My package is stuck in customs. Here is what to do

A customs hold looks scary in tracking, but most of them resolve on their own or need one small action from you. The worst move is doing nothing: customs holds have deadlines, and missing them returns the parcel to the sender.

Start by identifying which of the three situations below matches your tracking. Each has a different fix.

Step 1: Find out which kind of hold you have

The exact tracking status tells you what customs wants:

• "Held in customs", "clearance in progress", "customs review" with no other detail: routine processing or a queue. Usually needs nothing from you yet.
• "Awaiting payment", "duties and taxes due", or a message asking for payment: the parcel clears the moment the bill is paid. This is the most common reason parcels stall, and the fastest to fix.
• "Additional information required", "documentation needed": customs wants paperwork, usually proof of value (an invoice or order screenshot) or identification. The carrier or broker will contact you by email, letter, or text.

If tracking only shows something vague like "inbound into customs", check what the arrival at inward office of exchange scan means and wait a few days before assuming a real hold.

Step 2: Act on your type of hold

If it is waiting for a duty or tax payment

Pay promptly. The payment link comes from the carrier, not from customs directly, and unpaid parcels go back to the sender after the holding period, typically two to four weeks depending on the country.

One critical warning: customs fee scams are rampant. Fake "your parcel is held, pay a small fee" texts and emails impersonate every major postal service. Only pay through a link that you reach from the carrier's official website after entering your tracking number there yourself. Never pay through a link sent by SMS.

If you think the charges are wrong (wrong value, gift that should be exempt, duties on a return), pay first and dispute after. Refusing a parcel over duties usually converts a fixable problem into a lost one, and some marketplaces and sellers treat refused-duties returns as buyer's remorse with reduced refunds.

If it needs documentation

Respond within the deadline in the notice. What customs usually wants:

• Proof of value: the order confirmation or payment receipt
• A description of the contents if the declaration is vague ("gift" or "parts" is not a description)
• Identification or an importer number in some countries

For US-bound parcels the system changed significantly in 2025: the $800 duty-free threshold no longer exists, so payment requests are now routine even for cheap parcels. Details in the US de minimis explainer.

If it is just a queue or an inspection

Wait, but with a clock. Typical clearance takes 1 to 3 working days. Inspections and busy gateways take one to four weeks. For a deeper look at inspection timelines, see customs inspection delays.

Step 3: Escalate if it does not move

Work through this order:

1. The carrier, first. Call the courier or postal operator with your tracking number. They can see the customs status and tell you whether a payment or document is pending. Customs offices themselves rarely talk to individual recipients.
2. The sender, in parallel. The seller can open an investigation from the origin side, and for goods stuck beyond hope they are the ones who must refund or reship. Keep marketplace buyer-protection deadlines in mind.
3. The customs authority, last. For genuine disputes (wrong duty calculation, misclassification), each country has an appeal process; start from your national customs website.

As a rule of thumb: contact the carrier after 7 days of silence, the seller after 14, and treat anything past a month as a probable return-to-sender unless the carrier confirms otherwise.

What not to do

• Do not ignore payment requests hoping they will expire. They expire into a return to sender.
• Do not lie about value or contents if customs asks. Under-declaration is the most common reason parcels get seized or fined, and restricted or undeclared items can be destroyed without compensation.
• Do not pay any "customs fee" through a link in a text message. Real charges are paid on the carrier's official site or at delivery.

Frequently asked questions

How long is too long for a package to be in customs?

Under a week is normal. Two to four weeks suggests an inspection or backlog; contact the carrier. Beyond a month without a status change, start the escalation path above, because the practical risk of the parcel being returned grows with every week.

Will I always have to pay something to release it?

No. Many parcels clear with no charges at all, especially in countries that still have duty-free thresholds and for goods under them. Since the US removed its $800 exemption in 2025, US-bound parcels are much more likely to generate a bill than parcels into most other countries.

My customs charges look too high. Can I challenge them?

Yes. Check the breakdown the carrier gives you: duty, tax, and their own disbursement or advancement fee are separate lines. If the duty itself is wrong, the appeal goes to customs with evidence of the real value and classification. If only the carrier's fee looks wrong, argue with the carrier; those fees are sometimes negotiable or waivable for account holders.

Can customs keep my package forever?

Customs can seize prohibited goods permanently, and you may get a notice with a right to contest. For ordinary goods, "stuck forever" is not a thing that happens silently: either a payment or a document is outstanding (find out which), or the parcel is already on its way back to the sender, which tracking will eventually show as "return to sender".