Shipping from China to the United Kingdom
Ocean, air, courier and door-delivery options from China to the United Kingdom.
Destination guide →View route →Destination region
Shipping from China to Europe
Sea freight from South China to Europe takes roughly 30–35 days to North Europe and 28–33 to the Mediterranean when the Suez routing is in force, and 40–48 days when carriers route via the Cape of Good Hope. Air freight is 3–6 days. Because Asia-Europe routings have been unstable, we state the routing a quotation is based on rather than quoting a single number.
Available transport modes, delivery scopes and cargo acceptance for Europe are confirmed by country, city, postcode and shipment details.
Transit by mode
How long does shipping to Europe take?
Planning ranges, not commitments. The routing in force is confirmed with the carrier when the shipment is booked.
| Mode | Typical transit | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| FCL sea freight | 30–35 days North Europe / 28–33 Mediterranean | Via Suez; add about 10 days when carriers route via the Cape |
| LCL sea freight | 38–55 days | Consolidation and devanning add roughly 5–10 days to the FCL figure |
| Air freight | 3–6 days | Airport to airport into FRA, CDG, AMS or LHR |
| Express courier | 2–4 days | Door to door for parcels and samples |
Region facts
What decides the schedule into Europe?
| Gateway ports | Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp, Felixstowe, Le Havre; Genoa, La Spezia, Barcelona, Valencia, Piraeus |
|---|---|
| Gateway airports | FRA, CDG, AMS, LHR |
| Sailing frequency | 3–5 sailings a week to North Europe; 2–3 a week to the Mediterranean |
| Import requirements | EU EORI and an import-of-record arrangement; import VAT is charged at destination and is normally recoverable by a VAT-registered importer |
| Product rules | GPSR responsible person, EUDR for timber and furniture, CE marking for regulated categories |
| Alternative routing | Piraeus plus rail can beat the North Range for central and eastern Europe |
Country-level pages
Confirmed country routes
Available transport modes, delivery scopes and cargo acceptance for Europe are confirmed by country, city, postcode and shipment details.
Last reviewed 2026-09-15. Every country route below is checked against a published source before it goes live.
Every country page below is checked against a published source before it goes live.
Shipping to Netherlands
Duty, importer of record and certification positions for Netherlands, sourced and dated, with the transit ranges we measured on the carrier schedules.
Destination guide →Shipping to Spain
Duty, importer of record and certification positions for Spain, sourced and dated, with the transit ranges we measured on the carrier schedules.
Destination guide →Shipping to Germany
Duty, importer of record and certification positions for Germany, sourced and dated, with the transit ranges we measured on the carrier schedules.
Destination guide →Shipping to France
Duty, importer of record and certification positions for France, sourced and dated, with the transit ranges we measured on the carrier schedules.
Destination guide →Shipping to Italy
Duty, importer of record and certification positions for Italy, sourced and dated, with the transit ranges we measured on the carrier schedules.
Destination guide →Shipping to Poland
Duty, importer of record and certification positions for Poland, sourced and dated, with the transit ranges we measured on the carrier schedules.
Destination guide →Shipping to Ireland
Duty, importer of record and certification positions for Ireland, sourced and dated, with the transit ranges we measured on the carrier schedules.
Destination guide →Shipping to Sweden
Duty, importer of record and certification positions for Sweden, sourced and dated, with the transit ranges we measured on the carrier schedules.
Destination guide →Shipping to Belgium
Duty, importer of record and certification positions for Belgium, sourced and dated, with the transit ranges we measured on the carrier schedules.
Destination guide →Shipping to Austria
Duty, importer of record and certification positions for Austria, sourced and dated, with the transit ranges we measured on the carrier schedules.
Destination guide →Shipping to Czechia
Duty, importer of record and certification positions for Czechia, sourced and dated, with the transit ranges we measured on the carrier schedules.
Destination guide →Shipping to Greece
Duty, importer of record and certification positions for Greece, sourced and dated, with the transit ranges we measured on the carrier schedules.
Destination guide →Shipping to Portugal
Duty, importer of record and certification positions for Portugal, sourced and dated, with the transit ranges we measured on the carrier schedules.
Destination guide →Shipping to Romania
Duty, importer of record and certification positions for Romania, sourced and dated, with the transit ranges we measured on the carrier schedules.
Destination guide →Shipping to Norway
Duty, importer of record and certification positions for Norway, sourced and dated, with the transit ranges we measured on the carrier schedules.
Destination guide →Shipping to Denmark
Duty, importer of record and certification positions for Denmark, sourced and dated, with the transit ranges we measured on the carrier schedules.
Destination guide →Shipping to Finland
Duty, importer of record and certification positions for Finland, sourced and dated, with the transit ranges we measured on the carrier schedules.
Destination guide →Need this country confirmed?
Send the destination city, postcode and cargo details for a shipment-level answer.