Express Customer Service FAQs

Rate and transit times are based on the services requested and the final destination.

Yes, all international shipments require a signature for delivery unless waived by the shipper via No Signature Required (NSR). However alternate forms of authorization are acceptable.

You may also visit our online DHL On Demand Delivery solution which provides options to Pick Up, Schedule (including Signature Release) or Redirect your package, by clicking here DHL On Demand Delivery.

DHL Express provides up-to-date information on your shipment location as it moves through the network.

A U.S. Customer Service Representative can transfer your call to another country if you, Call us.

Or, select a country from the drop down menu and click “Go” to receive the local contact information to speak with a DHL Express Customer Service Representative in another country.

Although DHL Express cannot deliver to PO, APO, or FPO box address you may request the shipment to be held for pickup. The receiver will then be able to pickup the shipment at the local DHL Express station.

Note: The receiver address is still required for customs on international shipments.

A DHL account is highly recommended if you ship frequently. This offers you negotiated price savings and the opportunity to pay by monthly invoice. Less frequent shippers can pay by credit card.

You can receive assistance by calling, Customer Service

You can choose to pay with a credit card or bank funds transfer for all of your export or import accounts.

You need to discuss this with the vendor because it depends on the type of commodity you are purchasing, the value of the goods, how the vendor labels them for customs purposes and what country you are importing them into.

DHL pays imposed customs charges in advance and then provides the receiver with an invoice for remittance, whether or not the delivery of goods was accepted.

Each country establishes its own standards as to which goods are considered documents and which are dutiable.

Once you chose the destination country during the shipment waybill creation process “Section 1 Customs” provides link Help me decide next to the “Non-dutiable” option.

It can affect your shipment in two ways:

1. Customs. All dutiable shipments must go through a customs clearance procedure, which can affect the transit time and delay your shipment; however, DHL has developed working relationships with customs officials worldwide to streamline the clearance process.
   We're a licensed customs broker in more than 140 countries, which means a great majority of DHL Express shipments are cleared through customs within minutes or in just a few hours. Some items, particularly unusual or high-value items, can take longer to clear customs. Transit times depend on how long local procedures take.

The Port of Export is a four-digit code that identifies specific ports where your shipment can leave the country, as listed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) . This is a required data entry field in the Census Bureaus’ Automated Customs Environment (ACE).

Go to the DHL Port of Export and Carrier Code Tool

The USMCA is a trade agreement between United States, Mexico, and Canada that replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). USMCA went into effect on July 1, 2020. It provides duty free treatment for goods originating in the US-MX-CA region, and allows commodities that qualify to receive preferential treatment, such as free or lower rates of duty when shipped between the US-MX-CA countries. All shipments, whether or not they qualify for USMCA preferential treatment, must be cleared by the Customs authority of the country they are entering.

Get More Information

In Canada, the agreement is referred to as the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). For more information, click here.

In Mexico it is called El Tratado entre México, Estados Unidos y Canadá (T-MEC). For more information, click here.

DHL can offer you a wide choice of both standard and supplementary customs services. They include:

• Import and export clearance
• High value clearance
• Pre-shipment authorization
• Customs document preparation
• Multi-line entry clearance
• Customs-related storage
• Handover to broker
• Post-clearance modification
• Advice on tariff quotas
• Advice on content classification
• Bonded transit
• Customs payment deferment

DHL FLL Regional Office Tax ID:                       65-0128611
DHL Holdings (USA) Inc. Tax ID:                       94-3302567
DHL Worldwide Express Inc. Tax ID:                94-3380425
DHL Global Customer Logistics Inc. Tax ID:  94-3391269
DHL AMIS Inc. Tax ID:                                          94-2769187

An embargo is the partial or complete prohibition of commerce and trade with a particular country. Embargoes are similar to economic sanctions and are generally considered legal barriers to trade.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions. DHL complies with all OFAC regulations when exporting to or importing from US embargoed countries and shipments are limited to approved account holders. Please contact your DHL sales rep for further information about shipping to an OFAC country.

The following countries currently have embargoes or sanctions placed on them by OFAC:

• Cuba
• Iran (Islamic Republic Of)
• Korea D.P.R (North Korea)
• North Sudan
• Syria

Please be aware that when purchasing goods via internet sites, some or all of these goods may not originate in your home country. When goods are not sent domestically or within a single customs union, you are liable to pay any inbound duties and taxes which your local Customs authority deems appropriate. Duties and taxes are most typically not included in the price of the goods you purchase online.

DHL pays the Customs authority on your behalf any duties and taxes that are due on the goods, when they enter the country. This simple process ensures that our courier can deliver your goods in shortest possible transit time. Please note that we only release the goods to you upon the full repayment of any duties and taxes that were paid on your behalf.