How To Ship Wine To Austria – Everything You Need To Know 

While it might seem impossible at first, you can actually send alcohol to Austria!

So, whether you run a wine business internationally or if you’re simply sending a bottle of wine to a friend in Austria, it’s important to know how to ship the wine safely and according to the country’s shipping rules. 

Fortunately for you, wine parcels can be shipped internationally to Austria thanks to a fairly straightforward process – but the rules come with some specific guidelines that must be followed.

So, if you’re thinking of sending a bottle or two of wine to Austria as you would ship any other product, think again. 

Here is everything you need to know about how to ship wine to Austria!

How To Ship Wine To Austria 

Firstly, let’s take a look at the general guidelines for shipping wine to Austria. You can easily ship fine wines to virtually any country in the world as long as you follow the country’s guidelines.

The main rule is that the wine must come in the correct packing according to the country. 

To ship wine to Austria, the wine must come in a prepaid wine parcel that can be shipped to any country in the European Union.

These parcels come in various carton sizes (holding 3, 6, or 12 wine bottles) and are exclusively developed to maintain the quality of the bottles inside without damage while shipping.

In fact, they will have been tested by the Austrian Packaging Institute to ensure this. 

Not only this, but these specific wine parcels include the Austrian road toll surcharge, domestic destinations, the packaging itself, and liability for the Österreichische Post.

Adding these surcharges makes the whole shipping process far more convenient – even if it does mean that you’ll be spending more money for each addition. 

There is also the option to ship these wine parcels to any country in the EU, so the same rules generally apply to shipping wine to Germany, France, Italy, and other countries in the union. 

Once packaged, the wine parcels need to be sent to any Österreichische Post location in Austria, or any OMV filling stations in the country. 

Fortunately, there are about 1,800 service locations to ship wine to in the country, so the wine can be shipped all over Austria with ease. 

Where To Get Wine Packaging For Shipping

Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to receive the appropriate wine packaging for shipping alcohol to Austria.

All you need to do is contact your chosen shipping company (that can ship alcoholic beverages to Austria) and comply with their regulations and potential contracts to receive the packaging. 

The packaging for wine is basic yet tested and designed to prevent the wine from breaking during transportation. The bottles are slotted into a sturdy box and typically inserted into polystyrene inner packaging to keep the bottles in place.

The wine is then covered by corrugated cardboard or molded pulp as extra protection for the tops of the bottles. 

Which Shipping Companies Can Ship Wine To Austria?

In most cases, the majority of leading shipping companies can ship wine to Austria thanks to the prepaid wine parcels designed for shipping alcohol to the EU. Here are the rules for shipping wine to Austria with UPS and FedEx. 

UPS 

UPS is arguably one of the most popular shipping and supply chains in the United States, and is a well-versed courier in shipping wine to Austria and other European Union countries.

It wasn’t until 2017 when UPS added international shipping for wine across a range of countries as part of a program called the International Special Commodities (ISC) program. 

However, while UPS will happily ship wine to Austria, it is the shipper’s responsibility to understand the laws and regulations of the country you intend to ship to. 

It’s also worth noting that UPS will only offer the shipping of wine (and other alcoholic beverages) for shippers on a contract.

Shippers must sign an approved UPS agreement to ship the alcohol internationally, and the individual(s) must also be licensed and authorized to sell and transport alcohol elsewhere. 

As with any UPS shipments, the wine must comply with the UPS packaging requirements as well as the country’s requirements.

While the rules are generally the same, make sure to contact your UPS Sales person to receive a UPS-certified wine packaging box. 

FedEx

To ship wine to Austria with FedEx, you will need to fill out an extensive invoice for either commercial or personal shipping.

This invoice will include information on the quantity, measurements, producer, wine type, alcohol percentage, country of original, unit value, and total value. 

As with shipping with UPS and other shipping companies, you’ll need to be licensed to ship wine to Austria with FedEx. This will include the invoice as well as specific certification according to your shipping intentions.

While you can ship up to 12 boxes per package for commercial shipping, you can only ship up to 6 bottles for personal shipping purposes. 

How Much Does It Cost To Ship Wine To Austria?

Unfortunately, it’s not really easy to say exactly how much you can expect to pay for shipping wine to Austria. This is because the figure will range depending on the shipping country, speed of shipping, type of wine, quantity of wine, and extra charges.

These extra charges include adding the Austrian road toll, a surcharge for shipping to other EU countries, and more. 

In general, however, here is what you can expect to pay for shipping wine to Austria.

Domestic Shipping Basic Fee (Inc 20% VAT)

• For 3 bottles – $7.90 
• For 6 bottles – $9.11
• For 12 bottles – $11.52

Cost For Additional Austrian Road Toll (Required)

• For 3 bottles – $0.24
• For 6 bottles – $0.24
• For 12 bottles – $0.24

Surcharge For Shipping To Other EU Countries 

• For 3 bottles – $13.86
• For 6 bottles – $18.44
• For 12 bottles – $23.39

Can I Ship Wine Internationally Without A License?

To put it simply – no, you cannot ship wine internationally without a license. This applies for commercial and personal shipping, so even if you intend to ship wine internationally as a gift, you will need to buy wine from a licensed company.

Fortunately, there is a plethora of licensed fine vintages and bottles that can be shipped both nationally and internationally. 

The same rules apply for shipping wine nationally, as it is illegal in the US to ship wine through the mail without a license. 

What Happens If You Get Caught Shipping Alcohol? 

As it is illegal in the US to ship wine without a license, you are likely to receive a written warning about the initial violation.

This is typically the first punishment, and if you intend to ship wine without a license again, this can lead to fines and even jail time. 

So, it’s best to avoid such punishments by ensuring that you are buying from a licensed wine company to ship the alcohol. This is especially true for commercial companies, as the violation can be detrimental to your company. 

Conclusion

So, there you have it! While it’s fairly straightforward to ship wine to Austria, it’s important to follow the specific guidelines according to the Österreichische Post and your chosen shipping company.