, you'll reach an automated menu (in Spanish) you'll have to navigate to be able to speak with an agent.
Call number: +34 915 19 71 97.
You'll hear a message regarding how they treat your data. You can listen to it or interrupt it anytime by pressing *.
The next step asks if you have a contract. Since you don't have one, press 2.
Afterwards, press 1 because your inquiry is about packages already sent.
Lastly, it asks if you are the sender or the recipient (destinatario). You are the recipient, so press 2.
Now you'll be asked to input your shipping number. Instead of each letter, you'll have to press *, so for example, if your shipping number is FE797340128US, you'll have to press **797340128**.
You might get an automated message if your package is being returned to the sender. In this case, the call disconnects automatically and you don't need to do anything further.
If your package is still in Customs, you'll hear a message that says you need to provide further documentation. Wait to speak with an agent - they will talk to you in Spanish but you can ask to speak with an agent in English.
WHERE TO SEND MAIL OR PACKAGES?
If staying in a homestay or residence hall, you should have all mail/packages sent to your accommodations. You can find your address in the Housing Letter you received before arriving, and you can also confirm it with your homestay family or residence hall lobby staff.
If staying in an apartment, you may send your mail to the Onsite Office (you can find our address here). Whenever you order something, please address it to your full name AND Barcelona SAE so that the reception center of our office building knows it's for us. Whenever you're expecting a package or letter, it's important that you notify a member of our Onsite Team (you can find all of our contact information here). Once it's arrived, we will send you an email confirming and letting you know that you can come to pick it up.
AMAZON SPAIN
Amazon cannot ship from USA or Australia to Spain without getting stuck in customs, but you can purchase things from Amazon Spain (www.amazon.es) and have it shipped to you here at the office!
RECEIVING DOCUMENTS OR ITEMS OF VALUE
If you need to receive documents such as a credit card, birth certificate, university documents, etc. these should be sent by a service such as UPS or Fedex. We do not encourage you to send packages.
DO NOT SEND via Standard Mail.
You may wish to consider paying for insurance. Items sent by regular post without registration stickers or insurance are not guaranteed by the US or Spanish post. If these items are lost or stolen, they cannot do anything.
PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION
Please note that it is ILLEGAL TO SEND PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE through the mail. Students should bring enough medication with them to last for their entire period of study. If you need to refill a prescription while in Spain, first try a pharmacy as some medications that need a prescription in the US are over the counter in Spain. If you cannot buy it directly, email the Hospital Delfos (delfos@hminternationalbcn.com) to arrange a doctor’s appointment and bring a copy of the prescription you need refilled.
CARE PACKAGES
Are you a parent looking for something to send your student in Spain? Keep in mind that almost anything can be purchased in Spain!
Stores like Taste of America and Taste of Home sell most of the food items that your student might miss from home (think Mac and Cheese, Cheez Its, Pop Tarts, and more). We don't recommend that you send any food to your student via mail, as it almost always gets stuck in customs and is not allowed through.
If your student is staying with a host family, small things that are typical from your area (candy, fridge magnet, postcards, coffee mugs) are really nice gifts.
Do not send any medications!
TRACKING
Make sure that senders have tracking information for all packages sent to Spain in case they get lost. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do to track down a lost package from this end. The sender needs to contact the shipping agent.
SENDING LETTERS FROM SPAIN
If you only need stamps (sellos), go to a nearby estanco (a tobacco store). The price is the same as the post office, and you’ll save yourself the headache of standing in line. Show the person behind the counter what you are mailing (postcard or letter) and the destination country and they'll set you up.
You can then send the card through one of the yellow mailboxes on the street.
Shipping gifts and clothing home is VERY expensive, it is often less expensive to pay to bring home an extra suitcase on the plane.
Correos is the Spanish postal system and it will ship most things but they do not sell supplies. Check online for the nearest office and hours. The cheapest way to send items is via ground transport (i.e. boat) but this can take months and the packages may not arrive in the best of shape.
Mailboxes, etc is the easiest way to handle packing and shipping as they sell the supplies, advise you on costs, and take care of the shipping for you, but may be more expensive than correos.
Correos is the public mail service in Spain. Post offices are most useful when sending packages or for mail that needs special handling, but expect to wait in long lines. Find a post office near you by clicking here.