Types of customs holds
What the common tracking statuses mean, grouped by severity.
Last reviewed 9 Nov 2026 · knowledge base v2026.11.12-r3 · Not legal, tax or customs advice.
Watch: waiting in the queue
- 'Inbound into customs', 'awaiting presentation', 'arrived at customs': the parcel is at the border but not assessed. Nothing is payable yet. Sources: uspis.gov, personal.help.royalmail.com, dhl.de
Hold: customs needs something
- 'Held in customs', 'clearance delay', 'clearance event': documents, data or payment are missing, or the parcel is being inspected. Sources: fedex.com, dhl.de
- In the US, CBP decides to release or detain within 5 business days, and a detention not decided within 30 days counts as an exclusion you can protest. Sources: ecfr.gov
- In the EU, from 1 Nov 2026, a low-value distance-sales declaration without the mandatory product identifiers (merchant ID, manufacturer ID, standard barcode ID where one exists) is a likely hold reason. There was no delay. Sources: douane.nl, sede.agenciatributaria.gob.es
Pay: charges assessed
- 'Import fees due', 'fee to pay', 'awaiting duty payment': pay only through the carrier's official site or card. In the UK you have 21 days. Sources: ups.com, personal.help.royalmail.com
Move: released or going back
- 'Clearance completed' or 'handed over' means it is moving again; track with the same number on the destination post. 'Returned to sender' means it is going back. Sources: dhl.de, canadapost-postescanada.ca
Caveat
- Exact wording varies by carrier; Parcelsline's mapping of strings to carriers is reported wording, not verified for each carrier. Unconfirmed Sources: dhl.de