How long does customs clearance take? Taiwan clearance times and delivery after release
There is no fixed number of days that applies to every parcel. Shipments cleared without document review or physical inspection normally go through the fewest steps; document review, cargo inspection, classification and valuation, or requests for additional paperwork all add stages. When tracking shows "import clearance completed", it usually means customs has released the goods — you still have to wait for the bonded warehouse to release the cargo, and for the carrier to sort and deliver it.
📅 Last substantive update: · ✍️ HowBridge Logistics editorial team · 🔎 Verified against the Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance (財政部關務署) and current law
The 5 steps of Taiwan customs clearance
From arrival in Taiwan to hand-off to the delivery carrier, a shipment normally goes through the stages below. How long each one takes varies with the circumstances of the case:
1Manifest and warehouse entry
The carrier transmits the manifest and the goods enter a bonded warehouse or express consignment area.
2Advance authorization confirmation
For express consignments under a personal simplified declaration, the recipient must verify the data pushed by the customs broker in EZWay.
3Declaration, duties and taxes
The customs broker transmits the declaration data. If duties or taxes apply, they must be paid as instructed in the notice.
4Customs decision
A general declaration may be assigned C1, C2 or C3. An express simplified declaration can only be C1 or C3.
5Release, warehouse departure and delivery
Even after customs release, you still wait for the bonded warehouse to release the cargo, then for sorting and final-mile delivery.
How long does clearance take? First find out which stage your case is at
| Tracking or clearance status | What it means | What may still be pending | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Awaiting authorization confirmation | The customs broker has pushed the data | The recipient has not yet answered "matches" or "does not match" | Verify the house bill number, product description and value right away |
| C1 no review, no inspection | No document review or cargo inspection required | Payment of duties and taxes, release and warehouse pick-up | Act on the tax and logistics notices |
| C2 document review | Customs must review the declaration and supporting documents | Document submission, correction or review | Have your customs broker confirm what is missing |
| C3 cargo inspection | Customs must physically inspect the goods | Inspection scheduling, inspection, classification and valuation, or requests for documents | Have invoices, payment records and product details ready |
| Import clearance completed | Usually means customs has released the goods | Warehouse departure, sorting and final-mile delivery | Switch to the carrier tracking |
Key point: sea freight, sea express and air freight mainly affect the transit time before arrival in Taiwan. Once the goods land, clearance time is determined by the clearance channel, documents, duties and taxes, inspection and on-site operations. Customs has not published a fixed number of days that can be applied to every parcel.
(1) Each piece (bag) of sea or air express cargo must have a gross weight of 70 kg or less; anything heavier must be handled as a general import declaration. (2) All sea express cargo, inbound and outbound, must pass an X-ray scanner check. Legal basis: Article 6 of the Regulations Governing Customs Clearance for Air Express Consignments (《空運快遞貨物通關辦法》) and Article 3 of the Regulations Governing Customs Clearance for Sea Express Consignments (《海運快遞貨物通關辦法》).
Does customs clear goods on holidays and weekends?
Some operations run 24 hours a day, all year round, but manual review and inspection do not necessarily. Electronic transmission of declarations, pick-up of C1 cargo and pick-up of cleared express cargo already operate around the clock. C2 document review, C3 inspection, requests for additional documents and special cases depend on each customs office and its overtime staffing.
- Automated operations: declaration transmission, C1 pick-up and express clearance pick-up can keep running.
- Cases needing human intervention: document review, inspection or additional paperwork may be pushed back, although companies can also apply for overtime processing under the rules.
Around long holidays, cases requiring manual handling and higher shipping volumes can cause delays — but that does not mean customs shuts down entirely. For urgent shipments, confirm cut-off times, overtime arrangements and pick-up slots with your carrier and customs broker well in advance.
What gets selected for customs inspection?
According to the Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance (財政部關務署), the customs computer system screens cases using a combination of the company clearance record, the origin of the goods, the nature of the goods and the customs broker involved. No official fixed inspection rate applicable to every parcel has been published, and selection cannot be predicted from price or import frequency alone.
- Clearance record and origin: the customs risk system combines the existing record with the origin of the goods.
- Nature of the goods: goods subject to import regulations, permits, commodity tax or other controls generally require more documents or checks.
- Declared data: where the product description, quantity, value or documents are questionable, correction or inspection may be required.
- Random inspection: customs inspection works on a random-sampling basis; being selected does not mean a violation has been determined.
C3 only means the case must undergo a physical inspection of the goods. If the goods match the declaration once the inspection is finished, they can still be released through the normal procedure. How long it takes depends on the case.
How do you read clearance progress from the clearance channel?
If your tracking page shows no review and no inspection, there are usually fewer customs steps left. If it shows document review or cargo inspection, you still have manual review, inspection scheduling or document requests ahead. This only tells you which stages remain — it cannot be converted into a fixed number of extra days.
The clearance channel is assigned by customs based on the clearance record, origin, nature of the goods, the customs broker and other risk factors. No official fixed probability or guaranteed number of days applicable to every parcel has been published. Full definitions of C1／C2／C3, simplified declarations, formal declarations and X1–X4 are covered in one place in our guide to simplified and customs declarations.
EZWay advance authorization confirmation: avoid getting stuck on unconfirmed data
Tapping "Declaration matches" only means the advance authorization is confirmed and the customs broker can proceed with the declaration. It does not mean customs guarantees release within a fixed time. If the data is wrong or the parcel is not yours, tap "Declaration does not match" and contact the customs broker — do not confirm blindly just to speed things up.
1Download the EZWay app
Download EZWay from the official App Store or Google Play page and complete identity verification as prompted in the app.
2Wait for the customs broker to push the shipment data
From 1 March 2026, advance authorization confirmation applies to all personal import express consignments under a simplified declaration. The customs broker will push the advance data before filing the declaration.
3Check the house bill number, product description, quantity and declared value
Compare each item against your actual order and payment records. If the product description or declared value is wrong, contact the customs broker to correct it first.
4Answer "Declaration matches" or "Declaration does not match"
Only tap "Declaration matches" if the data is correct. If the data is wrong, your identity has been misused, or you did not buy the goods, tap "Declaration does not match", clarify it with the customs broker, and confirm only after the corrected data has been pushed again.
What to expect: completing the authorization prevents the declaration from stalling for lack of confirmation, but the actual clearance time is still determined by C1／C2／C3, documents, duties and taxes, permits and inspection. For the full walkthrough see our EZWay tutorial.
Clearance cost breakdown
| Fee item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Customs brokerage / handling fee | As quoted by the provider | This is a service fee charged by the provider, not a rate set by customs; confirm what is being charged before you engage them |
| Import duty | Depends on the tariff code | Calculated from the exact CCC code, the applicable duty rate column and the customs value; you can use our CCC tariff code lookup |
| Trade promotion service fee | Customs value × 0.04% | Waived where the amount payable or additionally assessed does not exceed NT$100 |
| Business tax | Normally 5% | (Customs value + import duty + any applicable commodity tax / tobacco and alcohol tax / health and welfare surcharge) × 5% |
| Low-value duty exemption | Exempt where the conditions are met | Where the customs value does not exceed NT$2,000 and the low-value exemption rules are met; separate rules apply to frequent imports, tobacco and alcohol, and certain goods |
💡 Want a total cost estimate first? Start with our China to Taiwan shipping cost calculator to compare the routes available to you, then use the Taiwan import duty and tax guide to estimate using the correct CCC code. Brokerage, storage and special handling fees still go by the provider itemised quote.
Common reasons parcels get held up, and how to fix them
- Advance authorization not confirmed → verify the data in EZWay; if anything is wrong, contact the customs broker to correct it first.
- Questionable product description, quantity, value or documents → provide order records, payment records, invoices and product specifications so the customs broker can file a correction.
- Duties or taxes assessed but not yet paid → pay according to the official tax notice, never through a link in an unsolicited text message.
- Subject to import regulations or testing → supply the permit, test report or other certificate required by the competent authority.
- Suspected prohibited imports or false declaration → customs decides how to handle it based on the goods and the individual case; do not assume the shipment will automatically be returned or destroyed.
Can AEO benefits guarantee fast release for an individual shipment?
"AEO" (Authorized Economic Operator) is a customs certification programme for trusted businesses. Qualifying importers and exporters may, under the rules, receive a lower document review or inspection rate, priority inspection, a single point of contact and other benefits. But those benefits come with eligibility requirements and conditions, so you cannot conclude that every personal parcel declared by an AEO-partnered broker will clear faster.
- The benefits that actually apply depend on the company category, certification status and the circumstances of the individual case.
- Customs still decides based on the importer, the origin, the nature of the goods, the declared data and the risk system.
- Choosing a customs broker who knows the paperwork and the rules helps reduce data errors, but it is not a guarantee of release time.
HowBridge works with AEO-certified partner customs brokers on these procedures; every shipment is still subject to the customs decision.
Legal basis and official sources
The clearance channels, declaration categories, EZWay advance authorization and tax formulas on this page are compiled from the current laws and official government sources below, last verified on 2026-07-12:
- Clearance channels: C1 no review and no inspection / C2 document review / C3M manual inspection / C3X scanner inspection: per Articles 13 and 14 of the Regulations Governing the Implementation of Customs Clearance Automation (《貨物通關自動化實施辦法》) and the Customs Clearance Manual for Advance Cargo Declaration — Imports (《預報貨物通關報關手冊—進口篇》) — Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance (財政部關務署).
- Import express declaration categories: X1 documents / X2 customs value ≤ NT$2,000 duty free / X3 NT$2,001–50,000 dutiable / X4 > NT$50,000 high value; the 70 kg per-piece gross weight limit for express consignments; 100% X-ray screening of sea express: per Article 6 of the Regulations Governing Customs Clearance for Air Express Consignments (《空運快遞貨物通關辦法》) and Article 3 of the Regulations Governing Customs Clearance for Sea Express Consignments (《海運快遞貨物通關辦法》) — Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance (財政部關務署).
- The statutory deadline for requesting to attend a C3 inspection: handled under the Regulations Governing the Inspection of Import and Export Goods (《進出口貨物查驗準則》); that deadline is not an SLA under which customs guarantees release within the same number of days.
- The NT$2,000 low-value exemption and frequent imports: per Article 49 of the Customs Act (《關稅法》) and the related Ministry of Finance rules; the low-value exemption does not apply to anyone released duty free more than 6 times in a half-year period, but that does not automatically mean the goods are deemed commercial imports.
- Trade promotion service fee: the statutory ceiling under Article 21 of the Foreign Trade Act (《貿易法》) is 4.25 per ten thousand, and the currently announced import collection rate is 4 per ten thousand (0.04%) — International Trade Administration, MOEA (經濟部國際貿易署).
- AEO security-certified enterprises: per Article 2 of the Regulations Governing the Certification and Management of Authorized Economic Operators (《優質企業認證及管理辦法》), authorized economic operators are divided into "general AEOs" and "security-certified AEOs" — Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance (財政部關務署).
- 24-hour clearance operations: electronic transmission of declarations, pick-up of C1 cargo and pick-up of cleared express cargo already run 24 hours a day; other cases depend on each customs office overtime arrangements.
Legal basis and authoritative references (official law databases, last verified 2026-07-12):
- Regulations Governing the Implementation of Customs Clearance Automation (《貨物通關自動化實施辦法》, G0350044)
- Regulations Governing Customs Clearance for Air Express Consignments (《空運快遞貨物通關辦法》, G0350064)
- Regulations Governing Customs Clearance for Sea Express Consignments (《海運快遞貨物通關辦法》, G0350071)
- Regulations Governing the Inspection of Import and Export Goods (《進出口貨物查驗準則》, G0350013)
- Regulations Governing the Certification and Management of Authorized Economic Operators (《優質企業認證及管理辦法》, G0350061)
- Article 49 of the Customs Act (《關稅法》)
- Regulations Governing Customs Clearance of Imported and Exported Postal Parcels (《郵包物品進出口通關辦法》, G0350072)
- Article 21 of the Foreign Trade Act (《貿易法》)
- Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance (財政部關務署): What is the difference between C1, C2 and C3?
- Taipei Customs (臺北關): Notes on simplified declarations for imported express consignments
- Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance (財政部關務署): Full rollout of advance authorization confirmation from 1 March 2026
- Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance (財政部關務署): 24-hour clearance operations
Official lookups: Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance (財政部關務署)、 EZWay、 Formulas for duties and taxes payable on imported goods
Frequently asked questions
Need help with customs declarations and the EZWay process?
Register to get a Shenzhen warehouse address, and let our customer service team help you confirm consolidation, customs paperwork and the EZWay advance authorization process.
Register free to get a warehouse address →