How long will my order take?
Delivery time depends on where you are and which shipping method you chose, so rather than quote one number to everybody we publish the real ones. Our shipping times page shows how long recent orders actually took to reach your country.
Those figures come from every order we shipped there recently and update as new orders arrive β they are measurements, not promises.
[screenshot: the shipping times page showing delivery statistics for a country]
The clock starts at your tracking email
This is the part worth knowing, because it is where most "my order is late" worries come from.
Delivery time is counted from the moment your tracking email is sent β not from when you placed the order. The time we spend preparing and packing your order is counted separately and shown on its own.
The shipping times page shows both, one after the other, so you can add them together and see the whole picture for your country. All the delivery figures are in business days, with the calendar-day equivalent shown alongside, since weekends are when parcels sit still.
Standard or DHL Express?
Both are fully tracked. What differs is the network the parcel travels on.
- Standard moves through shared commercial cargo and hands over to a local delivery partner in your country. It is the most efficient way to move a parcel, and it runs on ordinary business hours β most local carriers rest at weekends, so your parcel pauses too.
- DHL Express runs on DHL's own priority network: their aircraft, their sort centres, their vans, around the clock and through weekends. The parcel keeps moving instead of waiting, which is why it usually arrives a good deal sooner.
The page puts the two side by side for your country and tells you roughly how much time Express actually saves you there. That gap is not the same everywhere, which is exactly why it is worth checking rather than guessing.
Customs and import taxes
This depends on your country, and the shipping times page states which applies to yours.
- For some countries we cover import taxes and customs clearance for you on DHL Express. You will not be asked for extra fees or paperwork. Customs may still hold a parcel briefly for a routine check.
- Everywhere else, customs is the recipient's responsibility. Delays are uncommon, but if customs asks for paperwork or import fees, delivery pauses until you respond β so it is worth answering quickly.
If something comes up while it is on its way
DHL Express parcels are flexible, and you can manage them straight from your tracking email: reschedule the delivery, redirect it to a pickup point, put it on hold for a few days, or authorise the courier to leave it without a signature.
What can hold a parcel up
Most orders arrive within the expected window. When one does not, it is usually something on this list, and the shipping times page goes through them in more detail.
- Address and contact details β an incomplete address, a missing apartment or building number, or a phone number the courier cannot reach. Couriers often call to arrange delivery, so a working number matters more than it sounds.
- Nobody available β a missed delivery that needed a signature, repeated failed attempts, or a parcel left uncollected at a pickup point past its holding window.
- Customs β a routine inspection, a request for paperwork, or unpaid duties in countries where those fall to the recipient.
- Outside anyone's control β severe weather, cancelled flights, peak season, public holidays, or carrier strikes.
Checking your own order
The shipping times page describes what is typical. For your specific parcel, use the tracking link in your shipping email, or sign in and open the order under Account β Orders.
If your order has passed the window shown for your country and the tracking has not moved, please contact us β that is worth a look rather than a wait.