There can be several reasons why a shipment might be stuck at customs but mainly it is related to some incorrect/missing paperwork or unpaid taxes/duties that apply to the goods. Note that you might experience customs-related problems when shipping outside of the European Union.

Though it might be difficult to find the information on what taxes or duties apply to your products, as a sender of the goods you are fully responsible for knowing under what conditions your products can be shipped.

Outvio will let you know about the customs-related incidents. If any of your shipment is being held at the customs, most of the time it will be released after a few days. If not, you need to contact the courier directly via the application and ask for further information and instructions.

In case of incomplete paperwork, the courier usually indicates what kind of documentation is missing. In any case, you must provide the documentation requested if you do not want to risk the shipment being returned to the origin.

If you ship outside the EU or to the Canary Islands, Ceuta, or Melilla, Outvio automatically prints 3 copies of the purchase invoice. You must check that this invoice contains the necessary data, and enclose all these 3 copies of the invoice in a transparent envelope that is attached to each of the packages sent. If you do so, in most cases, you will have no problems with customs and your shipment will be delivered without any delays or problems.

If the shipment is being held at the customs for the reason of unpaid taxes or duties, the only way to release the package is to pay this amount. Otherwise, the shipment will be returned to the sender, or in the worst-case scenario, it will be destroyed.

The only way to get the package to be delivered is to contact the courier directly to clarify what additional documentation/procedure is needed.

Additional information on customs duties can be found HERE.

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