What does the mark “Extended release time by customs” mean?

People placing orders to purchase goods from abroad sometimes have to face a problem when customs, for certain reasons, delays a package from abroad. So, the customer successfully tracks his parcel through online tracking, and then, when the goods are already recorded in the recipient’s country, the following status appears: “Extended release date by customs.” From this article you will learn what such a message means and what you need to do to receive the long-awaited product.

Status: Extended release date by customs

What does this status mean?

The mark appears even before the goods cross the international border. Customs control, which checks all products imported into Russia, may delay it for any reason until the circumstances are clarified, or even ban its import. Then the message “Extended release date by customs” appears.

When a shipment from another country arrives at the customs service, employees check the accompanying documentation, compare it with the parameters of the cargo and formalize it in accordance with current legislation. If violations are found during the clearance process, the parcel is “frozen” and customs begins a detailed inspection.

How to get a customs stamp on a paper document

Since tax legislation requires the submission of customs information on paper copies of documents, participants in foreign trade activities can submit a corresponding request to the customs authority. The appeal must be motivated and drawn up on the organization’s letterhead in compliance with all paperwork formalities.

As the basis for the request, you can use a text with a reference to the regulatory authority that made the request, for example: “Due to the need to comply with the provisions of Article 165 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation and based on the request of the Federal Tax Service of Russia No. ... (name and number of the inspection), please put it on a paper copy EDT No. ... (or the name of the transport document and its number) a mark confirming the fact of export of goods from the customs territory.”

Reasons for delayed departure

Customs has the right to slow down further movement of cargo if:

supporting documents are not filled out properly or contain errors;
the weight of the package is more than 50 kg or does not correspond to the weight specified in the declaration;
the total value of imported goods in one parcel exceeds 1,500 €;
there are no papers containing sufficient information to identify imported products;
the goods being sent are on the list of prohibited imports into the territory of the Russian Federation from abroad;
the recipient from Russia has exceeded the limit on the free quantity of imported goods and is obliged to pay a state duty;
the seller did not pay customs duties;
a large number of similar products looks suspicious, since it looks like a commercial batch (here the check is carried out in relation to the seller, there are no complaints against the buyer);
The declared value of the contents of the package for transportation is specially underestimated by the store in order to reduce the amount of the mandatory customs payment.

We cannot exclude technical nuances, due to which the status of delayed departure also appears. For example, the warehouse is overloaded during the New Year period, a serious breakdown occurred, or a human factor occurred.

What to do if the parcel exceeds the limits

According to the new rules, individuals have the right not to pay customs duties when ordering 31 kg of various goods for personal needs with a total cost of €200 per month.

If these limits are exceeded, you will have to pay a fee: 30% of the amount over the limit, but not less than €4 per 1 kg. For example, if the user made an order for €560, the fee will be €18.

The courier service is responsible for promptly notifying buyers of the need to make such payment. The message usually includes a payment link, through which the recipient will see the order number, his details and the amount of the fee.

Note. You can pay the receipt using a bank card.

If the recipient does not agree with the duty and is sure that he did not exceed the monthly limit, he has the right to contact the Federal Customs Service to find out exactly what goods the duty was charged for and when they were imported. The written application form is available on the FCS website. To do it online, there is an “Electronic appeal” tab.

What should the recipient do?

There is no way you can speed up the delivery process at the first stage of the delay. If a technical failure occurs, after 1-3 days the status will be updated to “Release by customs” and the parcel will be sent further. If the customs service has engaged in a detailed check of the goods, it will most likely contact the seller and resolve the issue with him. The store will send the requested documentation, you just have to wait. This usually takes 3 to 5 business days.

Additional information may also be requested from you. So, if the product is sent by a logistics company, it will notify the recipient via SMS or phone call of the need to provide an identification code (TIN) and national passport details. Usually, for this purpose, a link is sent, clicking on which opens a special form to fill out. You enter the information in the blank fields, save it and wait for customs to check it.

If more than 3 days have passed since the status about the goods being detained by customs appeared, but you have not received any requests from delivery services, you should take action. There are several options:

Contact the Federal Customs Service by calling the hotline. On the official website of the department customs.gov.ru in the “Contacts” section you can find several valid numbers at once. Depending on the problem, call the specified phone number (for information about the activities of customs authorities, for example, +7 (499) 449-7771) or write to the email address. Describe the situation and clarify the details of extending the customs clearance period. Have the track number readily available so you can call it immediately if necessary.
If the cargo is delivered by logistics services such as CDEK, IML, EMS, DHL, then find out the reason for the delay with them. Each organization has technical support that accepts user requests. Typically, such companies themselves notify customers about problems with customs, but failures are possible here too.
Russian Post does not notify its recipients and rarely answers phone calls. Therefore, to obtain information, you need to visit the post office to which the parcel was sent.
If you ordered the goods from an online store, write to the seller about the status of the shipment and find out if he received notifications from the customs service. Perhaps customs officials have already contacted him and he is collecting the necessary documents to transport the cargo across the border. If the package comes from a site like AliExpress, Joom or TaoBao, and the status has changed to being on its way back to the sender, open a dispute. Do this when the package is newly registered in China.

If none of the methods yielded results, all that remains is to contact the Federal Customs Service in person. To do this, you need to write an application in one of the departments, attaching to it:

a copy of your national passport (you must have the original with you);
invoice from the seller;
receipts and checks indicating payment for the goods;
photo of the purchase.

On site, the employee will also ask you to fill out a form, which indicates the full contents of the parcel and the purpose of each enclosed product. If the delay is caused by exceeding the weight limit, you will need to pay a state fee.

What should an exporter do after March 1?

Customs declaration

What are the requirements for submitting customs declarations after March 1, 2021? The situation with affixing customs marks was explained by the Ministry of Finance in a letter dated November 2, 2020 No. 03-07-13/95436.

If the exporter confirms the right to apply zero VAT on paper, he must submit to the tax office a printed copy of the electronic goods declaration (EDT) from the customs declaration software.

Column “C” of the printed declaration must contain information about the release of goods in the customs export procedure. Subsequent affixing of the customs stamp “Release permitted” is not required.
At the same time, the Ministry of Finance emphasizes that the printed copy of the EDT must be stamped by the customs authority of the place of departure. All paper documents must be certified in accordance with the established procedure before being submitted to the inspection.

If the exporter interacts with the tax inspectorate through electronic document management, then instead of copies of customs declarations, he submits their electronic registers (Clause 15 of Article 165 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation).
If the tax authority requests copies of customs declarations, information from which is included in electronic registers, the exporter submits such copies without marks from the customs authorities of the place of departure. That is, the “Goods exported” stamp is not needed in this situation (paragraph 20, clause 15, article 165 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation).

Waybill

The transport invoice is submitted only at the request of the tax inspector if the information provided by the exporter differs from the information in the tax database or is missing from it.

According to clause 1.2. Art. 165 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation, in response to a request, the exporter may send a copy of any shipping document confirming the fact of acceptance of goods for transportation, which indicates the place of unloading of goods outside the customs territory. For example, for sea transportation, this could be a copy of the shipment order, a copy of the bill of lading or a sea waybill with the “Port of unloading” column filled in. And for air transportation - a copy of the international air waybill indicating the unloading airport. In this case, there is no need to affix customs information.

How long is a delayed parcel kept at customs?

Items that raise suspicion or require additional inspection remain in storage at the customs control point. The first five days they are there for free; for subsequent days the recipient of the parcel will have to pay. However, the storage period is limited - no more than 14 calendar days.

For packages delivered by air, a different period is provided - 30 calendar days. If during this time the seller or recipient does not provide the necessary information to customs, the parcel is sent back.

Why does the “Release by Customs” status not change?

If your order is delayed at customs for some reason, it is recommended to do the following:

Make sure that all the necessary information is provided: TIN, passport details and other information requested by the courier service.
Make sure that the monthly import limit is not exceeded, otherwise pay the duty.
Check whether the parcel contained goods that are prohibited to import: electronics with encryption capabilities that have not been notified by the FSB, high-frequency transmitters, weapons, extremist literature, music and films, pornography, etc.
Wait. The customs inspection period is up to 10 days. If more has passed, it is better to contact the courier service that was supposed to deliver the order.

If the recipient does not provide his passport details and TIN, customs has the right to return the parcel to the seller.

This is interesting:
What does the law on the import and export of cultural property say and what is the responsibility for violating it?
What is currency regulation in the customs union and how is it implemented?
How is the country of origin of a product determined: methods of confirmation and labeling

Goods prohibited for import into Russia

If the products you ordered are in the list below, you will not be able to receive them at the Russian Post Office. It is prohibited to import the following goods:

drinks containing alcohol;
jewelry products of high value;
radioactive substances;
narcotic drugs;
human organs;
animals and plants;
antiques;
materials that pose a moral threat: products with elements of pornography, products that incite hostility between representatives of different nationalities, products of a terrorist nature, etc.

Packets with the listed contents are guaranteed to be stopped at the border. Moreover, they will not be returned to the sender, but will be disposed of. The recipient faces real punishment for attempting to import prohibited products, including criminal liability.

Thus, the note “Extended release time by customs” in the parcel tracking does not mean that you will not be able to receive it. In most cases, the problem is resolved within a few days after the necessary information is provided from the sender or recipient.

Parcel tracking process

Parcel tracking allows you to fully control the parcel delivery process.
To do this, each shipment is assigned a unique identification code - a track number, which allows you to find out exactly where the parcel is currently located and estimate the approximate delivery time. Tracking a parcel by track number is possible using our service 100parcels.com, which provides the user with all the necessary information about the current condition and location of the parcel. When delivered by Russian Post, registered parcels are assigned a track number, which is displayed on the receipt issued to the sender. The shipment ID contains 14 digits with which you can track your shipment.

International parcels

International parcels are also assigned a tracking number. It has a numerical and alphabetic designation, which encrypts the delivery method and country of departure. The addressee usually receives international parcels within 2-3 weeks. The exception is the pre-holiday period, as well as seasonal sales, when there is an increased load on postal and courier services.

Small packages

Small packages are also assigned a track number. The identifier can be a combination of numbers and letters or just numbers. Small packages take approximately 30 days to arrive.

EMS shipments

EMS is a service for express mail delivery. The company provides services in Russia and other countries. There are more than 42,000 branches in the Russian Federation. Delivery is carried out by courier to the nearest post office, to the addressee’s home or to another place convenient for the client. In Russia, a 14-digit postal identifier is used. Upon dispatch, a check is issued, where the track is indicated as follows RPO No. **************. Delivery of EMS items takes 7-14 days.

Express services

Express services (such as DHL, CDEK, PonyExpress) offer expedited delivery of goods. This is one of the most convenient delivery methods. In this case, the parcel is delivered to the recipient’s home or office. All shipments in this case are registered, each of them is assigned a track number. When using express services, the format of the shipment track number usually differs from the international one, and each service has its own (see the section with the track number format on the express service page). Express delivery usually takes about 3-7 days.

FAQ

Can I track a track number without letters?

For some carriers, the tracking number consists only of numbers, for example, Russian Post or DHL. The 100parcels.com service allows you to track track numbers that consist only of numbers.

How to find out the carrier by track number?

Very often, carriers use both the international format of the departure number and their own formats. Quite often it turns out that according to the tracking number there are several carriers who have the same tracking number format. In this case, you can independently go to the website of each carrier and try to find out the status of the parcel, or use the capabilities of the 100parcels.com service, which will do this for you automatically.

What to do if the parcel is no longer tracked?

Usually, the absence of changes in the status of the parcel indicates a delay at any of the intermediate points. Most often this situation occurs during the holidays. If the delivery period has expired and the parcel is still on the way, you should contact the seller to resolve the conflict situation.

How to find out the carrier by track number

When ordering goods in an online store, the seller usually himself informs the name of the transport company through which the order will be sent. If the seller does not do this, then you can find out the carrier in the following way:

Using the format of the tracking number, you can determine a specific carrier or a list of carriers, and then check the availability of your parcel in each of them;
Try all popular postal and courier services in the hope that your package will be found in one of them
Take advantage of the capabilities of the 100parcels.com service, which will do all this for you automatically: determine a group of carriers, a list of the most popular recipient and sender carriers in the country, and check the availability of information about the parcel in these carriers.

How to track an international parcel

Tracking international parcels is no different from tracking parcels through local postal services. See instructions for tracking your parcel at the very beginning of the page.

Statuses of international mail items

The 100parcels.com service allows you to track the status of your shipment. To understand where a particular parcel is located and what is currently happening to it, the user must know what exactly this or that status means:

Acceptance - the parcel has already been accepted by employees of the postal organization or courier company. Simultaneously with acceptance, the shipment receives a track number for subsequent tracking.
Arrived at the sorting center - parcels from MMPO are transferred for sorting. There are such centers in almost all major cities. Typically, the parcel arrives at the nearest sorting center, where employees develop the most optimal route for delivery to the point of issue.
Left the sorting center - the status means that the parcel has been sent and has begun moving along the route.
Handed over to customs - after sorting at the aviation department, the parcel is handed over for customs inspection. This is done using a scanner. If customs officers suspect that a parcel contains prohibited items or substances, it is opened. An inspector must be present during the procedure. After this, if there are no prohibited items, the parcel is packed again and sent to the recipient along with the inspection report.
Arrival at MMPO (i.e. the place of international postal exchange) - at this stage, the shipment goes through the registration procedure and customs control. After this, the parcel is grouped for international shipping.
Export actually means sending a postal item. The status includes the transfer of the package to the carrier. The package can be delivered by land or air. The presence of the parcel in this status may take longer due to the filling of transport and optimization of transport routes. On average, the operation can take 7-14 days, but sometimes it can last up to 60 days. Most often, delays occur around the holidays.
Import - this status means the parcel has been accepted in the receiving country. At the local air post office, the parcels are weighed, the barcode is scanned, and the packaging is checked. The arrival flight number is recorded. On average, the time it takes for a shipment to remain in the “Import” status is 1-2 days.
Detained by customs - this status is assigned if violations are detected, this may include exceeding current standards for the weight or cost of the parcel. To receive your order in this case, the buyer will need to pay an additional fee.
Customs Clearance Complete - This status means that customs has completed the inspection and handed it over to the Postal Service. In some cases, this status replaces the inscription “Left MMPO”.
Arrived at the city sorting center (name) - this status means that the parcel arrived at the local sorting center, from where it will be delivered to the local post office or delivery point. The speed of delivery in this case depends on the distance and traffic load. Delivery within the city takes approximately 1-2 days, but if we are talking about transportation within the region, the period can be about a week.
Arrival at the place of delivery - this status is assigned after the parcel arrives at the post office closest to the addressee. After this, the recipient should receive a notification, after which he will receive his order within 1-2 days. In practice, the period may take a little longer. After this status appears, the addressee can go to the post office and receive his parcel using the track number.
Delivery to addressee - this status means that the parcel has already been received.

Decoding the letter designations of the international track number

Each international track number contains additional information about the parcel. So, the second letter of the international identifier indicates the type of transport:

A, B - delivery is carried out by air;
C - the parcel will also be delivered by air, but processing will take much longer, which means you can’t count on quick receipt;
T - this designation is assigned to small packages delivered by air mail;
R - delivery is carried out by sea or rail;
P - First class delivery.

Often, the track number of parcels from China additionally contains the following markings:

EE-EMS - the parcel is sent to a transit point in China, after which it will be sent to the recipient;
LM - delivery is carried out by ePacket service - the Chinese analogue of EMS;
EA-EZ - delivery is carried out by EMS, USPS, Express Mail Service carriers.

Additionally, the track number may contain “!!!” signs. They also act as numbers or letters.