Why does customs take so long

Delays can occur due to the package itself, its documentation or volumes at customs. What can you do? Check Track regularly. Sign up for delivery updates by email. Read about postal imports in the Postal Guide.

A reason that this often happens is that they want to test goods for quality or compliance to UK standards. There can be huge delays at HWDC. It's Royal Mail international hub and when parcel volume is high like during Christmas, parcels take longer time to be processed. It will eventually be released. All I can advise is to be patient. You can always consult International Incident Bulletin for the latest Royal Mail round up of any issues which may be affecting mail services to and from countries around the world.

For example as of August 31, Items to some EU destinations are also experiencing customs delays. Also delays should be expected as a result of ongoing COVID reduction measures and reduced air transport capacity. HWDC is one of the most automated postal centres in Europe.

Automated conveyor systems transport trays of mail to automated mail processing equipment and manual or special handling workstations. The conveyors read the bar code labels on the trays and then transport them to the desired destination. When the mail is sorted on the automated mail sorting equipment, the letter destination image is lifted by high speed optical cameras.

Both inbound and outbound mail are then automatically sorted into groups. A customs officer examines your customs paperwork These documents must be accurate and complete, specifically the shipping label and commercial invoice. The commercial invoice is most important because it lists the contact information for the shipper, the receiver, as well as the export date and airway bill number.

Import duties and taxes are assessed using the customs paperwork. Import fees vary depending on the type of goods, their value, and specific import regulations in the receiving country. Import duties are assessed on goods that exceed the de minimus value, or the minimum taxable threshold for imported goods.

Customs requests payment for taxes and duties, if applicable. If your shipment exceeds the tax threshold, the customs officer checks if duty and taxes have been paid. Additionally, certain restricted goods may incur fees regardless of their value. Most express couriers services like FedEx have customs brokers who will process this payment on your behalf at customs. With DDP, the price you paid for shipping covers any import fees, and this is reflected on the attached shipping label.

In other words, using DDP is the best way to ensure a smooth customs clearance process. In this case, the customs officer forwards the shipment to an independent customs broker to collect the required amount. Customs brokers are middlemen who charge fees for facilitating the customs clearance process. These variable fees can be expensive because they include brokerage, storage, and late payment. Your shipment clears customs once all duties are paid. Once customs clearance is complete, your chosen courier service transports the shipment from customs to the end-destination.

Shipments rarely get stuck at customs. When they do, it's usually because of faulty paperwork. If your package is held at customs, you should contact the courier company in charge of your shipment. Normally, they should be able to help you with the customs clearing process, or even, just identifying the problem. Before contact, make sure you have the tracking number to give it to the courier to check its status.

Some of the most prominent of them are:. So, if there are even slight mistakes in these documents or there are unpaid duties, you may end up wasting weeks just to get the package cleared through customs. Import Duty. A tax imposed by a government on goods from other countries.

Increased prices on imported goods make these products less "desirable" so buyers are encouraged to support the domestic market. This tax is charged in stages, then reimbursed to everyone except the end buyer. VAT Tax. Otherwise known as Value Added Tax.

This tax is charged to consumers when they buy any good or service. Commercial invoice. A required document in international shipping that describes the items in the shipment and their value. Commercial couriers and customs brokers refer to this document to process and clear your package through customs. The European Union is a customs-free zone.

Goods produced in member states of the EU, or any other country with specific contracts for free circulation of goods, will not be subject to customs charges. In most cases, when shipping within the European Union, there are no additional customs clearance fees.

If parcel is being shipped internationally across borders, the shipment will go through customs. The customs authorities will make sure it is following the regulations of the importing country.

This means that they will check if the shipping parties have provided all the required documentation and that the customs fees for the international shipping are paid. Customs duties are usually paid by the receiver unless otherwise agreed with the sender. The amount of money that the receiver would have to pay depends on the data provided in the customs declaration, the supporting documents or the additional information the customs officers may request.

The shipper may need to provide additional information in order to complete paperwork. That said, oftentimes, the only thing you can really do is be patient. International shipping is not always fast.

Sometimes customs can hold on to packages for prolonged periods of time. You are very likely to receive your package at some point. Sometimes customs drags their feet. Having packages stuck at customs is no fun. Fortunately, most of the problems that shippers and recipients run into are routine.