If you are expecting an international package to be delivered by DHL(Dalsey, Hillblom, and Lynn), then you are sure to receive a ton of updates regarding the status of your package.
Out of all these updates, the most common is the “Custom Clearance Status Updated”. To be true when I first got this update I literally don’t know what it means. I had to read more than 3-4 articles to know exactly what it is.
If you are also like me then don’t worry, I have prepared this detailed article that will provide all the information related to Customs Clearance Status. All you need to do is just read on for more information.
What’s the meaning of “Customs Clearance Status Updated”?
If the Tracking page of DHL shows “Customs Clearance Status Updated”, it simply means that DHL has provided an update about your package while it is being through the customs office. To know more about the update you need to tab on the Further details prompt as it will provide you with more information related to the current status of your package.
In simple words, if you got these updates then it means that DHL has provided an update regarding your package while it is being processed in Custom Office.
Why does a Package get the status of “Customs Clearance Status Updated”?
Whenever you purchase something online from abroad(or someone is sending you something), then the item gets shipped to the destination country where it is supposed to get delivered.
To avoid the smuggling of any illegal items the package(Purchased item) needs to go through Customs in both countries. Firstly, the origin country processes the package and gives it customs clearance thereafter DHL imports it to the destination country.
Once the package arrives in the destination country then again it needs to go through the Customs to verify and check that things mentioned in the documentation are true and same as the content of the package.
If everything goes all right then the package gets customs clearance within 24 hours of arrival (in normal scenarios) but if the officials have found something suspicious then they might hold up the package at the customs facility till they confirm that everything is safe and in compliance with customs rules and regulations.
Missing Necessary Documentation
It’s one of the most common reasons why your package gets held up and you get the notification of “Customs Status Updated” where DHL tells you that some important paperwork of the package has been missing.
In this scenario, you are required to present the proper documentation that confirms and satisfies all the queries of the customs official that there is nothing illegal or prohibited in the content of the package.
In some cases, you are also required to pay some customs tax and duties, without clearing these taxes customs officials can’t give the clearance to your package. Mostly, DHL pays taxes and duties on your behalf and later on adds them to the bill that you need to pay at the time of delivery of the package.
Package Content Value Declared Too Low
If the content value of your package has been declared too low or below the threshold duty then there is a fair chance that the customs official will hold your package in their facility for further investigation.
At this point, DHL usually changes the tracking status to “Customs Status Updated” and contacts the recipient to provide the important documentation.
But that’s not the case with every single package, you may be waiting patiently for the package to get customs clearance thinking that everything is all right. But in reality, your package may be held by customs officials and DHL may not have contacted you.
If something like this happens to you then you should contact the DHL and ask for the update of your package on your own as this may draw their attention to the issue with your package. Provide all the required information to the DHL so that your package can also resume its normal journey by getting clearance from customs officials.
The package is under the Processing
If your package is under investigation(processing) then it’s sure to take a long duration of time to get it delivered to your address. This usually happens when customs officials suspect that something is not right with the package.
It means they will hold up the package for further investigation to make sure that the customs rules and regulations are being followed and no illegal/prohibited item makes its way to the destination country.
Why does a Package Tracking status remain stuck on “Customs Status Updated”?
There can be so many reasons why the tracking status of any package remains stuck on the “Customs Status Updated”. Here I have put together some of the most common reasons why your tracking status remains stuck on the same notification for so long.
Long Queues of Packages
DHL processes millions of packages every single day, during the festive and holiday season almost all the facilities of DHL experience a heavy volume of packages which in turn creates a long queue of packages.
However, DHL tries its best to process all the packages as soon as possible but the packages at the end of queues are always going to take a long duration of time to get sorted and processed.
Provide More Information
Sometimes you are required to provide more information related to the content of your package. But DHL contacts you a bit late which ultimately delays the processing time of the package.
Even if you provide all the asked information instantaneously, it gets stored in their database and thereafter it gets reviewed by customs officials for authenticity.
Some people have also shared the instances where DHL forgot to contact them on time and their tracking status remains stuck on the same notification for more than a week. They themselves have to contact the DHL to find out what’s wrong with their package and get it resolved.
The Package is Still Under Investigation
This is literally the most frustrating reason which causes your tracking status to remain stuck. Sometimes custom official thinks that there is something suspicious within the content of the package so they hold up the package for further investigations.
Firstly, they do an X-ray scan of the package, and if they still find some irregularities and confusion then they open it up to physically verify the content of the package.
If they didn’t find anything suspicious then they put together all the content of the package and released it back to DHL to make the final delivery attempt.
However, if they find something illegal and prohibited items then they will immediately seize the package and begin with their legal procedure.
How long does the customs take to process a Package?
To be true, there is no ideal timeframe for a package to get customs clearance but in normal scenarios, it can take less than 24 hrs for your package to get clearance from the customs officials.
But if the official finds something non-compliant and prohibited item them they are sure to hold up your package for a detailed investigation which can take as long as a whole week to get customs clearance.
What to Do when your Package remains stuck on “Custom Clearance Status Updated”?
Track your Package
You need to track your package regularly if your tracking status remains stuck on the same notification. Sometimes DHL provides more information about the issue under the further prompt so you need to check it regularly to get on time.
Contact DHL Customer Care Service
If your tracking status remains frozen on the same notification for more than a week then you need to contact DHL customer care right away. Provide them with all the required information like the Tracking number and the whole issue so that they can tackle the whole issue and assist you with the best possible solution as soon as they can.