Sending a package to Malaysia: Customs, SST and delivery time
From Germany to Kuala Lumpur, Penang or Johor: How to properly prepare business shipments
Malaysia is one of Southeast Asia's most important industrial and commercial centers. The country excels in electronics, semiconductors, medical technology, mechanical engineering, and modern manufacturing. At the same time, Malaysia serves as a logistics and distribution hub for many companies serving other markets in Southeast Asia.
- Shipping from Germany to Malaysia
- Parcel, express and freight solutions
- electronic customs documents
- Shipping to Kuala Lumpur and other regions
- SST instead of classic VAT
- Please note the K1 customs declaration
- MyCIEDS for documents
- 10% sales tax on low value goods
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Malaysia relies on digital customs clearance before the goods arrive.
Malaysian customs clearance is highly digitized.
An import declaration can be submitted even before the arrival of the aircraft or ship.
For companies, this means: product description, HS code, invoice, origin and transport information should be available in full as early as possible.
Consider sales tax instead of VAT.
Malaysia currently does not have a traditional VAT or GST. Instead, a sales tax applies to taxable imported goods. Since July 2025, this has generally been 10 percent, unless the goods are subject to a 5 percent rate, a specific tax, or a tax exemption.
Preparing K1 and MyCIEDS
Import declarations are made using Customs Form No. 1, or K1 for short. Supporting documents are provided electronically via the Malaysian Customs Import/Export Document System MyCIEDS.
EU origin does not automatically bring tariff preferences.
The EU and Malaysia are once again negotiating a free trade agreement. However, no such agreement will be in force by 2026. Therefore, German goods currently do not receive preferential tariffs solely on the basis of their EU origin.
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Important information about customs and import duties
DAP or DDP to Malaysia: Who covers the import costs?
Before a business shipment, it should be determined who will organize the import.
For DAP The seller will arrange transport to the agreed destination.
The recipient generally bears the following costs:
- Import clearance
- Import duties may apply.
- Sales tax
- possible excise duties
- Approval and processing costs
For DDP In contrast, the seller assumes further obligations and the agreed import costs.
Therefore, at least the following should be checked before calculating DDP:
- HS code
- Import duty
- Sales tax rate
- possible tax exemption
- Import permits
- Product standards
- local handling charges
For more complex goods, a complete Landed Cost Calculation, instead of letting customs, tax and carrier fees disappear individually somewhere between two Excel spreadsheets.
What is the import duty in Malaysia?
Malaysia does not have a uniform import duty for all goods.
Since 1 November 2025 The Customs Duties Order 2025 forms a central basis of the current customs tariff.
The specific import duty depends on:
- HS code
- Type of goods
- Origin
- existing trade agreements
- possible tax or customs exemptions
Malaysia has numerous free trade agreements, including within the ASEAN region and through other regional agreements.
However, Germany or the European Union is currently not a partner in an existing Malaysia-EU free trade agreement.
Therefore, for goods from Germany, the regular Malaysian customs duty rate for the respective tariff item should always be checked.
The customs value also plays a role.
We explain how the value of goods, freight and insurance can be taken into account below. Calculate customs value correctly.
What is the value-added tax (VAT) rate in Malaysia?
Malaysia currently does not have a traditional VAT or GST.
Instead, the following applies:
Sales and Service Tax (SST).
For imported goods, sales tax is particularly relevant.
Since July 1, 2025 The following generally applies:
10% sales tax on taxable goods
unless the goods in question are:
- It is taxed at 5%
- is subject to a specific tax rate
- is exempt from sales tax
The exact tax therefore depends on the HS code of the goods.
This is particularly important for DDP offers.
A flat rate of 10 percent should not be applied to every product without verification.
No standard VAT
Sales tax: often 10%, sometimes 5%, specifically or tax-exempt.
K1, MyCIEDS and Pre-Arrival Processing: Malaysia's customs is heavily digitalized
For regular goods imports in Malaysia:
Customs Form No. 1, abbreviated K1
.
The customs declaration includes, among other things:
- Product description
- Number of packages
- Weight
- cart value
- HS code
- Country of origin
- Importer data
Additional documents will be provided via:
MyCIEDS
submitted.
MyCIEDS stands for Malaysian Customs Import/Export Document System.
The system is used, among other things, for the electronic transmission of:
- Commercial invoices
- packing lists
- Transport documents
- permits
- Certificates
- further customs documents
Importers, exporters and customs agents use MyCIEDS regardless of whether the goods are transported by air, sea or land.
Malaysia also allows for pre-registration.
For sea freight, the K1 declaration should generally be made at least 24 hours before the ship's arrival.
Air freight generally requires a lead time of at least two hours.
This means Malaysia fits the topic almost perfectly. Paperless trade and digital customs clearance.
Sending a package to Malaysia: What companies should know beforehand
With more than 34 million inhabitants, Malaysia is one of the economically important countries in Southeast Asia.
The country is geographically divided into two large parts:
- the Malay Peninsula with Kuala Lumpur
- East Malaysia on Borneo including Sabah and Sarawak
This geographical division can also play a role in shipping planning.
A shipment to Kuala Lumpur or Selangor may have different transit times and onward transport routes than a delivery to Sabah or Sarawak.
What documents do I need for Malaysia?
For a normal commercial import, the following may be required in particular:
- Commercial invoice
- Packing List
- Bill of Lading or Air Waybill
- Customs Form No. 1
- HS code
- Country of origin
- cart value
- Import permit (if applicable)
- Product certificate (if applicable)
Depending on the payment and trading transaction, additional documents may be required.
Supporting documents are submitted electronically via MyCIEDS.
Companies that regularly export can further standardize such processes.
You can find out more at Automate shipping documents.
Is there a free trade agreement between Malaysia and the EU?
Not yet.
The EU and Malaysia had already started negotiations in 2010.
These were suspended in 2012.
Am 20 January 2025 Both sides announced the resumption of negotiations.
Several new rounds of negotiations have taken place since then.
The fourth round was held in June 2026.
However, for companies, the following is crucial:
The planned free trade agreement will not be in force until 2026.
Therefore, there is currently no general EU customs preference when importing German goods into Malaysia.
Do I need a EUR.1 for Malaysia?
There is currently no applicable EU preferential trade agreement for a normal shipment of goods from Germany to Malaysia.
Therefore, a EUR.1 certificate does not currently lead to a general reduced Malaysian import duty.
Even a classic EU declaration of origin under a bilateral free trade agreement cannot currently be used.
This could change with a future EU-Malaysia free trade agreement.
Until an agreement is actually concluded and put into effect, the currently applicable regular import duties should be expected.
Which goods require an import license?
Malaysia distinguishes between freely importable goods and prohibited or restricted importable products.
Therefore, before shipping, it should be checked whether goods fall under the current Customs Prohibition of Imports Order.
Additional requirements may apply, for example, to certain goods from the following areas:
- Electrical Engineering
- VAT in the Telecommunication Sector
- Vehicles
- agricultural products
- Food products
- medical products
- Chemicals
Import licenses and product approvals should be obtained before departure or shipment.
This is particularly important because Malaysia allows electronic K1 registration even before the goods arrive.
How long does it take for a package to arrive in Malaysia?
DHL Parcel currently states a delivery time estimate of:
8 to 16 working days.
DHL Express Worldwide is significantly faster.
The current transit time table lists the following for key destinations in Malaysia:
2 working days in the main run.
The actual runtime depends on several factors, including:
- Target region
- Customs clearance
- Type of goods
- Import permit
- Transport service
Additional days may be required for Sabah, Sarawak and remote regions.
Which language should I use for the customs declaration?
DHL accepts delivery to Malaysia:
- English
- National language in electronic data collection
For German B2B shipments, English is usually the most sensible option.
A product description should be specific.
Not:
“Electronic Parts”
but for example:
“24 V industrial control module for automated packaging machine”
This makes the product, its performance, and its use much easier to understand.
Correctly write an address in Malaysia
Malaysia uses five-digit postal codes.
An address might look like this, for example:
Example Automation Sdn. Bhd.
No. 66 Jalan Kenari
Taman Kenari
43000 KAJANG, SELANGOR
MALAYSIA
The address should also include the state.
Providing the recipient's phone number and email address will also help with any questions or delivery problems.
Connecting shipping processes with the ERP system
Industrial companies often already have all the necessary product data in their ERP system.
These include, for example:
- Item number
- Weight
- cart value
- Product description
- HS code
- Origin
For regular shipments, such data can be directly incorporated into shipping processes.
SAP users can find further information at SAP shipping interface.
These errors are delaying shipments to Malaysia
Malaysia does have a well-developed customs and logistics infrastructure.
However, this is of little help if the actual shipment data is missing.
Typical problems include:
- incorrect HS code
- Inadequate product description
- Sales tax rate incorrectly assumed
- Import permit not checked
- missing MyCIEDS documents
- K1 data contradicts the commercial invoice
- Country of origin missing
- EU customs preference wrongly assumed
Especially with technical products, it should also be checked whether local certification or approval is required.
Clean and consistent data is therefore the easiest way to reduce customs inquiries.
What goods are imported into Malaysia?
Malaysia has a highly developed industry and is closely integrated into international supply chains.
Particularly strong are, among others:
- Electronics and semiconductors
- Engineering
- Medical Technology
- Aerospace
- Automation
- Energy and environmental technology
Therefore, the following goods may be of particular interest to German companies:
- Production machines
- Machine spare parts
- Measurement and testing technology
- Industrial electronics
- Sensors and control technology
- Medical and laboratory technology
- Pumps and fittings
- Tools
- Computers and IT technology
- Energy and solar technology
Malaysia is also developing further as a regional location for digital infrastructure, semiconductor production and medical technology.
For computers or other high-quality electronics, in addition to customs and packaging, battery and transport requirements should also be checked.
Further information can be found at Securely ship laptops and PCs internationally.
Shipping information: Malaysia
Standard, express or freight to Malaysia.
For less urgent goods, an international parcel service can be used.
DHL Parcel currently states:
8 to 16 working days.
For time-critical spare parts or production components, Express is significantly faster.
DHL Express Worldwide generally specifies the following for key destination areas:
2 working days.
For machinery, pallets or larger quantities of goods, air and sea freight solutions are also an option.
When making a selection, in addition to the transit time, consideration should also be given to whether the carrier supports the necessary customs and document processing.
Kuala Lumpur, Port Klang and Johor connect Malaysia to the world
Malaysia has a very well-developed international logistics infrastructure.
The greater Kuala Lumpur area is particularly important for air freight.
Among the factors involved in sea freight are:
- Port Klang
- Port of Tanjung Pelepas
- Penang
an important role.
Malaysia is located directly on one of the world's most important shipping routes and is therefore also suitable as a regional distribution location.
Shipments to East Malaysia on Borneo may require additional national transport segments.
The destination and transport route should therefore be taken into account when calculating travel time.
What are the import costs in Malaysia?
Several cost components can arise during a delivery of goods.
Depending on the product, this includes:
- Import duty
- Sales tax
- Excise duty (if applicable)
- Approval or inspection costs
- Customs broker fees
- Carrier fees
Since July 2025, a sales tax rate of 10 percent generally applies to taxable goods, unless a different rate or exemption is provided for.
The actual import duty depends on the HS code.
Since there is currently no EU-Malaysia free trade agreement in force, preferential tariffs should not automatically be expected for German goods.
How much does a parcel to Malaysia cost?
The shipping price depends in particular on:
- Weight
- Dimensions
- Volumetric weight
- destination
- Shipping speed
- Carrier
- Type of goods
Volumetric weight can be particularly relevant for electronics and other lightweight but larger products.
We explain how carriers determine this value below. Understanding and correctly calculating volumetric weight.
Furthermore, different transit times and onward transport costs may apply to East Malaysia compared to Kuala Lumpur or Selangor.
Online trade to Malaysia: 10% sales tax on low-value goods
Malaysia has its own regulations for international online retailers regarding:
Low Value Goods, or LVG for short.
Goods that are generally considered to be LVG (Livestock Valuation) include:
at most 500 MYR
costs and are sold from abroad to customers in Malaysia.
Since 1 January 2024 The following generally applies to these goods:
10% Sales Tax
in online sales.
The system applies regardless of whether the goods are subsequently:
- by air freight
- by sea freight
- over land
arrived in Malaysia.
Foreign sellers or online marketplaces must generally register for the LVG system if their corresponding sales to Malaysia occur within twelve months:
exceeds 500.000 MYR.
The LVG registration number must then be transmitted in the relevant import or shipping data.
For online shops, this means:
The sales tax should ideally be handled correctly during the ordering process.
We explain how international shipping and import costs can be presented more transparently below. Show costs at checkout.
The EU and Malaysia are once again negotiating a free trade agreement.
Trade relations between Malaysia and the EU could change significantly in the coming years.
Negotiations for a free trade agreement began as early as 2010.
They were suspended in 2012.
Am 20 January 2025 Both sides agreed to resume the program.
Several rounds of negotiations have taken place since then:
- Round 1: June/July 2025
- Round 2: November 2025
- Round 3: February 2026
- Round 4: June 2026
Negotiations will cover, among other things:
- Market access for goods
- Services
- Capital expenditure
- digital trading rules
- Raw materials
- public procurement
- Sustainability
However, the following is important for German exporters:
Negotiations do not yet constitute a free trade agreement.
As long as no contract has been concluded, signed and become effective, there are no general customs advantages for German goods.
Which carrier is suitable for Malaysia?
Several criteria should be compared when shipping:
- Price
- Runtime
- Customs service
- Tracking
- Insurance
- Weight limits
- maximum package dimensions
- Target region
DHL Parcel currently estimates a delivery time of 8 to 16 working days.
Additional insurance up to €5.000 can generally be added to DHL Paket International packages.
Bulky goods are also possible within defined maximum dimensions.
For urgent B2B shipments, Express can be significantly faster, taking around two working days to reach key destinations.
Which option makes sense ultimately depends on the size, value, destination and urgency of the specific shipment.
Frequently Asked Questions about Shipping
Can I send a package from Germany to Malaysia?
Yes. Parcels, express shipments, and business goods can be sent from Germany to Malaysia. Since Malaysia is outside the EU, complete customs information is required.
How long does it take for a package to arrive in Malaysia?
DHL Parcel currently estimates delivery times of 8 to 16 business days. DHL Express Worldwide typically takes approximately two business days for central destinations. Remote regions may take longer.
What is the value-added tax (VAT) rate in Malaysia?
Malaysia does not currently have a traditional VAT. Instead, it has a sales tax. For taxable imported goods, this has generally been 10 percent since July 2025, unless a 5 percent rate, a specific tax arrangement, or an exemption applies.
What are the customs duties in Malaysia?
Import duties depend on the specific HS code. The updated Customs Duties Order 2025 has been in effect since November 2025. Therefore, the current tariff code should always be checked for each individual shipment.
Is there a free trade agreement between Malaysia and the EU?
Not yet. The EU and Malaysia resumed their FTA negotiations at the beginning of 2025. These negotiations will continue into 2026. A legally binding EU-Malaysia free trade agreement does not yet exist.
Do I need a EUR.1 for Malaysia?
No. There is currently no applicable preferential arrangement between the EU and Malaysia for normal EU goods that would result in a reduced import duty for an EUR.1 certificate.
What is Customs Form K1?
Customs Form No. 1, or K1 for short, is the central Malaysian import customs declaration. It includes information such as a description of the goods, their value, weight, origin, and other import data.
What is MyCIEDS?
MyCIEDS stands for Malaysian Customs Import/Export Document System. This electronic system is used to digitally transmit supporting documents for customs declarations to the Royal Malaysian Customs Department.
What does Pre-Arrival Processing mean?
Malaysia allows customs declarations to be submitted even before the goods arrive. For sea freight, the K1 declaration should generally be submitted at least 24 hours before arrival, and for air freight at least two hours before arrival.
What are Low Value Goods in Malaysia?
Low-value goods in Malaysian online commerce are generally goods sold from abroad with a selling price of no more than 500 MYR. A sales tax of 10 percent is generally levied on these goods.
Which language should I use for the customs declaration?
DHL accepts English as well as the local language for online registration. For German business shipments, English is usually the easiest option.
Which products require an import permit?
This depends on the customs tariff number and product group. Restrictions and licensing requirements can apply to, among other things, technical products, foodstuffs, agricultural goods, vehicles, medical devices, chemicals, or telecommunications. The requirements should be checked before shipment.
