You can follow your parcel outside Belgium with Track & Trace. bpost relies on its international partners for the Track & Trace information. They are not always able to communicate this information (on time) so you might not be able to follow your parcel immediately. Once your parcel arrives in Belgium at bpost, you can follow it with our Track & Trace and the My bpost app.

Tip: You can also follow your parcel with the Track & Trace of the foreign postal service handling your parcel. Use the barcode number that you received from the sender and enter it in the Track & Trace of the foreign postal service.

When a shipment from outside the European Union arrives in Belgium, the parcel is given to customs. The process is as follows:

Security check
Customs performs a security check on all goods arriving in Belgium from outside the European Union. Customs checks whether the goods can be imported to Belgium. If not (e.g. counterfeit goods, weapons or medicine), customs blocks your parcel.

Clearance of the parcel
Customs duties, VAT and any other fees (like anti-dumping duties and environmental duties) are calculated during clearance. As of July 1, 2021, this applies to all shipments, regardless of their value. More information about the new customs rules.

As the recipient, you must pay these import costs in advance via the My bpost app or via Track & Trace. The shipment will only be delivered after payment.

Delivery of the parcel
As soon as customs releases the goods, bpost takes care of the delivery. Take into account that the entire process can take a few days. You can follow the status of your shipment with Track & Trace. You will be notified if you must fulfil more formalities.

The ‘fees for customs formalities’ is an administrative fee that is charged for:

• determining the contents and value of the parcel
• if necessary, contacting the addressee when the contents, value and details of the parcel do not correspond or are incomplete
• drawing up the required customs declaration
• storage and custody fees for collecting and passing on the customs duties

These costs only apply to shipments from outside the European Union (+ United Kingdom). Since 1 July 2021, these costs apply to all shipments from outside the EU, even if the shipment is worth less than €22.

If you order from a registered online shop (Import One-Stop Shop or IOSS) that charges VAT in advance, you will not have to pay additional taxes, customs duties and administrative fees to bpost.

Please note: shipments with a value of €150 or more are always subject to customs duties and administrative processing fees.

In this case, your parcel comes from outside the EU, even if it was ordered from a European webshop. Some webshops send their products directly from the country of origin. If that country is outside the EU (e.g. the United Kingdom), you might be charged import costs. Always check the sender address of your parcel when ordering items online.

If you receive a payment request for import costs, you can still refuse your parcel before making the payment. You can do this via the My bpost app or via Track & Trace. In that case, your parcel will automatically be returned to sender.

As of July 1, 2021, import fees apply to all shipments from outside the European Union and the exemption for shipments worth less than €22 has expired.

This depends on where your parcel was sent.

My parcel comes from inside the European Union

Customs is authorised to check all shipments from inside the European Union. That usually involves suspect shipments from EU member states and shipments with excisable goods inside the European Community. Your parcel doesn't usually experience extra delays.

My parcel comes from outside the European Union

These parcels undergo a customs process by default. The handling period depends on the following two factors:

• whether your parcel has enough information, such as the value and nature of the goods. (If that is not the case, you will receive a letter a few days later. In that case, the handling period is extended until you send the additional information). Customs checks whether VAT, customs fees or other duties have to be paid on your parcel. 
• whether customs or other official authorities have to check your parcel. That is the case for medicine, plants and food, weapons, suspected counterfeit goods, etc. You can follow the status of your parcel online with Track & Trace and the My bpost app.