Shipping from Thailand to Nigeria: What It Costs and How It Works

What a shipment to Nigeria needs from the sender

Dragon Courier needs the contents of the package and the receiver's name, address and contact number. Nothing else. There is no account to open and no cap on volume.

For Nigeria, the declared value is the part to get right. Nigerian customs charges duty on the CIF value, which is the goods plus the freight plus the insurance, so an honest figure gives the receiver an honest bill. Personal parcels worth 300 US dollars or less clear with no duty and no tax, up to four shipments a year per receiver.

The description carries just as much weight as the value. Food, drugs and cosmetics belong to NAFDAC. Electronics, electrical goods and toys belong to SONCAP. Naming the actual product is what sends a box down the right process. "Gift" or "item" sends it to an inspector instead.

How the parcel actually moves

Everything goes by air. Dragon Courier handles the Thai export, the documentation and the clearance itself, then books the parcel onto one of the big international networks, UPS, FedEx or DHL depending on the routing, for the delivery inside Nigeria.

Dragon Courier doesn't collect signatures on delivery. A signature is often the thing that delays a delivery. Tracking starts on export day and the sender can pass it to the receiver. Once the delivery is complete, Dragon Courier updates a file to show proof of delivery and sends it over.

Transit runs 5 to 8 days. That is the flight and the Thai export clearance. It does not count how long Nigerian customs holds the parcel at the other end, which depends on the paperwork, on whether the contents need NAFDAC or SONCAP approval, and on how fast the duty gets paid.

What it costs

The price is weight and dimension, quoted for the country, from the price list of 3 August 2026. It covers the flight, the Thai export clearance and the handover to the international network in Nigeria. It does not cover the duty or the VAT. Nigerian customs bills the receiver for those on arrival.

Above 30 kg the office quotes directly.

Dimension counts as much as the scale does. A box is billed on whichever is greater, its actual weight or the space it takes up in the hold. A light but bulky carton can cost more than the number on the scale suggests.

Nothing extra for an urgent shipment, nothing extra for a remote address. There is no discount for anybody. One price applies to all customers, whether it is a first parcel or the fiftieth.

Payment is cash or bank transfer, before export, for every customer. Dragon Courier can provide any invoice a sender requires.

What customs duty and VAT cost on arrival in Nigeria

Duty in Nigeria is worked out on the CIF value. That is the goods, the freight and the insurance added together, not the price of the goods on their own.

"Customs duties in Nigeria are levied only on imports. Rates vary for different items, typically from 5% to 35%, and are assessed with reference to the prevailing Harmonised Commodity and Coding System (HS code)," and "the standard VAT rate is 7.5%" (Nigeria - Corporate - Other taxes, taxsummaries.pwc.com).

Which end of that band applies comes down to the HS code of what is in the box.

Small personal parcels often owe nothing. Nigeria's Customs Service Board set a duty-free threshold in September 2025.

"After a comprehensive review of similar practices across continents, the Board approved $300 as Nigeria's official De Minimis threshold," effective "Monday, 8th September 2025" and "restricted to four importations per annum" (De Minimis Threshold press release, fmino.gov.ng, 7 September 2025).

So 300 US dollars or less, four times a year, counted per receiver rather than per parcel.

Most receivers pay at the post office. NIPOST lists the steps.

"Present a valid ID. Provide your item's 9-digit Tracking ID. Inspect your parcel for any damage. Pay the total sum stated. Collect your payment receipt. Pick up your item," with payment "in cash or via our POS terminals at the post office" (FAQ's, nipost.gov.ng, last updated 29 August 2025).

Almost everything that lands is dutiable.

"Yes, all parcels are expected to be dutiable except in certain instances such as special non-dutiable items which include; article for the blind and diplomatic bag" (FAQ's, nipost.gov.ng, last updated 29 August 2025).

What can't be sent to Nigeria

There are many things Dragon Courier does not send to any country, including but not limited to religious items, batteries and anything illegal. Nigeria adds categories of its own.

SONCAP catches more than sellers expect. Gifts count.

"Every article coming to Nigeria, even donated items, must possess evidence of conformity to applicable requirements" (SONCAP FAQ, son.gov.ng).

Sending a regulated item without certifying it first has a price attached.

"SONCAP Default, which shall be charged at 20% CIF of the consignment or 2 million Naira, whichever is higher" (SONCAP FAQ, son.gov.ng).

Dragon Courier's plant export service handles the phytosanitary paperwork on plant shipments before they leave Thailand. Name what is in the box, exactly, and most of this turns into a documentation step instead of a hold-up.

When something goes wrong

When a shipment runs into trouble, Dragon Courier checks what happened first and pushes to get it moving again. For parcels, insurance is available and it covers loss. Dragon Courier does not pay for damage in transit or for a missing item from a package. Dragon Courier investigates how it occurred to avoid it happening again, but there is no compensation.

Fragile or valuable items: wrap them very carefully and buy the insurance.

On a delay, Dragon Courier checks the reason and does its best to expedite the package. Dragon Courier does not compensate for delays. The proof of delivery shows the shipping is complete and the package went to the correct person or company.

Dragon Courier cannot change an address after export, so check it before the box leaves. Which situations give a refund and which do not is set out in the refund and cancellation policy. What happens to a parcel that sits in customs is covered in the guide on parcels lost, delayed or stuck in customs, and that applies just as well when a Nigeria shipment is held for NAFDAC or SONCAP review.

For a claim or a complaint, message the team and Dragon Courier takes care of it.

About Dragon Courier

Dragon Courier is a Bangkok-based international courier shipping from Thailand to over 200 destinations. Dragon Courier has been doing this over 30 years, under the same management team for most of that time. It started as a British business and is Thai family-run now. Today that is more than 20,000 shipments a month.

On Nigeria, Dragon Courier manages the Thai export, the documentation and the clearance directly, then books the parcel onto whichever international network, UPS, FedEx or DHL, covers the delivery. The duty and the VAT go to the receiver on arrival instead of sitting inside the freight price, which is true of a handful of routes and Nigeria is one of them.

Dragon Courier is also one of Thailand's largest exporters of live plants and a leading shipper for eBay and Etsy sellers based in Thailand. Both of those run into NAFDAC and SONCAP more often than most.

Contacts and drop-off

The contents of the box and where it is going are enough to get a quote on the Nigeria route. Office +66 2656 9019, WhatsApp and LINE at +66 6-5937-0812, or info@dragoncourier.com.

Drop-off runs until 17:00, Monday to Saturday, at the Bangkok office on Sukhumvit Soi 4 (217/3 Crystal Garden Building, 3rd floor, Klongtoey 10110) or the Chiang Mai office on Viangbua Road. A pickup can be arranged in Bangkok and Pattaya for a date and time that suits.