What should I do if my package is detained/seized by customs? 2026 Complete Processing Guide
📅 Last updated: 2026-09-21 · ✍️ HowBridge consolidation editorial team · 🛡️ Reviewed by our AEO-certified partner customs broker
1. Don’t panic: first find out whether it is “detention” or “inspection”
A notice that a parcel is "stuck at customs" does not mean the goods have been confiscated. Common procedures include:
- Approved inspection (C3)：The Customs risk system classifies the declaration as C3 (cargo inspection), requiring unpacking or an X-ray check (C3X). C3 is an inspection channel, not a finding of a violation; release still depends on the inspection result and applicable import rules.
- Supplementary documents / additional duty required：Customs may request corrections when documents are incomplete, value must be reassessed, or an approval document is missing. A request for supplementary documents is not itself a penalty; after correction, Customs still decides whether to release the goods based on the documents, inspection result, and import rules.
Will I be fined if my parcel is detained by customs? How much?
Being assigned to C3 inspection or receiving a request for documents or a tax notice is not itself a penalty. A penalty depends on whether there was a false declaration, smuggling, or another violation. Under Article 37, Paragraph 1 of the Customs Anti-Smuggling Act (海關緝私條例), anyone who declares goods for import with a false name, quantity, weight, quality, value or specification is liable to a fine of up to 5 times the import duty evaded, and the goods may also be confiscated; under Article 36, Paragraph 1, smuggling goods into the country carries a fine of up to 3 times the value of the goods together with confiscation, while Paragraph 2 provides a fine of up to NT$90,000 for receiving, concealing, or reselling smuggled goods. Article 44 provides that no additional levy or penalty may be imposed once 5 years have elapsed since the event.
How do I check whether my parcel is being held by customs?
There are three channels. The Ministry of Finance Customs Administration states explicitly that "to help cargo owners find out whether their import or export goods have been designated for inspection, they may go to the Single Window website to check": go to portal.sw.nat.gov.tw, choose "Customs Clearance Services", then "Certificate-free Enquiry Services" and then "Import Clearance Process" - no certificate required; Taipei Customs also provides a direct "Import Declaration Clearance Process Enquiry" entrance. The second channel is the pending-task notifications in the EZWay app, which show statuses such as declaration awaiting confirmation or under inspection. The third is to ask your consolidator or customs broker to pull up the declaration - the only channel that can actually tell you whether it was designated C1, C2 or C3.
How high is the risk of a C3 inspection? What are the odds of being picked?
Customs publishes no fixed C3 sampling rate, and there is no publicly disclosed "high / medium / low risk" banding. According to the Customs Administration, once goods are declared through the automated online system, the customs computer expert system assigns each declaration to C1 (release without document review or inspection), C2 (document review) or C3 (physical inspection) on the basis of screening criteria such as the trader's clearance record, the origin of the goods, the nature of the goods and the customs broker involved - so the "C3 probability of X%" figures circulating online have no official basis. The practical way to reduce your chance of being designated C3 is to declare the product name and price truthfully, have the invoice and specification documents ready, and choose a customs broker with a good clearance record. Note also that HowBridge's own sea-express records only show the filing and release times logged by the customs system. They carry no clearance-type code, so they cannot be used to estimate the C1/C2/C3 split or the chance of inspection; segment times and methodology are in the HowBridge data on the "How long does Taiwan customs clearance take" page.
Academic research likewise treats "documentation" as a controllable risk: in "A Study on Risk Management in the Customs Clearance and Cargo Pick-up Process of Imported Goods", published by Tseng Wen-jui, Ma Bi-lien and colleagues in issue 27 of the Journal of National Kaohsiung Marine University (《高雄海洋科大學報》, 2013), the authors drew up risk factors using the Delphi method, surveyed clearance practitioners and then conducted expert interviews, arriving at 16 clearance and pick-up risk factors and 21 risk management strategies, and grouping the sources of risk into three categories: the goods themselves, missing documents in the clearance process, and the inland transport leg. Among these, "missing documents" is precisely the category most common in consolidated small parcels - and the easiest to eliminate before you even ship. (The study was published in 2013, before several revisions to real-name authentication and the Single Window, so the current rules prevail on procedural details.)
Got a notice saying "your parcel cannot clear customs in time due to inspection"? First tell a real status from a scam text
That sentence has two identities: it really does exist as a status line on tracking pages, and it is also the favourite script of scam texts - the difference is what it asks you to do next. Genuine customs and postal procedures run on paper notices and apps; a scam is in a hurry to hand you a payment link. Use the three rules below to tell them apart, then check the table for how to handle each message.
- Real customs never collects duty by text message. The Ministry of Finance Customs Administration states plainly: "Customs will not notify consignees to pay duties by telephone, e-mail or Line, nor will it ask consignees to pay duties by transferring to a private account or in bitcoin" - duty is always collected against a paper tax bill.
- If a postal parcel really is held, there is always a paper notice. Taipei Customs explains that the post office mails an "International Parcel Customs Inspection Notice" (國際包裹補辦驗關手續通知單) on the day after import, asking the recipient to complete inspection formalities: "If you have not received the above notice, the parcel is not one held by Customs for inspection formalities." Chunghwa Post likewise states that it will never notify customers by e-mail to make online transfers.
- If you still cannot tell, do two things. Open the EZWay app and look at your pending notices (a real notice appears inside the app, not behind a text-message link); and call the 165 anti-fraud hotline to verify a suspicious message. To confirm a tax bill, phone your local customs office directly (Taipei Customs 03-383-4265).
| The message you received | Real or fake | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| SMS / e-mail: "Your parcel cannot clear customs in time due to inspection. Click the link to pay the outstanding duty / shipping fee" | Almost certainly a scam. Chunghwa Post lists it as a common tactic: pretending to be the post office, claiming unpaid duty or shipping fees and demanding online payment through a link. Neither real customs nor the post office collects money via a text-message link. | Do not click the link, do not enter card numbers or personal data; call 165 to verify. To check the real status of your parcel, open the EZWay app or ask your forwarder to look up the declaration. |
| Chunghwa Post tracking page: "Will be forwarded to the following customs inspection office" | A genuine status. It is the normal step where EMS and international parcels are handed to the customs unit stationed at the post office - not a sign of any violation. | Just wait. If inspection formalities are needed, the post office mails you a paper notice. You can track progress with the parcel barcode on the Chunghwa Post website, or call the EMS import line (02)2703-7527. |
| Courier tracking page: "Held by customs for unspecified reasons" | A genuine status line, but a catch-all wording for "documents incomplete or awaiting customs action". Which leg it happened on - the export side or Taiwan - depends on the surrounding tracking events. | First ask your forwarder or courier support to pull the declaration and identify the reason. If it is already on the Taiwan leg, check the clearance status in the EZWay app or the Single Window, then follow sections 2 and 3 above. |
| Platform / forwarder tracking page: "Parcel undergoing customs declaration and inspection in mainland China" | A genuine status, but this is the mainland Chinese export customs - the parcel has not reached Taiwan at all, so Taiwan's Single Window and EZWay cannot show this leg. | Have the sending side - the seller or your forwarder - chase the mainland leg. Taiwan customs only comes into play once the parcel arrives, and then the lookup channels on this page apply. |
2. Comparison table: the seven main reasons a parcel is held or stuck, and their tell-tale signs
Refer to the table below to determine which category you belong to, and then look at the corresponding processing flow in Section 3.
| reason | Common signs | what to do | Processing time limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| C3 Cargo inspection (selected) | The status shows "under inspection/C3". | The declarant applies for and attends the Customs unpacking or X-ray inspection; release, correction, or another disposition follows from the result. | The declarant must apply for and attend inspection within 10 days beginning on the day after declaration, or 3 days for express cargo; this is an application deadline, not a deadline for Customs to finish inspection. |
| Documents are incomplete and need to be supplemented | Notification "Correction" "Please provide invoice/list of ingredients" | Prepare the invoice, product name list, ingredient/specification list and submit it to the customs broker for uploading | According to the customs notification period (usually several days) |
| Exceeding NT$2,000 tax exemption/more than 6 times in six months | Notification of "taxable" and "duty/business tax required to be paid" | When the duty-free threshold or frequency limit is exceeded, Customs assesses taxes under the law; goods of a commercial nature or otherwise ineligible for simplified declaration must be changed to formal declaration when instructed. | The tax bill must be paid within 14 days from the day after it is delivered |
| Goods subject to approval without the required certificate (BSMI / TFDA / NCC) | Notice "Import Permit/Declaration of Conformity Required" | Obtain the missing approval documents; if they cannot be obtained, arrange a return shipment | According to the notice; if it is overdue, it will be returned. |
| The declaration is inconsistent (low value, ambiguous product name) | The Customs’ “approved customs value” is higher than what you declared | Provide evidence of true invoices; if the underreporting is confirmed, tax will be paid. In serious cases, tax will be paid and penalties will be added in accordance with the anti-smuggling regulations. | Deadline for tax bill/disposition letter |
| Prohibited/Restricted Imported Items | Notice "Not allowed to be imported" and "Ordered to return the goods" | Process the return; if unable to return, declare abandonment / confiscate and destroy by customs | within the time limit ordered by customs |
| EZWay Unreal name/Unconfirmed declaration | The package has arrived at customs but there is no progress, and the App shows that it needs to be confirmed. | Complete EZWay real-name authentication and confirm online within 7 days beginning on the day after the platform sends the electronic customs-mandate message. | Within 7 days beginning on the day after the platform sends the electronic mandate message; after the deadline, the broker must contact the recipient to complete an online or paper mandate. |
3. What to do in each case: supplementary documents, additional duty and return shipment
The following are the 5 standard steps (HowTo) for handling a stuck notification:
Find out the reason for detention
Open the EZWay app and read your pending notices, or contact your consolidator's or customs broker's customer service and ask precisely: "is this a C3 inspection, supplementary documents, additional duty, an approval requirement or a return shipment?" That answer determines everything you do next.
Prepare the corresponding documents
Supplementary documents: prepare the purchase invoice (with unit price and quantity), a product list and the ingredient/specification sheet. Approval cases: prepare the BSMI declaration of conformity, the TFDA import permit, the NCC certification approval and so on. Declaration mismatch: prepare the genuine transaction invoice to substantiate the customs value.
Upload/correction through customs broker
Submit the documents to the customs broker, who will make corrections to the declaration in the customs system or submit the original written document. C3 inspection will be accompanied by a customs broker.
Pay back taxes (if necessary)
If it is determined to be taxable or needs to be paid back, after receiving the customs tax payment certificate, it must be paid within 14 days from the day after delivery in accordance with Article 43 of the Customs Tariff Law; late payment fees will be levied daily for overdue payments. Tax exemption is available up to NT$2,000 and within 6 times in half a year.
Release or return shipment
Customs inspection and clearance guidance. Prepare the required documents, follow the notice, and contact your customs broker for lawful release.
After these steps, Customs still determines whether to release the goods, request further correction, order return, or take another action based on the inspection result, documents, and import rules. The law does not guarantee completion within a set number of days after documents are supplied. Delivery after release depends on the carrier's actual progress.
How do you complete EZWay real-name authentication and confirm the declaration? See the complete EZWay guide.
4. Return vs. Release vs. Abandon: How to choose among the three options?
| Options | Applicable situations | costs and consequences |
|---|---|---|
| ✅ Released after supplementary documents and duty payment | The documents can be completed, it is an importable product, and we are willing to pay the tax. | Import duty + business tax + (if needed) the broker's fee; the most economical route, and you keep the goods |
| ↩️ Return export | Products that are prohibited/restricted, unable to obtain approval, or unwilling to pay high taxes | You need to pay the return freight + the warehouse rent incurred; the goods will be returned to the original place of origin. |
| 🗑️ Abandoned / Confiscated by Customs | Return shipping is not cost-effective, cannot be processed, and is confiscated due to violations. | The goods pass to the national treasury to be sold or destroyed; you recover neither the goods nor the freight |
5. Legal time limit and consequences of overdue (will be sold/confiscated)
Customs will not keep your package indefinitely. According to customs laws, failure to process within the time limit will lead to fee increases and liquidation:
- Customs declaration deadline: In principle, imported goods must be declared within 15 days from the day following the date of import of the means of transportation (Article 16 of the Tariff Act).
- Delayed declaration fee: If a customs declaration is not made within the time limit, a delayed declaration fee of NT$200 will be levied on a daily basis starting from the day after the customs declaration period expires (Article 73, Item 1 of the Tariff Act).
- Sale: If the customs declaration is still not made after 20 days of delaying the declaration fee, the customs may sell the goods (Article 73, Item 2 of the Tariff Law); the taxpayer can apply for a refund within 5 years of the balance of the sale proceeds after deducting taxes, and the overdue payment will be returned to the national treasury.
- Deadline for payment of back tax: After receiving the tax payment certificate, it should be paid within 14 days from the day after it is delivered; if payment is not made within the due date, late payment fees will be levied on a daily basis (Articles 43 and 74 of the Tariff Law).
- Return period: For goods that are not allowed to be imported, the Customs shall order them to be returned within a time limit; if the goods are overdue or abandoned in writing, the Customs may sell them (Article 96 of the Tariff Law).
If it is not processed within the time limit, it will eventually enter the customs auction and sale process. For details, see the complete guide to Taiwan customs auctions.
6. How to appeal, review and obtain release
If you believe that the customs value, tariff code or punishment determined by the customs is wrong, you have legal remedies:
- Supply supporting evidence first: Provide real purchase invoices, payment records, and product links as soon as possible, and explain the actual transaction price to the customs. Most price disputes can be resolved at the valuation stage.
- Application for review: If you are dissatisfied with the assessed tax amount or punishment, you can apply to the customs for review (review) within the statutory period in accordance with the provisions of the customs law. Overdue rights will be extinguished.
- Appeals and administrative litigation: If you are still dissatisfied with the review decision, you can continue to file appeals and administrative litigation.
- Assigned by AEO to assist with customs brokers: Customs brokers are familiar with tariff classification and supporting requirements, and can assist in legally obtaining correct valuations and releases, and avoid delays due to incomplete documents.
Regulatory basis and official sources
The detention reasons, procedures, deadlines, and consequences on this page are compiled from the following current laws, regulations, and official government sources. Last verified on 2026-09-21:
- Customs clearance method C1 exemption from examination/C2 document review/C3 cargo inspection: According to the Implementation Measures for Automated Customs Clearance of Goods and the instructions of the Customs Administration - Customs Administration of the Ministry of Finance.
- Customs declaration period of 15 days, daily late declaration fee of NT$200, and sale within 20 days of collection: Articles 16 and 73 of the Tariff Law - National Regulations Database.
- 14-day deadline for back-tax payment, late payment fees: Articles 43 and 74 of the Tariff Law - National Regulations Database.
- Goods that are not allowed to be imported may be ordered to be returned or sold if abandoned: Article 96 of the Tariff Law - National Regulations Database.
- Confiscation and fines (additional taxes and fines) for false declarations and smuggling: Articles 36 and 37 of the Customs Anti-Smuggling Regulations - National Laws and Regulations Database.
- NT$2,000 is tax-free, and tax exemption is not applicable for more than 6 times in half a year: Article 49 of the Tariff Law, Customs Clearance Measures for Import and Export of Postal Items - Customs Administration of the Ministry of Finance.
- EZWay real-name authentication and mandate-confirmation deadline: the operating rules require online confirmation within 7 days beginning on the day after the real-name authentication platform sends the electronic customs-mandate message. After the deadline, the platform creates an exception record and tells the broker to contact the recipient to complete an online or paper mandate; expiry does not itself mean immediate return or destruction.
- Customs does not notify duty payment by telephone / e-mail / Line, a held postal parcel is always evidenced by a paper notice, and fake postal payment texts are a common scam: Ministry of Finance Customs Administration, "Your parcel is not your parcel" (你的包裹不是你的包裹, 2022-02-17); Taipei Customs postal parcel enquiry guidance (2023-09-08); Chunghwa Post anti-fraud advisory - call 165 about any suspicious message.
Official inquiry: Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance, Customs Administration・explanation of the C1/C2/C3 clearance channels, Laws & Regulations Database・Customs Act, Laws & Regulations Database・Customs Anti-Smuggling Act.
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