How Long Does International Shipping Take?

• Customs clearance, shipping services, potential delivery issues, and shipping prohibited items all impact delivery speed for international shipping
• Your parcel can take anywhere from 1 to 10 business days when shipping internationally with USPS, FedEx, or UPS
• Delivery lead times are the most important factor when choosing your delivery speed, especially for international shipping

1. Customs Clearance

When shipping from one country to another, the customs departments of various countries will be stringent in enforcing their custom guidelines. As such, customs will clear all products initially to determine their eligibility to enter the country and check if the required clearance fee has been paid. If you don't prepare adequately for this - by providing the appropriate paperwork, for example - this can significantly delay the standard shipping time.

Don’t forget that having the right paperwork is important. These should be accurately filled out with all the necessary information.

2. Shipping Services

You should also consider the medium of transport when shipping internationally as it determines how long international shipping will take. Sea and air cargo are the most commonly used shipping services. But, before opting for either, you should consider the time, cost, and nature of your products.

2. International Shipping Address Format

Shipping can also take more time if you don't adhere to the prescribed international shipping address formats. All countries have a specific address format and paying attention to this will ensure that your shipments are delivered as quickly as possible.

What is the Fastest Way to Ship Internationally?

International shipments take different lengths of time to reach their destinations, depending on the shipping courier used, and the origin and destination addresses. Below is a breakdown of the shipping time for major couriers to deliver a shipment from Brooklyn, New York to Hong Kong.

With these rough estimates, you can evaluate how long a shipment will take to reach your intended destination. Fortunately, all couriers have shipping time calculators that come in handy.

Can I Speed Up my UPS, FedEx, DHL, or USPS Delivery?

Luckily, if you have urgent shipments, it is possible to speed the delivery time. UPS, FedEx, USPS, and DHL all have a variety of shipping methods, and if you choose express services, you’ll easily shorten your delivery time at a higher cost.

Choose Your Delivery Speed for Your Shipment

In most cases, shipping companies can't guarantee an accurate delivery time. However, the tracking number they provide will give you plenty of information so that you can keep track of your package while it’s in transit. But, if time is a concern and you want to choose your delivery speed, here’s what you should consider.

Delivery Lead Times

This is probably the most important factor in choosing your delivery speed. Every courier service will have a different estimated delivery time, so you should pay attention to this when choosing which service to use. To get a better estimate for delivery dates, you should try using a shipping time calculator - this will help you gauge whether the delivery speed is suitable for your needs. Just remember that even though shipping estimates on most courier websites, such as USPS estimated shipping time are great, they are not guaranteed for most shipping classes.