How long international shipping really takes

International parcels spend most of their trip in a few long, quiet stretches. Knowing them makes the gaps less worrying.

By Stevie McLane · Updated October 31, 2026

Typical times to the United States

These are the usual windows we start from when estimating, before narrowing them with real deliveries on the same route:

• China to the US: about 10 to 14 days for postal and marketplace services.
• Hong Kong to the US: about 10 to 14 days.
• United Kingdom to the US: about 7 to 10 days.
• Canada to the US: about 4 to 11 days.
• Express couriers (DHL Express, FedEx International, UPS Worldwide): usually 2 to 6 days from most countries.

Budget economy services and holiday seasons can take two to four weeks.

The stages, and how long each one usually lasts

1. Processing in the origin country (1–3 days): the parcel is sorted and prepared for export.
2. Export and departure (1–4 days): it waits for space on a flight or container.
3. The flight or sailing (1–3 days by air): tracking is often silent here.
4. Arrival and import customs (1–5 days, sometimes more): what customs means.
5. Hand-off to the local carrier (2–5 days): in the US this is usually USPS, which may give the parcel its own scans or even a new number.

When a delay is worth chasing

• No scan at all for two weeks after leaving the origin country.
• Stuck "in customs" for more than ten days.
• Past the seller's promised delivery window: most marketplaces only let you open a claim within a set period, so check the deadline in your order.

Any Day Now shows where your parcel is in this journey and re-estimates the arrival when it runs behind, so a quiet week doesn't have to mean a lost package.