As you hope to get your international package from Australia Post, one of the most common tracing statuses you can see is, “International arrival – awaiting clearance.”
What might that mean? Is there anything I could do to get my package faster? Let’s get to it straight away.
What Does The AusPost “International Arrival – Awaiting Clearance” Tracking Update Mean?
This status means that an international package has just arrived at one of Australia’s customs offices and will start the clearance process soon.
Under this status, Australia Post usually indicates the customs office that will handle the package.
For instance, from the screenshot below, you will see “International Arrival – Awaiting Clearance Sydney, NSW” to indicate that the customs office in the Sydney International Airport will clear your package.
Why Is My Package Stuck On “International Arrival – Awaiting Clearance” For Days?
Backed Up Customs Facilities
The customs clearance process is at its slowest during the peak holiday times when there are volumes of packages to be cleared before yours.
This is especially true for Black Fridays, Cyber Mondays, Christmas and New Year shipments.
Depending on how far your package is in the queue, it might end up taking up to a month before the customs staff can get to your package and clear it.
When they are not overwhelmed, they usually clear it in a matter of minutes or hours.
Customs Seized Your Package
One of the reasons why your package is stuck on “International Arrival – Awaiting Clearance” is that it was seized by customs.
Mostly, seizing occurs when the package is prohibited in Australia, it’s deemed counterfeit, or when the wrong customs declarations were intentionally made.
When this confiscation happens, it can take several days before the recipient gets an update about it.
In all these moments, the tracking page will show, “Awaiting clearance” before a tracking status showing the confiscation is made.
It’s vital to ensure that your imported package coming to Australia is allowed here and that the right declarations are made.
It’s also worth mentioning that while in most incidents Australia Post and customs send you an email telling you when a package has been seized, that unfortunately doesn’t happen all the time.
Missed Scan
While you might not be seeing any new updates on the tracking page, your package might have already cleared the customs process and started its journey coming to you.
In fact, many have reported about their packages being stuck on “International Arrival Awaiting Clearance,” when in the real sense, the package was in the move.
The problem at this point is that you are only relying on chance, and knowing when the package will be on your doorstep is hard.
To avoid such a scenario, we now recommend that you use free Third-party package tracking APPs such as 17Track or ParcelsApp to get the finer details about your package whenever the tracking status doesn’t move for days.
Due to missed scans, we have seen incidents where packages ended up getting delivered when the tracking status was stuck on a single update for days.
The Package Has To Be Inspected Further
Depending on the contents of your package, it might require further inspection before it gets allowed to Australia.
For example, if yours was an electronic device, Australia Post has to look into whether its Lithium battery is within the allowed mAh capacity. Customs sometimes also seize organic greens.
If the customs office is overwhelmed with packages at that time, they will perhaps keep such a package aside and work on those that don’t require much inspection first.
Afterward, officials will take the thousands of packages that have been kept aside and start inspecting them.
Remember, your tracking page won’t show you that your package was kept aside first until it is out for delivery to you.
Lost Package
There are several incidents where packages ended up getting lost when the last scan showed that they were undergoing the customs clearance process.
One of the reasons why packages can be lost includes when yours was a smaller-sized package and was picked along with a bigger one. In such a scenario, and especially if the wrapping tape ends up binding the two together, there are more chances of losing it and having it delivered to the wrong recipient.
Again, if the address label was damaged in transit, it means that they can’t scan it properly, which will render such a package misplaced or lost. Getting the sender to contact AusPost is a sure way to retrieve such a package.
How Long Does A Package Take In “International Arrival – Awaiting Clearance?”
On average, it takes between an hour to a month for a package that is in the customs office to be cleared and get going.
Typically, the number of packages before yours gets cleared plays the most critical role in how fast or slowly a package gets cleared.
Again, the contents inside the package determine if the package will have to undergo further inspection. If it has to be inspected further, it might take several weeks before it can get to your doorstep.
What Should I Do When My Package Is Stuck On, “International Arrival – Awaiting Clearance” For Long?
Since the customs clearance process is beyond Australia Post’s control, we recommend that you get in touch with the sender should your package be delayed past the estimated delivery date.
If it wasn’t an issue with customs seizing your package, the sender should be able to offer you a replacement package or a refund based on non-delivery on the expected delivery date.
If yours wasn’t a time-sensitive package, you can also opt to be more patient for say several weeks after you receive this update, and see if it will make it to you.
