Parcel held at customs: how long and what you pay

What does "held at customs" mean?

Every parcel crossing a customs border is presented to customs: by law, Royal Mail presents every item from outside the UK to Border Force, and Canada Post presents every incoming international parcel to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). In Ireland, that means parcels from outside the EU, Great Britain included.

Customs checks the sender's declaration (contents, value), may open the parcel, works out any tax and duty, then releases it to the carrier. Carriers word this stage differently:

None of these is a seizure. A real one comes in writing: Ireland's Revenue says you get a written notification with the customs office's details, and Australian Border Force (ABF) sends an information sheet saying what it holds and why.

What to do if your parcel is held at customs

Often nothing. To find out:

1. 1Open the carrier's own trackingType its address or open its app, never a link from a text or email.
2. 2Look for a requestA Fee to pay status, a Pay button or a request for documents means it's waiting for you. Otherwise, nothing to do yet.
3. 3Do what it asksPay on its own site or at the counter, or send the invoice or order confirmation it wants.
4. 4Ask the carrier, then the sellerStill stuck? Revenue sends you to the courier, postal operator or seller about delays, not to customs.

How do I contact customs about a package?

Mostly you don't: start with the carrier (step 4). In Canada, even Canada Post can't intervene while the CBSA reviews a parcel, so you wait for release. In Australia, ask Australia Post (13 13 18) about delivery and ABF about an Import Declaration or a payment.

How long can a parcel be held at customs?

Nobody promises a time. The CBSA releases most mail after an initial inspection, which "can take less than a day". Canada Post says times vary with the parcel, its paperwork and the volume at customs.

A parcel stays longer when:

• the declaration lacks data, or customs wants the invoice or order confirmation (Revenue);
• customs doesn't accept the declared value (ABF);
• a charge is unpaid: Canada Post and couriers in Canada hold the parcel until you pay;
• the goods may be restricted: the CBSA inspects again or calls in an agency such as Health Canada.

Don't leave it too long:

Tired of refreshing? Paste the number into Peek: it checks up to every 10 minutes and pings you when the status changes, though it can't pay the charge or hurry customs. If nothing moves for long and no request appears, see why tracking stops updating.

How long after customs clearance will I get it?

"Released" or "cleared" means customs has handed the parcel back to the carrier, which then updates tracking and delivers as quickly as possible, says Canada Post. For the scans that follow, see what tracking statuses mean.

Why am I getting a customs charge?

Usually because tax or duty on goods from abroad wasn't paid at checkout, so the carrier collects it, often adding its own fee. The bill has up to three parts:

1. Import tax: VAT in the UK and Ireland, GST/HST in Canada, GST in Australia, owed to the state.
2. Customs duty: the tariff on the goods, also for the state.
3. The carrier's fee for clearing the parcel: a service charge, not a tax. CBP says the "customs fees" couriers bill are "actually charges for the services of the broker".

Where you pay depends on the checkout:

1. CheckoutTax, sometimes duty, paid here if the shop collects it
2. FlightTravels with its customs declaration
3. CustomsChecks it and may ask for an invoice
4. CarrierBills you anything unpaid, plus its own fee
5. YouDelivered once the bill is paid

Ireland: what "€3 per item" means

Since 1 July 2026, online orders from outside the EU worth €150 or less pay €3 duty per item, meaning per kind of product:

• two identical T-shirts: €3;
• a notepad, a pen and a keyring: €9.

From 1 November 2026, Revenue says a €2 EU handling fee per item is added: €15 for the notepad, pen and keyring. VAT comes on top. Above €150, normal duty rates apply, plus the €2 fee.

Do I have to pay customs on Temu or Shein orders?

It depends on your country and the checkout:

• UK: nothing at the door up to £135; the seller adds VAT to your price.
• Ireland: if the checkout showed VAT and duty, "the total price you pay at checkout will be the final price", says Revenue; if not, the carrier collects them first.
• Canada: above CAD 20 by post, duty and taxes apply wherever you shop.
• Australia: nothing at the border up to AUD 1,000; the shop may have charged GST.
• US: with the $800 duty-free limit suspended, duty (tariffs) can apply to cheap orders too, and CBP warns that a price including shipping and handling doesn't include it.

For how these orders travel, see tracking a parcel from China.

How do I know if a customs charge text is real?

Real charges can come by text or email too, but each carrier's rules give most fakes away:

Customs authorities warn too:

• Revenue (Ireland) never emails or texts you to click and pay customs duty.
• The CBSA never initiates a request for your Social Insurance Number or card number by phone, text or email; a call demanding duty with threats of jail is a scam.
• ABF warns of scam calls that seem to come from its Regional Office numbers.

Safest is step 1 above: open the carrier's site or app yourself.

To report a fake:

• UK: forward texts to 7726 (free) and emails to [email protected].
• US: forward texts to 7726, and USPS-themed ones to [email protected] with a screenshot.
• Canada: the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
• Australia: [email protected]. If you've been caught, iDCare on 1800 595 160.

What if I don't pay, or send it back?

In the UK and Ireland, an unpaid parcel goes back to the sender after the waiting times above. In Australia, a parcel over AUD 1,000 may go back if you take no action within 30 days of the First Notice. Refunds and disputes:

• UK: reclaim VAT or duty after a return or overcharge with form BOR 286 (Royal Mail, Parcelforce) or C285 (other couriers).
• Canada: ask for a review before paying (the parcel waits), or pay and claim afterwards, as the E14 explains.
• Ireland: the €3 duty is refunded only on faulty goods, and the €2 fee never.