How long does delivery take?
It depends on the warehouse, the destination and the carrier: express couriers usually take days, postal services weeks, and Hong Kong Post Surface Parcel up to three months. Where to see the estimate for your route, typical times per service, and why no delivery date is guaranteed.
It depends on the warehouse, the destination and the carrier you choose. Express couriers usually deliver within days, postal services take weeks, and Hong Kong Post Surface Parcel can take up to three months. The shipping cost calculator and your account show an estimated delivery time for each carrier on your route, but it is an estimate, not a guaranteed date.
Where to see the estimate for your route
- Before you buy or ship: the Shipping cost calculator lists every carrier available for the warehouse, destination, weight and size you enter, with its price and estimated delivery time in days. See How to get a shipping quote.
- For a package in your account: the Shipping method tab of the package shows the estimated delivery time in days under each carrier and service.
Typical delivery times
| Service | Typical delivery time |
|---|---|
| Express couriers, for example DHL, FedEx or UPS | Usually the fastest. See the estimate in the calculator. |
| Hong Kong Post e-Express | 7–14 days |
| EMS | About 7–14 days |
| Hong Kong Post Air Parcel | 11–14 days |
| Czech Post and Deutsche Post | 3–6 weeks; to some countries 1–2 months |
| Hong Kong Post Surface Parcel | 9–12 weeks |
These times cover transport only. Customs in the destination country can add more time. Postal and surface services also show little movement in tracking along the way; see Why is my tracking not working or not updating?
When the delivery time starts
The carrier's delivery time starts when the carrier collects your package from the warehouse. Before that comes our own handling time, and if you chose a carrier based in another country than your package, we first move the package there. See Processing times explained.
Why we can't guarantee a delivery date
Once the carrier has collected your package, the carrier's network and the customs authorities decide how fast it moves. Tiptrans can't speed it up, and we don't compensate for late delivery.
- Customs in the destination country can hold a package for inspection, ask for documents or refuse entry. See Customs asked for information: what to do.
- Carrier backlogs: a carrier can have a backlog or service problem that slows down collection or transit. Shipments with UPS and to the United States have been affected by this before.
- Route suspensions: if customs in the destination country has long backlogs, shipping to that country may be put on hold until further notice. See Suspended and limited shipping routes.
- A carrier stops collecting: if a carrier stops collecting from a warehouse, we ask you to choose a different carrier, or to provide a new shipping label if you booked the shipment yourself.
If you arranged your own courier, you book the collection yourself. See Can I collect my package in person or with my own carrier?