Secure your package so it will stand up to the rigors of international travel. Use a sturdy, durable type of cardboard, for example, to secure the goods inside your package. Despite the best intentions of the people who handle your package, it will inevitably get knocked around.
If you are distributing something fragile, write "Fragile: Please handle with care" on each side of your package. You may also wish to fill the inside of the packaging with packing "peanuts" or other material to protect and cushion the goods from impact. If your package must remain a certain way up, then also indicate this on each side of the box, either with a message or stickers with arrows. Secure any loose packaging tape, which can get snagged on the conveyor belts and machines used in package handling.
Address your package with both the delivery address, and a return address in case there is a problem with the package. Your delivery address, when delivering a package to Ireland, should include the building number, street name, town/city, post code and also include the name of the country in all of its formats: Republic of Eire and Republic of Ireland.
If you hand-write the address, make your letters clear and unambiguous. The first language of Ireland is English, so you can add any further delivery instructions to the outside of your package with ease.
Fill in the relevant customs documentation detailing the contents of your package. Any goods shipped to Ireland are subject to European Union (EU) customs laws, and there are certain restrictions on items being imported into the country. For example, the following items are the main items that are prohibited in Ireland: "Firearms, ammunition, explosives, dangerous drugs, indecent or obscene books, hay or straw or articles packed with these materials." Further information can be found at Revenue.ie.
Contact FedEx and arrange for your package to be collected by a driver. FedEx will send a driver to your chosen location to pick up the package, and they will subsequently bill you based on the package's size and weight. They will also take into consideration that a package delivered to Ireland will be deemed as intercontinental if you are sending it from outside Europe.
You have a range of options when deciding which delivery service to use. If you need to get a package to Ireland very quickly, you can purchase FedEx's "Next Flight" service. Please note, for intercontinental delivery, this can be very expensive. If you have less pressure on delivery time, choose a slower service, which will reduce your costs.
Keep all your transaction details, including any reference numbers issued by FedEx, so you may confirm package delivery. If you do not receive confirmation within the time frame promised by FedEx, contact them to ask about your package.
