Your shipment clears customs once all duties are paid. Once customs clearance is complete, your chosen courier service transports the shipment from customs to the end-destination. Shipments rarely get stuck at customs.

The final step in the customs clearance process is the official "Release" of the cargo by the customs authorities and the subsequent Out-of-Charge (OOC) order. This occurs only after all documentation has been verified, the goods have been classified under the correct HS codes, and all applicable duties, taxes, and "IGST" (in the case of India) have been paid. Once the Bill of Entry is electronically "cleared" and the customs officer is satisfied that the shipment complies with all national trade regulations, the electronic system generates a gate pass or a release note. In 2026, this process is increasingly automated through portals like ICEGATE, where the final "green light" is sent digitally to the terminal operator. Once the OOC is received, the importer or their customs broker can physically move the goods from the bonded warehouse or port area to their final destination, marking the legal end of the government's intervention in that specific import transaction.