Coronavirus: the latest information

According to all that is known so far, there is no increased health risk associated with signing on the handheld scanner. Based on current knowledge, transmission of the coronavirus through contact with parcel surfaces is extremely unlikely.

However, as a precautionary measure, personal confirmation of receipt by signature at the private front door is suspended for the time being. In addition, for the moment small, flat parcels of a suitable size can be put in the consignee's letterbox.

In order to avoid direct contact as a precautionary measure, you as the consignee of the parcel can also help us in a very concrete way:

Provide us with a deposit okay, so that the delivery driver can leave the parcel without direct customer contact, for example in the garden shed, in the garage or in front of the apartment door. Observe the hygiene regulations and avoid any physical contact. This rule is also followed by our delivery personnel.

Please check, especially in the case of commercial delivery addresses, whether parcel delivery to the addressee is actually possible. In Germany and numerous EU countries, many shops have to be closed on official orders.

Exceptions to this rule are, among others, food retailers, drugstores, banks, wholesalers, beverage markets, pharmacies, medical supply stores, dry cleaners, building, gardening and pet supplies stores. The regulations may vary in the individual federal states.

You will find more detailed information on the regulations in other European countries below.

DPD is working to ensure that as many of its parcel shops as possible can continue to be used as usual. We will clarify with the shop operators as soon as possible which locations can still be used.

Until this clarification has been completed, the drop-off and pickup of parcels at the shops is temporarily suspended. In order to avoid the possibility that the parcels of our customers and consignees may be unavailable for weeks due to the closure of shops ordered by the authorities, DPD has collected from the parcel shops those parcels which are currently in storage there.

We anticipate that a large number of parcel shops will be available again in the near future, and will keep you up to date on this here.

Parcel deliveries and collections in Germany are in general being implemented as normal, as long as this is not restricted by the local authorities.

Current border closures within Europe do NOT currently apply to the movement of goods.

Nevertheless, delays in international parcel shipping may occur due to border controls. This applies in particular to the movement of goods to Poland, Austria and Italy, where there are considerable bottlenecks and waiting times at border crossings.

In individual regions - above all in Italy - it is also not possible to deliver or collect parcels due to official directives. A list of detailed postcode areas can be found here for DPD CLASSIC and here for DPD EXPRESS.

You will find more detailed information on individual regions with existing restrictions below.

DPD is helping to counteract the further spread of the coronavirus and protect its own workforce with a series of measures.

As a precautionary measure, personal confirmation of receipt by signature at the private front door is suspended for the time being. In addition, for the moment small, flat parcels of a suitable size can be put in the consignee's letterbox. We encourage customers and consignees to give us a deposit okay, so that no personal contact is necessary at all.

Employees whose presence on site is not required are working from home until further notice. Business trips are kept to a necessary minimum, and participation in large-scale events such as trade fairs has been suspended until further notice.

DPD is making its staff, and in particular all delivery personnel, more aware of appropriate hygiene measures. Personal confirmations of receipt for parcel deliveries have been suspended until further notice. Updated pandemic plans exist for all locations in order to maintain our service even in the event of an increase in corona cases.

Currently there are no known restrictions on parcel shipping within Germany. All DPD parcel centres are operating at normal capacity.However, local delays and restrictions due to official directives issued at short notice cannot be ruled out.

However, delays may occur due to border checks. This applies in particular to parcel shipments between Germany and the following countries:

• France

• Italy

• Austria

• Poland

In individual regions - above all in Italy - it is also not possible to deliver or collect parcels due to official directives. You can find a detailed list of the postcode areas here. This is the case in the following countries:

• Italy

• Bulgaria

• Czech Republic

A list of detailed postcode areas can be found here for DPD CLASSIC and here for DPD EXPRESS.

Parcel shipments to crisis areas in China, such as in the Wuhan region, are suspended until further notice.

In addition, many retailers and other businesses in several countries have had to temporarily cease their operations and are unable to receive parcels.

This applies in particular to the following countries:

• Austria (for more information on the delivery situation in Austria)

• Italy (for more information on the delivery situation in Italy)

• France (for more information on the delivery situation in France)

• Spain (for more information on the delivery situation in Spain)

• Great Britain (for more information on the delivery in Great Britain)

The Austrian government has ordered the nationwide closure of shops, initially until 23 March 2020. This does not affect shops in the following sectors:

food retailing; food sales; drugstores; pharmacies; shops selling medical products and remedies; health and care services; animal feed sales; agricultural trade; petrol stations; security and emergency products and maintenance; banks, post and telecommunications; delivery services; cleaning and hygiene; public transport, tobacconists and newsagents; maintenance of critical infrastructure and emergency services; petrol stations.

There are currently no general restrictions on parcel deliveries and collections.

B2C deliveries continue to take place.

A constantly updated list of all postcode areas in which there are currently delivery restrictions due to the coronavirus can be found on the DPD Austria information page: https://www.dpd.com/at/de/support/kontakt/corona-nationale-liefersperren/

The Italian government has declared the entire country a restricted zone and ordered nationwide closures of shops. In spite of the restrictions, goods can still be transported to and from Italy at present. However, in Northern Italy in particular, parcel delivery and collection is currently not possible in many postcode areas. An overview of the individual postcodes can be found above under "What specific restrictions apply to international parcel shipping?

We are continuing to transport goods to and from France. Necessary operational modifications on the part of DPD France may result in noticeably longer delivery times in some cases. We ask for your understanding in this regard.

This does not apply to parcel deliveries by our partner Chronopost.

France is also imposing massive restrictions on the retail trade and catering.

Restaurants, bars, cafés, discotheques and cinemas are closing, as are most shops. Exceptions are made for grocery stores, pharmacies, banks and petrol stations.

Parcel delivery and collection is currently not possible in some postcode areas.

An overview of the individual postcodes can be found above under "What specific restrictions apply to international parcel shipping?"

We are continuing to transport goods to and from Spain. However, numerous business consignees cannot be reached due to official closures, and a large number of shops have to remain closed.

There are exceptions, especially for food retailing, pharmacies and petrol stations.

The United Kingdom government has taken additional measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Because of these measures, all non-essential businesses are now closed. As a result all DPD Pickup parcelshops in the UK are temporarily closed, and parcel delivery or collection is currently not possible there.

In spite of this DPD is still delivering parcels as usual in the UK, and goods are still being shipped from Germany. Delays in delivery are possible, however.