When expecting an international package, one of the most common AusPost tracking statuses is, “Arrived Awaiting Clearance (Inbound).”
What does this status mean? Is there anything I could do about it to necessitate a faster delivery?
For these, and other finer details, let’s get to it straight away.
What Does, “Arrived Awaiting Clearance (Inbound)” Mean?
When Australia Post tells you that your package “arrived awaiting clearance (inbound),” it means that it is already in the customs office in Australia and will be inspected for all clearance purposes before it comes to you.
Depending on various factors, it might take a few hours for your package to move or even up to a month before you can get any update.
Why Is My AusPost Package Stuck On, “Arrived Awaiting Clearance (Inbound)” For Days?
Your Package Was Seized
One of the reasons why your package is stuck on “Arrived awaiting clearance (inbound)” is that it was seized by customs.
Mostly, seizing occurs when the package is prohibited in your country, it’s deemed counterfeit, or when the wrong customs declarations were intentionally made.
When this confiscation happens after your package arrives at the international airport, it can take several days before the recipient gets an update about it.
In all these moments, the tracking page will show, “Arrived awaiting clearance (inbound)” 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.
Backlogs
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.
The Package Needs Further Inspection
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.
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. Instead, it will stay stuck on, “arrived awaiting clearance” until that will have been sorted out.
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 toward you.
In fact, many have reported about their packages being stuck on “Arrived awaiting clearance (inbound),” 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.
The Package Was Lost
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.
What Does, “Arrived Awaiting Clearance (Inbound) Sydney NSW” Mean?
This Australia Post tracking status means that your package is in the Sydney, New South Wales customs office, where it will be inspected and cleared for further progress toward the destination address.
Since the Sydney customs office is one of the largest for incoming packages, it handles most of the packages coming to Australia.
As such, it is easy for it to be backed up with packages, regardless of how staffed it is. See, the ratio of the number of staff to the volumes of packages is usually disproportionate during the peak shopping times.
If your package was last scanned in this office, don’t worry if it stays there for longer than you expacted. It’s mostly an issue to do with them being backlogged.
What Should I Do When My Package Is Stuck On, “Arrived Awaiting Clearance (Inbound)” For Long?
Since the customs clearance process is beyond Australia Post, we recommend that you get in touch with the sender should your package delay past the estimated delivery date.
If it wasn’t an issue to do with customs seizing your package, the sender should be able to offer you a replacement package or a refund on the basis of 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 a month after you saw this status, and see if it will make it to you.
How Long Does A Package Take In “Arrived Awaiting Clearance (Inbound)?”
On average, it takes between two hours 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.
