How long does customs clearance normally take?

Most parcels clear in a few hours to 2 business days. Inspections or unpaid duties can extend this to 5–7 days.

Do I have to pay duties on Temu, Shein, or AliExpress orders?

It depends on your country's de minimis threshold. In the US most low-value parcels enter duty-free; in the EU and UK, duties and VAT usually apply.

Why is my package stuck in customs?

Missing paperwork, unpaid duties, or a random inspection. Check for any carrier notification asking you to act — that's the fastest way to release it.

Can I speed up customs clearance?

You can respond quickly to any duties invoice or documentation request. Otherwise clearance runs on the customs authority's schedule and can't be sped up externally.

International Shipping

Customs Clearance: What It Means and How Long It Takes

Published January 16, 2026 · 6 min read

“Customs clearance” means your parcel has arrived in the destination country and is being reviewed by that country's customs authority before it can be released to the last-mile carrier for delivery. For a normal low-value e-commerce parcel this takes a few hours to 2 business days. High-value shipments, ones with missing paperwork, or parcels that get selected for physical inspection can take 3–7 days, and occasionally longer.

What actually happens during customs clearance

Customs officers check three things: the declared contents, the declared value, and whether any duties, taxes, or import restrictions apply. For a normal parcel this happens electronically — the carrier submits a customs declaration when the plane lands, the system runs risk-based checks, and if nothing is flagged the parcel is released automatically. You'll then see an “Import clearance complete” or “Released by customs” scan in your timeline.

Typical clearance times by shipment type

Low-value e-commerce parcels (Temu, Shein, AliExpress) usually clear in 4–24 hours because they travel on bulk customs manifests and rarely trigger inspection. Standard international parcels clear in 1–2 business days. High-value parcels or parcels containing regulated goods (electronics with batteries, cosmetics, food, medicine) can take 2–5 days. If duties are owed and the recipient must pay them first, add another 1–3 days for the payment to process.

Track your international parcel here

Paste your tracking number below. Customs release events — “Import clearance start,” “Held by customs,” “Released by customs” — all show up in the ParcelsPulse timeline the moment the carrier records them.

Why a parcel gets 'held by customs'

There are three common reasons: (1) missing or inaccurate paperwork — the carrier or sender has to submit corrected documents; (2) duties or taxes are owed — you'll usually receive a notification from the carrier or a customs broker with a link to pay; (3) the parcel was randomly selected for physical inspection. In all three cases the resolution comes from the sender or the recipient responding, not from the carrier alone.

How to pay duties fast

If you get a notification asking you to pay import duties, use the link in that message rather than searching for the carrier's website separately — the link contains the parcel reference and routes your payment to the right entry. Most payments process in a few hours. Once paid, the parcel is released and moves to the last-mile carrier the same day.

When a customs delay becomes a real problem

If your parcel has been in customs for more than 5 business days without any updates, contact the sender first. They can escalate with the carrier and file corrected paperwork if that's the issue. Only in rare cases (prohibited items, incorrect declarations) does customs actually refuse a parcel and send it back to origin — you'll see an explicit “Return to sender” event when that happens.