An Post has announced UK Direct for Irish businesses selling to customers in Britain, combining pre-cleared UK customs with tracked delivery by Royal Mail within three days. The service also includes integrated returns, according to RTÉ.
At a glance
- What changes
- UK customs clearance, delivery and returns
- Who it affects
- Irish businesses selling to Britain
- Delivery
- Fully tracked, within three days
- What to do
- Register with An Post
On this page
How UK Direct works
UK Direct is an e-commerce parcel service from An Post with Royal Mail. It offers pre-cleared UK customs processing and delivery to the UK via Dublin Port, according to Parcel and Postal Technology International.
An Post says UK customers buying from Irish companies can expect fully tracked delivery by Royal Mail within three days, according to The Irish Times.
Registering for the service
Irish firms must register with An Post to use UK Direct, according to Business Plus.
If you sell online, start with registration. For help planning parcels to Britain, read the UK customs guide. You can also compare delivery prices on the UK route page.
Post-Brexit barriers for Irish sellers
An Post says the delivery and returns service is designed to overcome post-Brexit trade barriers with the UK market.
A 2024 survey by the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland found that 34% of Irish SMEs had reduced or stopped selling to customers in Britain, according to RTÉ.
| Change in selling | Share of Irish SMEs |
|---|---|
| Reduced | 26% |
| Stopped | 8% |
| Reduced or stopped | 34% |
Returns and the reverse route
UK Direct includes an integrated returns service for the e-commerce parcels it handles.
RTÉ reports that work is under way on a similar system for products sold from Britain into the Irish market.
Questions
How long does An Post UK Direct take?
An Post says UK customers buying from Irish companies can expect fully tracked delivery by Royal Mail within three days. UK Direct offers delivery to the UK via Dublin Port.
Who can use An Post UK Direct?
UK Direct is for Irish businesses selling to customers in Britain. Firms must register with An Post to use it.
Does An Post UK Direct include customs and returns?
Yes. UK Direct includes pre-cleared UK customs processing, tracking and an integrated returns service.
Sources
- Business Plus: An Post launches three-day UK delivery service for Irish SMEs, read 12 March 2026
- The Irish Times: An Post launches UK service to bypass ‘post-Brexit trade barriers’, read 12 March 2026
- RTÉ: New service to assist SMEs with post-Brexit challenges, read 12 March 2026
- Parcel and Postal Technology International: An Post launches UK Direct parcel service for Irish SMEs shipping to the UK, read 12 March 2026
Spotted an error? Email hello@postcompare.ie and we will correct it.
PostCompare news desk
PostCompare compares courier prices for parcels sent from Ireland. Every post links the pages its facts come from and, where a route is involved, shows our own prices beside it. How we choose and check stories
