UPDATE 2021
- As of July 1st, all purchases coming in from outside the EU (including those of less than 22 Euros) are subject to VAT and Customs Deductible.
- Whenever there is incomplete information, the CTT will contact the recipient to complete it and ensure payment of charges.
- This can all be done via the new CTT portal.
- Click the link for step-by-step instructions for the new “desalfandega” customs procedure.
I have a thing for Japanese sunscreen. I am obsessed with sun protection and I have found the absolute best sunscreen in Japan. It’s SPF 50, doesn’t leave a white film, and has a PA++++ (that means that it is tops when protecting my skin from UVA rays). I can get it from Amazon es, de, and uk, but they take forever and a day…and I found out that having it shipped directly from Japan is just quicker. The only issue is that when I placed an order, it arrived super quick, but I got a note that it was stuck at the CTT for customs clearance and that I needed to pay taxes on it. This is where the story begins.
In order to get my items from Japan, the paper said I could go online to the CTT website, or I could visit the CTT store in Cabo Ruivo to pick up. Being a pretty web-savvy person and since I have been taking European Portuguese classes in Lisbon for 2 years, I felt prepared to handle this without going to the CTT, waiting on lines, and then having to go back over and over.
I submitted all the information as thoroughly as possible to the website, but alas, after a week, I had heard nothing, so I decided it was time to brave the lines.
How to get an international package that is stuck at the CTT?
I.Go to the CTT Internacional Cabo Ruivo
It is located at Av. Mar. Gomes da Costa 13A in the Chelas-Cabo Ruivo neighborhood.
You can take the Red Line, get off at Chelas and do a 10-minute walk (pretty easy IMHO), or you can Uber it there (it cost me 7.85€ from Avenidas Novas).
What to Bring to Pick Up An International Package Held at CTT Due to Taxes?
- The Aviso de Desalfandegamento: The letter you received with the notice that you need to pay taxes on those items.
- Your carta de cidadao or Titulo de Residencia.
- Your NIF (should be on one of the above documents.
- The bill from where you ordered showing that the items were paid for.
- A print screen of the online store where you purchased the items.
What to Do When You Arrive
- As soon as you come in, take a ticket.
- Grab a seat and wait (can be long, I only waited for about an hour which is pretty decent here).
- When your number comes up on the screen, go to the assigned window, hand over the documents, and wait.
From here a couple of things can happen.
Picking Up For Someone Else
I’ll start with my situation since I was picking up for Antonio:
Since I was the one running the errand and it was Antonio whose name was on the items, they would not allow me to pay or take the items (even though I had both our titulos de residencia with our address and his NIF, I was told it could be shipped to our home. I did not have to pay at that moment but was told that I would have to pay when the items arrived. If I was home I’d need to have €18.15 per package (not per item – we had 2 packages), and a 23% tax on the total value of the items. That ain’t cheap.
How long does it take? I’m not 100% sure. I did this on July 10, so I will update you with the rest of the arrival process when I finally get my sunscreen 🙂
UPDATE: The package arrived on 7-15-19, so that was a total of 5 days which included 2 weekend days (3 business days in total). The fee was painful €18.15 for a €60 purchase because the contact lenses were restricted (even though they were a fashion item – they see them as a medicine item).
If you are picking up for yourself:
Others who were picking up for themselves, simply handed in their paperwork and documents, and to be called to the cashier and they paid right then and there and took their items.
Overall, the experience of picking up internationally shipped items that were being held at the CTT because of taxes was not too hard. That being said, I won’t be ordering any more items that are subject to these extra taxes because time is expensive.
II. If you want to brave the customs process online
Go to http://www.ctt.pt/home/index.html >> Processo Aduaneiro & follow the prompts. You will have to create a login at one point, but it was not so hard.
What Else Do I Need to Know About Getting An Item Stuck for Customs Clearance at the CTT?
How to Contact the CTT for customs clearance
If you have other questions I did not answer, leave them in the comments and I will see if I have the answer. If you want to go directly to the source and contact CTT International directly, you can send an email to [email protected] or call 707 26 26 26.
How Much Time Do I have to Pick up my Items held for Custom Clearance at the CTT?
You have 30 20 days from the date the letter was sent to you to take care of customs clearance.
What Happens If I Don’t Pick Up?
On the 21st day, there will be a daily fee for storage for up to 30 days.
What Happens If I Really Don’t Pick Up?
If you don’t pick up after 60 days, your package will be considered “unclaimed” and it will be returned to the sender.
What Items Are Subject to Extra Taxes?
I’m working on getting a list from the Portuguese Government so I know what not to order. In this case, it was the KitKats and the contact lenses. Everything else was a-ok.
What are the steps to clear an object?
There are basically 3 steps to clear an object being held in customs in Portugal at the CTT. First, you need the local number and origin number of the object you want to clear, then you need to provide the requested documentation and fill in the detailed information about the object so that it can be considered for clearance.
Where do I get the ‘local’ number and ‘origin’ number?
The local number and origin number are found in the upper left corner of the Customs Clearance Notice (AD) which you should have received by letter or email.
When filling out the value of the object, what exactly is the CTT looking for?
They just want the total value of the goods purchased. Shipping and insurance costs don’t need to be included in the value.
The receipt for the product is not in Euros, what should I do?
Use the currency in which the item was purchased. The conversion to euros will be carried out according to the exchange rate of the date of entering the information on the portal.
I don’t have a NIF and want to get a package out of customs. What do I do in this case?
That’s fine. Just let them know you do not have a Portuguese tax number. They will ask you for another type of documentation (a passport usually does the trick), and the country of issue of the document.
What Documents Do I Need to Present to Get an Item Out of Customs at the CTT in Portugal?
First, you will need an invoice (if someone sent you a present, you will need to get the invoice from them). The invoice must state the following:
- Invoice number & date.
- Name & address of the person who shipped the package.
- Your name & address.
- The value of each item in the package.
- Value of the shipping order.
In cases where there is no invoice, you can submit proof of payment and a print screen of the item on the website where it was purchased. Between both these items you must be able to provide the following information:
- The item/s with each item’s price.
- The shipping cost.
- Your name and address.
- The website where the item was purchased.
Where do I submit all this stuff?
On the CTT website.
***For the latest info, you should go to the CTT website. I do my best to keep this updated, but you never know when things may change.
Ms. Valbuena, thank you SO MUCH for the excellent instructions for the unpaid taxes payment process! Your post was far more valuable than all of the governmental information online!I have only one remaining question about the checklist of required documents: What does the CTT customs office mean by a “printscreen of the online store where you purchased the items”? Do they mean a printscreen of the website’s opening page? Or perhaps the page than includes the item purchased? I imagine they’re mainly interested in proof the store exists, but it also occurred to me that they may want additional proof of the item’s value beyond what is on the invoice. I’d appreciate any insight you can offer about that requirement Thank you again.
Thanks, Russell,
It was not fun getting my packages out of the CTT, and I figured this post would help others.
For the printscreen, I just did a printscreen of the receipt so they could see that the values and items matched with what was received.
Stay safe!
Blanca
Bom Dia Blanca,
Would your process apply to a package that was sent via FedEx as well? I sent a warranty return to a company outside of Porto on April 27th. It has been stuck in customs in Maia since April 29th and there is no end in sight. Fedex has been no help at all and cannot tell me why Customs is holding it so long. I suspect it may have something to do with taxes, but I have no way to confirm, and I do not know who to call in Portugal.
Thanks for publishing this.
Brett
Hi Brett,
I’m not 100% sure on that, but it very well could be. I would try going to the CTT to research, but I really feel that FedEx should be helping you here.
I’ll ask around and see if someone has a better starting point for you.
Blanca
Thank you for your quick answer. I am still trying to get Fedex to help. Its just an endless circle of phone calls and them saying they will get back to me, and then nothing.
Brett
We have the same problem as Brett. Our son sent us two used computers from the USA via FedEx. . They arrived at Lisbon two days later, We were asked for more information and my son sent it. We have now heard nothing for more than a month. FedEx has been no help at all, rejecting all responsibility.
I certainly agree that FedEx should bear some responsibility. We did not pay to have the package delivered to customs, but delivered to us.
We have not been notified about tax due. So the main point of your article does not apply. But do you think a visit to Lisbon might help? We live an hour away.
What if the items are gifts to you and you have no receipts .
Oh gosh, I am so sorry to hear that. It has gotten to the point that I told all my friends and family to send nothing here.
A visit “may” help, but I can’t guarantee it. Maybe make a trip out of it and spend a few days in Lisbon?
I’m sad to say it does not matter. I’ve told all my friends to send me nothing. It’s too much of a hastle and you may end up paying more than the gift is worth.
Hello, thank you for article. I ordered a good from US and the package is held in customs in Lisbon Airport since 13 November (I see it in the USBS website) but no any advice arrived to me. How can I check what is missing, without having to go to Lisbon? In the website of USBS I cannot inquire it, because it accepts requires only for US national shipments. Thank you!
Hi Anna,
I don’t have a perfect answer for you on this one. I would maybe suggest calling CTT alfandegas or sending a note here. https://www.ctt.pt/ajuda/contact-en
That’s the place to contact the CTT with questions.
Let me know what they say.
Blanca
Hi,
I have a package stuck at customs from Aliexpress.. Still trying to upload everything requested.
But for now I have the question, maybe you know, does it work like this with all kind of orders? Especially, from inside the EU? Yesterday I ordered something from the UK and I was planning to order some other things (home stuff from Spain and cutlery from The Netherlands). Is it better not to do? Thanksss
I order from Amazon Germany and Spain all the time. They are part of the EU, so there are rarely issues. The Netherlands is also a member, so they should be a-ok. I used to order from Amazon UK, I think you should be ok until the end of the year, but I was told thngs are changing as of January 1.
Salve vorrei un informazione riguardo una spedizione bloccata in Portogallo già da 4 mesi. Non ho ancora oggi ricevuto niente che mi possa portare a pagare oppure avere info riguardo l’ordine da parte della dogana. Come posso fare per avere informazioni a riguardo? A chi posso contattare? Grazie buona giornata
La cosa migliore da fare sarebbe mettersi in contatto con l’ufficio del CTT Alfandega. Porta con te quante più informazioni possibile (quando è stato inviato, quando, il tuo indirizzo e assicurati di portare l’identificazione). Potrebbero essere in grado di rintracciare il pacco lì per te. Ti auguro buona fortuna, questa è una delle mie cose meno preferite in Portogallo.
Hi there, I wish I saw your post earlier 😉 I managed to release it but decided not to wait an hour (as they said at the counter) but get it delivered to my home address. The only document I signed was “Value Declaration”. The VAT was supposed to be 75$ but what a surprise when the man delivered it saying I need to pay over 200€… I rejected and asked him to leave it at customs. What I am going to do next is to visit their office one more time and try to understand why I am being charged so much.
Hi, We have just been informed that a package that a friend sent from the UK to my wife containing cosmetics (face powder) , toiletries and confectionary is held at customs. We have been asked for place of purchase/contents/value and receipts none of which we have, so if we do not claim it and it is sent back, are we still liable for storage charges? Would appreciate your response. thank you
Email address: [email protected] no longer works! In fact none of their email work anymore. This is what they send back once you contact the above email address:
https://i.postimg.cc/yxLqL7rP/ctt-mailblock.jpg
And don’t even try to use CTT EXpresso or EMS (Express Mail Service), because they confiscate even legally allowed goods under category of “Other Manufactured Items” and say they will destroy the shipment if you do not fly to their remote warehouse and pick it up in person only. Allegedly a license to steal.
CTT EXpresso and EMS does not refund the expensive mail charge as well. They just keep it and stop responding to your emails or complaints.
And then why does it take international shipment that arrived to Lisbon CTT to take another month or two to reach Madeira?
It is a horrendous experience. I don’t have anything shipped here and I’ve told my friends and family not to send anything. Now, if I need something I can’t get in Lisbon, I just buy it off of Amazon de or es. It’s just not worth the time, trouble and money. The extra charge may be because you had it sent home. They charge extra for that.
Hi Graham,
Ouch. I hear you on this. Can you ask your friend for receipts? Yes, as I understand it you will be liable for storage charges. It is a horrible system. I’ve told all my friends and family to send me no presents here and I explained the issue to them because customs here is so painful.
The one piece of advice that I have for you (and that goes for almost every service here), is to try another person. Go back another day and see if you can get lucky and talk to someone else. Sometimes, these things depend on who takes care of you. If you get your desired result, write down their name and always go to them when you need to go back.
Wishing you tons of luck.
Blanca
I’ll have to do some research to find their new email address. That one worked for me when I wrote the article. And yes, you are correct. This system is for masochists. I have asked all my friends to send me nothing to Portugal. I used to order cosmetics from Japan (I am addicted to a certain sunscreen), but the fees just make it prohibitively expensive. This is one of the biggest negatives to living in Portugal. As for the length of time, that may be related to Covid. Mail used to be much faster before.
Hel[o Blanca, Thank you for your response. Since contacting you, it appears from the CTT customs clearance website that my parcel has been cleared and is awaiting payment but does not give any instructions on how to pay or where the package can be collected from. I live in Lousa, Coimbra, willmI have to go to Lisbon tpo collect it?
you have a package of mine at your custom office and i would like to now why it has not been sent as the tracking numnumber 102077808811 would you call me at1-313-5903356 or let me know why you are hoding this as i have paid ndcs to ship this as it was to come from Amsterdam to detroit metro airport and i do not know why it at Lisbon Portugal now please call me 1-313-5903356 think you Bill jameson
That’s great to hear Graham. I know they can ship it to your home address – warning – they charge extra for this. The notification should have included the info on where to pay and a way to select the payment method, it’s usually Payshop, Multibanco and Visa. After payment confirmation, the package is sent to your address. Let me know if that helped.
Hi Bill,
I think you got the wrong website. If something is stuck at customs in Lisbon, you want to reach out to the CTT Alfandega office. You can contact them here: https://www.ctt.pt/ajuda/contacto
Good luck!
Bill,
I found the number for the CTT alfandega. Try this number +351 21 047 16 16
Blanca
We have had a package seized by CTT since 12th December – a Christmas present my husband bought for me (bracelet). We registered online and now have a file FULL of papers going to and fro – including permission, in the end, for CTT to take the item to the assay office (Contrastarias) to check the gold Kt weight. So it turns out we have to [ay €300 for duty, and €101.50 for “Administration fees”. We paid this in full, and now we STILL do not have the item. They want us to drive to Lisbon to pick it up! Now during Covid lockdown. No one told us that would happen until after we paid the money. The seller PAID for delivery to us, we do not have it, why do we have to do this?
ALSO, tried to mail a package to Australia in the new year – what a job. Again, two pages on the internet for two pairs of socks. You can NOT do this in person at the Post Office, so what about people who don’t have computers at home, who don’t read Portuguese and who can’t print the forms?
WHY is the Portuguese Government making things harder instead of easier????
Bonsoir Blanca,
Merci beaucoup pour cet article qui m’a bien aidé à comprendre le fonctionnement des colis au Portugal. Je vis actuellement une expérience plutôt amère. En effet, j’ai reçu il y a 10 jours une lettre m’indiquant qu’un colis, que j’ai commandé depuis UK, est bloqué au service de dédouanement.
J’ai donc suivi les différentes étapes et après avoir fourni toutes les informations nécessaires (NIF, facture, etc.), je reçois une notification pour procéder au paiement.
En me connectant sur mon espace, c’est la douche froide…On m’indique que je dois payer la somme de 88,11€ ( 76,11€ pour la “valor de encargos aduaneiros et 12€ pour les “Serviços CTT”). Je tiens à préciser que j’ai commandé plusieurs maillots de bain d’une valeur de 156€ au total.
Je m’attendais certes à payer des frais mais j’étais loin d’imaginer qu’ils représenteraient plus de la moitié de ma commande initiale. Ma question est donc la suivante : savez-vous comment procèdent-ils pour fixer les coûts ? car cela est vraiment opaque et je refuse de payer des coûts dont je ne connais pas exactement la couleur (entendez par là le détail sur le fonctionnement des frais appliqués), quitte à renvoyer le colis et faire une démarche de réclamation auprès du vendeur pour éventuellement me faire rembourser une partie de ma commande.
Merci d’avance !
Julie
Aussi, savez-vous s’il est possible de refuser de payer ces coûts via la plateforme en ligne ? car rien n’est vraiment indiqué..
I hear you on this Yvonne. It is a complete pain. I have told all my friends to send me no gifts. It’s just not worth the hassle. You may be able to have them ship it to you, but they will charge you more for this “service”.
Yeah, I found out about that as well. I usually send New Year’s presents, when I went to the CTT I found out that you “need” to fill out the form online. However, on the website, I read that they can do it at the CTT, but you get charged I think an extra 5 euros. I think the clerks don’t want to bother and don’t care if CTT gets the upcharge to take care of it for you. I just wrote out the process on how to send a package from the CTT to the US because it took me about an hour to figure out how to navigate the site and the process. Such a pain.
And I have no freaking idea why they are making things harder, maybe to keep the bureaucracy tradition alive? Only reason I can think of 😉
Bjr Julie,
J’ai regardé sur le site Web d’AT et je suis tombé sur ceci:
https://pauta.portaldasfinancas.gov.pt/pt/faqs/Documents/MercImpfrequencia.pdf
Cela semble être un exemple de graphique des pourcentages de taxation de certains articles. Je vais devoir faire plus de recherches, jusqu’à présent, je n’ai pas pu trouver quelque chose de plus concret.
Blanca
Bonsoir Blanca, merci beaucoup pour ce retour !
Si les coûts sont trop élevés (et que vous effectuez le processus via le site Web ctt), vous pouvez renoncer au dédouanement. Cliquez simplement sur “Retourner l’article”.
Hi Blanca,
I was so pleased to find your site!
I don’t think I can go ahead with claiming my parcel.
I can’t do the screen shots and they’re asking for one from my bank acc. which I don’t want to give them. I can’t get to Lisbon either. If I refuse the parcel how do I do this, just wait or is it better to tell them somehow?
Will they wait 60 days to return it? Will they charge me storage? (I expect so!) I believe return shipping is usually paid by the vendor, but will ctt charge me for this and how will the parcel get from them back to the shippers?
Sorry to ask so many questions but I know how difficult some things seem here sometimes…many thanks, Cynthia.
Julie,
Les articles sont taxés entre 6 et 23%, selon l’article. La taxe payée ne concerne pas seulement le prix de l’article, mais comprend également les frais d’expédition, toute assurance voyage et les droits de douane (ce dernier article représente beaucoup pour le changement des tarifs, par exemple – le tabac et les vêtements ont des droits de douane plus élevés, donc vous paierez des taxes sur la valeur de l’article, les frais d’expédition, l’assurance ET les droits de douane pour l’article). Je vais voir si je peux trouver un tableau ou une liste de la façon dont les droits de douane sont appliqués à différents articles). Si vous découvrez quelque chose avant moi, faites-le moi savoir.
Hi Cynthia,
You can refuse the item on the CTT website. When you are going through the process there is an option to refuse the item.
I don’t remember exactly where on the site it is, but it is an option.
Blanca
Merci beaucoup Blanca, c’est beaucoup plus clair ! 🙂
Du rien!
Hi Blanca,
I sent a package to my good friend in Portugal from Montreal, Canada with small gifts for her coming birthday. I marked the package as a gift on the customs form that Canada Post attached to the package. The form also asked for what was in the box, the weight and value of each item which I wrote in by hand. The items were a towel, a book, a pencil set, an under garment, and natural hair creams (4). As of today, the tracking info reads “sent notification to client.” Prior to this status, the status read, “awaiting declarative procedures at customs, Lisbon Portugal.”
I am assuming that “sent notification to client” means that my friend was sent a letter in order to provide more info to clear the package?
Seeing as how they are gifts, will she need me to provide her with invoices for all the items in the box? I would have invoices for everything except for the book, because it was an old book that belonged to me.
Any help and information you can give me would be beyond appreciated! Thank you in advance and thank you for the great article!
– Marco.
Hi Marco,
Something tells me that the package is stuck at customs because one or more of the items are subject to taxation. The easiest thing you can do for your friend is to get her the invoices asap so that she can submit them to customs. I would tell you to scan and email them to her. When I had to get things out of customs, I just brought a printout of the order form from the website where I had ordered.
I’d be thrilled if you or your friend updated to let us know what happens. There are so many different issues with packages getting stuck at Portuguese customs, that I am sure someone will be very thankful for your update.
Blanca
Thank you so much Blanca!
I will provide my friend with all the invoices she needs so that she can submit them to customs.
Does she have to wait for the notification to arrive by mail before submitting the invoices, or can she submit them advance?
I will definitely give you and everyone an update when I have more news, promise!
Thank you again for taking the time to reply to me and for helping so many of us. Very grateful!
Marco
Thank you so much for your quick reply Blanca! It is incredibly nice of you to help people out on this subject, which seems to a pain point for many people.
I will write in an update as soon as I get some news. Thank you again for your help and amazing info!
Marco.
My pleasure. I think she needs to wait until she gets the notification so that she knows it is processed. I can’t wait to see the update, there are so many permutations on stuff getting stuck at customs in Portugal and I only covered the basics, so it will help someone else 🙂
🙂
Hi Blanca,
Quick progress update. My friend got the notification letter. We opted to go the online route. Seeing as how there were 13 items in the box, detailing every item, it’s value, etc, was more than time consuming, but we made it happen. It should be said that this is not a commercial order – they are gifts to my friend coming directly from my city in Canada, to her in Portugal.
We were able to choose “value statement” as an option instead of providing a print screen of the purchase site. This value statement option seems to only be possible if you have labelled the package as non-commercial, and as a gift.
Filling out the value statement is a process in itself, which then leads to having to fill out the product category form. This is a list of the same items in the package, but it provides customs with the product category, and value for each category subset. (Important: the category subset form’s total value needs to match the exact total value declared in the value statement).
Once that was completed, a final screen came up where you can review all the information you’ve entered. By clicking on “begin declaration,” you are then brought to the “view progress” section of your profile, where you can see that the “notification sent to client” is now green, and the declaration process is in yellow, signifying that it is pending.
This was all done today, so we will be keeping an eye on the progress online and hoping for them to clear it as is, without having to go in person. I will reply with an update as soon as I have more info.
Thank you again for all your help!
PS: I took screenshots of most of the process so if you would like me to forward them to you for use in your blog post, (I will blur out any important info of course) let me know! 🙂
You rock! Bureaucracy here is crazy. And I will definitely take you up on those pics. I’ll email you in a bit. 🙂
Hi Blanca! Well, I don’t have any news because after completing the online declaration process, it is at a standstill. I wanted to ask you – in your blog, you mention having to go to the CTT in person. In my friend’s case, she lives in Alentejo (Sao Luis), so she only has a local post office she can go to. I’m assuming her package is at a CTT CUMSTOMS office somewhere. Is the CTT Internacional Cabo Ruivo the only CTT location to go to in person in order to try to have her package released?
Any help and guidance you can give me on this would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you again for all your help!
PS: I still have those screenshot if you would like them. 🙂
Marco.
I wrote them a note to ask because as far as I know, the only CTT Customs office is the one in Cabo Riuvo. I’ll let you know when I hear back.
Hi Blanca,
So I have some good news. It took 10 business days from submitting all the docs online to getting an official customs release. My friend will not need to displace herself. The item is being sent to the closest CTT to her home as we speak. It was officially released from customs on April 22nd, so if the timing is anything like you mention in your article (5 business days), she should be receiving it by the end of this week. Keep you posted.
At this point, I can give you a very detailed account of the process when sending a GIFT to someone in Portugal. The process I took did not need a print-screen from any site, no invoices, and no need for in-person pickup. This experience could bring value to your readers so if you’d like for me to put something together for you to use, let me know. 🙂
I am thrilled to hear that. It’s definitely an adventure dealing with customs in Portugal. I’ll email you 🙂
Hi Blanca,
I was sent a package that is now stuck at customs… The items are used dolls that belong to my daughter from when we lived in the UK, so, I believe I will be able to choose “value statement”.
I would very much appreciate if you could share those screenshots Marco Gaudio mentions above so I don’t mess up during the process.
Great article!!!
Thank you in advance,
Ana
Hi Blanca,
Recently came accross your page, awesome work and very helpful info!
I had a package sent from the UK(marked as a gift) that is now being held at customs, it was sent to a temporary address down in the Algarve where I was on a short break, it obviously never arrived and says on the tracking that I was sent a notice. I’m now back up north where I live and can’t get in touch with them via email or phone!
I’m wondering that if it will just get sent back after the 60 day limit of being held?
Any help or info would be greatly appreciated, many thanks and all the best,
Hayden.
Hi there Blanca 🙂
Have you any idea what one should do if they haven’t received a customs clearance letter and have a feeling the package is being held in customs? According to USPS, the package left Lisbon Airport about 5 weeks ago now.
I’ll let you know as soon as I have them posted. And thank you, getting a package that is stuck in customs in Portugal is quite a feat 😉
Hi Gary,
I wrote the CTT a note to see what they tell me about your situation. In the meantime, you can try calling this number: +351 21 047 16 16 on a weekday between the hours of 8:30 am to 7:30 pm. I’ll update here when I hear back 🙂
Blanca
Hi Hayden,
The way this works is that the CTT charges a storage fee of 40 cents per day. I believe that after the 60 days (used to be 30) up to a maximum of 30 days, they return the goods to their origin. I would suggest that you call this number at the CTT – it has gotten me the best results when needing information about getting packages out of customs in Portugal: +351 21 047 16 16 on a weekday between the hours of 8:30 am to 7:30 pm.
Update me once you hear back. I’m always interested in learning how different situations turn out.
Blanca
Gary,
I just heard back. Here’s what the CTT said to do if you know an international package arrived in Lisbon, but you have not received a notification letter to get it out of customs:
“We ask that you provide us with the object’s shipping number, so that we can carry out the search on Track & Trace.
The number has 13 digits and must have the following form:
2 letters + 9 digits + 2 letters”
They said to contact them at the following link: https://www.ctt.pt/ajuda/
Let me know how it goes with tracking your parcel and getting it out of Portuguese customs.
Blanca
Thanks for your response I’ll get back to you after I’ve called them.
Hayden.
Bonjour Blanca, Je viens à la minute de découvrir votre blog. Je viens de vivre une horrible histoire avec CTT Desalfandegamento! Je vis au Portugal depuis 3 ans, mais originaire du Québec, Canada. Je suis la dernière enfant d’une grande famille. J’ai 4 soeurs qui vivent toutes au Québec. Normalement, nous nous visitons, mais à cause de la pandémie, nous ne pouvons pas! J’ai eu 60 ans le 18 mars dernier et ensemble elles m’ont envoyé des cadeaux pour me faire plaisir. Le colis a quitté le Canada le 23 février et est arrivé au Portugal le 24 mars. Je n’avais aucune idée que je devais recevoir des cadeaux d’elles jusqu’à ce que je reçoive un aviso para desalfandegamento. Plusieurs cadeaux étaient des choses que mes sœurs avaient depuis un certain temps, par exemple, du sirop d’érable qui est une source de fierté pour nous canadiens! Nous aimons échanger des casse-tête que nous avons dans nos placards depuis des années! Ces choses, il n’y avait pas de factures… certains items, mes sœurs m’ont envoyé une copie des factures. J’ai fourni des sites Internet montrant le prix pour certains articles. Il y avait un bol en bois fait à la main par un ami de la famille, sans valeur monétaire. J’ai parlé à plusieurs personnes de CTT, parce qu’il y avait un problème majeur avec leur site, je ne pouvais pas joindre des documents. Le 7 avril, je suis allée au bureau sur Avenida Maréchal Gomes Da Costa pour donner tous les documents, la dame s’est excusée pour tout le trouble et que je n’aurais pas dû avoir tant de problème, mais cela n’a rien changé. Ensuite, j’ai écrit des emails à plusieurs reprises et chaque fois il y avait un délai de 11 à 14 jours pour me répondre sans jamais répondre ou proposer une solution. J’ai demandé à plusieurs reprises que quelqu’un m’appelle, personne ne m’a appelé! On n’a jamais répondu à mes questions, on me disait toujours que je devais fournir les factures originales! Finalement, ils ont décidé de retourner le colis à mes sœurs. Mes sœurs avaient pris un si grand plaisir à préparer cette surprise et elles voulaient me faire plaisir en ce temps de pandémie où nous sommes obligées d’être séparées pour souligner un anniversaire spécial! Depuis plus d’un an, avec les mesures sanitaires, plusieurs choses, dans le monde, ont été mises en place pour faciliter les communications entre familles et amis. Cette mauvaise expérience que je viens de vivre avec ce processus, est une manque flagrant d’empathie et de communication humaine.
Suzanne,
Je suis vraiment désolé d’apprendre votre expérience. Après avoir dû me rendre deux fois au CTT pour des situations similaires, j’ai demandé à tous mes amis et à ma famille de ne rien m’envoyer. Il est tout simplement trop difficile de sortir quelque chose des douanes au Portugal. Je suis désolé d’apprendre que vous avez dû passer par là. J’espère qu’en dehors de votre expérience avec le CTT Alfandega, votre anniversaire a été charmant.
Blanca
Which site did you shop from?
I usually go to Japan once or twice a year but haven’t gone for so long due to covit and my shopping list from Japan is getting bigger and bigger…
I order from Dokodemo. They have great stuff there. I stopped after getting hit by custom taxes.
Hi Blanca,
So I got a response via email saying that if I want to get the item sent back to sender I’d have to fill out some kind of form to release it, if not that after 60 days it gets returned to sender apparently. I’m going to go with the latter option as I’m not willing to pay whatever ridiculous fees they charge to have it sent out to me and not got the patience to be filling out a silly form to have it sent back home.
Lesson learned I suppose never again! do you know if gifts labeled with a value of ‘zero’ make it through customs or they just take everything and hold people to ransom for their possesions? its criminal really isn’t it!
Thanks for your help and all the best,
Hayden.
Thanks for the update, Hayden,
I would have probably done the same. The customs process in Portugal is really infuriating and time-consuming. They tend to spot check, so you’ll be taking a chance, so I would not risk it.
Have a great weekend,
Blanca
Hi Blanca! Thanks so much for supporting so many of us here.
I am trying to find answers to some questions elsewhere, to care for you as you get a lot of traffic here, but have been unable to find them (no surprise) so I am now coming here.
My questions:
1. What to do if re supplying an invoice if we don’t know the contents of the box? (A friend sent two boxes of mixed things and we don’t know what is in each, plus one box is completely lost and we don’t know what’s in the one that is at customs)
2. Do you know if the customs office will re-route a pckafe elsewhere? This is our next plan – so send it to Ireland, our next destination – if going there to get it doesn’t work.
Thank you!
Hi Emma,
I checked the CTT website and there was absolutely nothing about what to do when you don’t know what’s in the package. Maybe ask your friend who sent the package what was in there.
I know the CTT allows you to forward within Portugal for an extra cost. This depends on the shipping code (if it starts with C, G, L, O, R, U or V) you are able to go through with the forwarding. I’m not sure if this service applies to other countries, but there was nothing on their site that said they would not. Maybe drop them a line and ask. Here is a page on the CTT site with more information.
Good luck!
Blanca
I have sent a spare key for my old property in Portugal as it is being sold, postage was from Uk to Portugal . I sent it to the estate agents., I sent this on 7th July and its stiill not arrived being held in customs .. it is of no value and was made in Portugal , it is in a small brown envelope with an old plastic key fob also from Portugal, I cannot ring the number or e mail them – what shoud the estate agents do ? they key is now worthless to them as it took too long, website says waiting declatitive procedures ,
Had I known such a headace I would have just thrown the key
I would not bother wasting your time. Can they install a new key and call it done? And you are so right, it is such a pain dealing with the CTT and customs. Sorry you had to experience that.
Thanks Blanca for your response, the key is still in customs , It is the key for an old wooden garage to the house and new buyers will probably just fit a new lock so its not worth the bother, the estate agents didnt even request it , Im hoping that CTT they will just destroy the package at some stage and not charge me for disposal or storage . The Estate agents already have the other keys – however as they estate agents are a Portuguese Company im assuming they will know what to do when they get the customs notification and up to them if they want to pay a small customs fee if there is one but for a key made in Portugal which is old and rusty
Hi Shelie,
Yup. They will know what to do. It is really in their court now. They can refuse the package at CTT. Sounds like a good turnout for you.
Blanca
Hey Blanca I need your help. I ordered myself a cap and sweatshirt from an online store based in China. After 2 months of the parcel being stuck somewhere today I got a letter from CTT to clear my customs. I have a week left.
As I was doing my customs online I see my parcel is declared at a relatively less price and he didn’t even declare my cap as an item. My stuff is like 30 Euros, but he put 15 Euros. And even decreased shipping price by half on paper. As I filled my tracking number and local number this stuff came up.
I contacted my seller, and still, there is no response. I have my paypal payment slips and screenshots of prices. What should I do and attach in documents needed. Thank you.
Thank-you so much !
kind Regards
Shelie
Any time!
Hi Peter,
I would attach the original documents since the seller is not getting back to you, and add a note about the situation. The items should match, so (crossing fingers) the person processing your parcel will have the common sense to see that your slip is correct.
Wishing you luck on this, I would be super appreciative if you update us all here. It could help the next person in a similar situation trying to get their things out of customs here in Portugal.
🙂
Blanca
Hey Blanca
Thanks for your kind reply. I attached all the documents. My passport, PayPal slips, a screenshot of my payments on that website, screenshots of prices of both individual items, and submitted it.
Yesterday I was reading a post on Reddit Portugal, and I saw some other comments saying the same. The Chinese seller had decreased prices on the package. I guess it happens occasionally.
Anyways, I selected to pay with ATM MB. I got an SMS and email from CTT with a reference number and Ent number. I couldn’t figure it out at the ATM, so I walked to CTT here. Surprisingly, they said the number I received on SMS and Email is Spam (after checking the system) and should wait a day more. But I think the number is correct.
I use the Activo bank app , is there an option on that app to pay my dues? Or do you know what is the correct option sequence on MB ATM machine to pay this?
Yes, you can pay invoices using Activo Bank as long as you have the entidade, referencia, and total amount.
If you are using the mobile app go to
Pay services (shows up below your balance) and when the new screen loads, you will be able to enter the entity, reference, amount. If you want to finish the transaction, click continue and follow the steps. At some point, it will tell you what company the number of the entidade is, so make sure it matches with the CTT since they think it may be a scam.
I have stopped ordering my sunscreen from Japan and have told my friends never to send me anything just for that reason. And actually, last time I ordered my sunscreen, I ordered it from Amazon Germany, but it was sent from Japan so I had to go through the hurdles of customs another time. Definitely not fun.
Let me know how it goes.
Good luck!
Blanca
Hello Blanca,
How on earth are CTT still trading ,they are awful. I have been waiting for 3 months for an item to arrive from the UK.
When it eventually arrived in Lisboa they said it was detained by customs for inspection so waited.
When I contacted customs they said CTT had it so another email to CTT who eventually said I needed to start the customs process but have never received a letter or email giving me the item number.
Went online to start the process and it would not allow me to fill out the sender’s details or my details.they had already been filled out and each box said “unknown”
Then came the fun trying to put in the values of the item and postage etc and when you put in the total of the item plus postage it came up as an error so after moving numbers around I eventually got it done and could move on to next stage.
Uploaded all the paperwork, received email telling me what the duties were plus entity and reference number.
Paid by multibanco,got confirmation email and that was it.
But when you go onto track and trace it says they are waiting for the item to arrive.
That’s why they are a bunch of crooks and I have told them that they have either lost the item or its been stolen.
All the duties were paid on 19th August and I am still waiting.
In future if I ever order anything from outside the EU I will use DHL as they can get parcels from the UK to my door in 1 week.
Ok it does cost but they will do the whole customs clearance for you.
Also to add insult to injury I have another item stuck in customs which was sent from the UK in early August,all duties paid but still no sign of it.
The CTT address that is mentioned in many posts in Lisboa ,is that where the parcel is likely to be
Regards Peter
Hi Blanca
I actually found out something today – from the Royal mails website tracking link which takes you to ctt – if you use the Portuguese language portal version you actually get more detailed information and then you can google translate from there, the portuguese website is saying my shed key doenst meet with customs requirements and is being returned to me , yet on the English version page simply the update says N/A still held in customes.
Maybe this will be of some help to others
Hi Peter,
I feel your pain and as you can see from the comments, a lot of people have issues with the CTT and customs. I have told all my friends to never send me presents of any sort (particularly if they are hand-made), and I make sure that if I ever order anything, I order from Amazon de or es. On top of that I check when I order from Amazon to Portugal, because there are some shippers who ship directly from their country of origin – and in those cases, you still have to deal with CTT and customs.
I am sorry to hear you also had to deal with the Portuguese CTT customs nightmare.
If you get a chance, let me know how it goes with shipping things to Portugal using DHL. If it is a nice experience, I am sure others here would love to know.
Wishing you a great week,
Blanca
Thank you so much for this update. Funny enough, I use the Portuguese language portal and didn’t think to include that in the post. This will be a great tip to others trying to get a package out of Portuguese customs via the CTT.
I find it crazy that the Portuguese version of the CTT site tells you one thing, but the English version tells you another. The CTT really needs to work on this system. The pain of paying almost half of an item’s worth out of customs is one thing, but the hurdles that we need to go through to get packages stuck in customs out of the CTT is what really ruffles my feathers.
Thank you so much for sharing this!!!
Wishing you a beautiful week,
Blanca
Hi Blanca
I paid last week after your message and today I got my package. I am very grateful to you for your help.
I wanted to add a few points. Initially in the first week of August, I was tracking my order, and one day I saw on ctt tracking, that receiver had declined to receive the package and it has been destroyed. So I put a complaint on https://portaldaqueixa.com/brands/ctt/complaints. Also, I wrote CTT a message on their website. Other thing, last week even after I paid, on CTT tracking it showed again that package was received by customs, customer notification sent. CTT is a big mess.
Anyways, as I told you, my seller decreased prices on shipping and clothes. But I attached all the correct receipts and got the box. Success in there.
As a foreigner, I am very scared to do bureaucracy and paperwork stuff, but people on the internet and kind people like you make things easier. So thank you again.
Hope u have an amazing week.
Hi Blanca,.
The eBay seller has refunded the cost of the item I bought from them .they checked on the royal mail website and the tracking has not updated since July so I would suspect the parcel was lost or stolen.
CTT pay peanuts and employ monkeys because they will never answer a question.
They have a script and stick to it.
DHL are very good,I can get a parcel from UK to Portugal in a week.
I let them deal with the customs side of it and pay the extra but at least I get the item.
I am so happy I was able to help you with the process of getting a package out of Portuguese customs. This is one of the things most people ask for help with here. Kinda crazy how complicated the issue is. Just as an FYI, I have a YouTube channel that I plan to really make active this year. You can check it out here (I’ve been testing out a few things). Hope you find that helpful as well. https://www.youtube.com/c/Blancavalbuena
Blanca
I’m glad you were able to get a refund. Customs here in Portugal is really complicated, time-consuming, and frustrating. Portuguese salaries are low for the most part, so I can’t really blame the employees for doing the least. The low wages and high taxes for locals are a big issue. That’s part of the reason there is brain drain here. I think this is something the government needs to address at some point because I can’t understand how Portuguese people can make ends meet.
And I may have to try DHL, it’s worth it to pay more not to have to deal with Portuguese customs 😉
Hi Blanca
just an update – the packet has gone from cancelled to customer notification send and awaiting Declarative procedures – again !!
I have e mailed ctt twice and I did get this reply from them –
Please be advised that the reported matter was forwarded internally for analysis.
For any additional information about our products and services, visit our website https://www.ctt.pt/ajuda/index
so from beiung cancelled its reared its head again
Eek. I can’t believe how bad the CTT system is when it comes to customs. Insane!
Hello. So sorry to trouble you but I may be going mad trying to retrieve a Christmas present sent from my sister in the UK and still stuck in customs in Lisbon. I’ve been told to change the transaction type from “commercial” to “non commercial”. Have you got any idea how to do this? I’ve tried every part of the CTT portal with no luck!
Thanks in advance for any help you can give.
Regards