PlayInfoBox

Home /Education /How to Track Your Overseas Purchase (Including Customs Status)

How to Track Your Overseas Purchase (Including Customs Status)

Tap through each step to track your overseas order from checkout to delivery.

  1. Find your tracking number in the retailer's order history

    Check your order history or "My Orders" page for the tracking number the seller has registered.

  2. Enter it on an international tracking aggregator

    A combined tracking site like 17TRACK lets you enter a single number and see updates across many couriers and postal services at once, rather than checking each one separately.

  3. Check your customs authority's clearance status

    Using your personal customs clearance code or tracking number, you can often check whether an import declaration has been filed and whether clearance is complete on your national customs authority's website.

  4. Understand what a "clearance hold" status means

    A hold can mean missing paperwork, a request for additional item verification, or unpaid duty. Follow the instructions from the customs broker or courier handling your shipment to resolve it.

  5. Switch to domestic tracking once it clears customs

    After clearance, the parcel is usually handed to a domestic courier under a new tracking number, and tracking continues under that number from there.

  6. Contact the seller or your forwarder if delivery is badly delayed

    If tracking hasn't updated in a long time, or the estimated delivery date has passed by a wide margin, reach out to the seller or your forwarding service directly to check what's going on.

Slow Updates During International Transit Are Usually Normal

An overseas order passes through several distinct stages β€” origin-country handling, international transit, customs clearance, and domestic delivery β€” so it's common for tracking to sit unchanged for several days at a time without anything actually being wrong. It's worth checking in stages rather than worrying at the first sign of a stalled tracking number.

Watch Out for Fake Tracking Links Too

Scam messages disguised as delivery or customs notifications, containing links from unclear sources, are a common phishing tactic β€” it's worth reviewing general online shopping safety habits alongside this guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

If tracking hasn't updated for days, does that mean my package is lost?

Not necessarily β€” delays of several days during international transit are common. If there's been no movement for around two weeks or more, it's reasonable to contact the seller or courier to check.

Do I need an account to check customs clearance status?

Many national customs sites allow limited lookups without an account, but a detailed lookup tied to your personal customs clearance code may require you to log in.