Why was I charged Import VAT (Einfuhrumsatzsteuer) and a DHL Auslagenpauschale fee?

Two charges, two different collectors. The Einfuhrumsatzsteuer is Germany's 19% import VAT, owed on every purchase from outside the EU from the first cent — plus, since July 2026, the EU's flat €3 duty per item on low-value e-commerce packages. The Auslagenpauschale is DHL's service charge for fronting those taxes at customs on your behalf and collecting them from you at the door — currently €7.50 per package. The good news: both the doorstep bill and DHL's fee vanish when the shop collects VAT at checkout through IOSS, which the big platforms do by default. So the same €40 order arrives either seamlessly or with roughly €15 of tax-plus-fee attached — the checkout you choose decides which.

What does "In Zollabwicklung / Sendung wurde zum Zoll geleitet" mean in Germany?

Your package is in customs processing — standard procedure for anything arriving from outside the EU, and usually over within days. "In Zollabwicklung" means the routine version: DHL or the carrier is handling the declaration, any VAT gets assessed, and the package moves on, often with the Auslagenpauschale added at delivery. "Sendung wurde zum Zoll geleitet" can mean a bit more: customs wants clarification — usually a missing invoice or an unclear declaration. In that case you'll receive a letter, and the package may wait at a local customs office instead of coming to you. Nothing to panic about either way. Keep your order confirmation handy, respond to any letter promptly, and watch your timeline here — the status flips back to normal delivery scans the moment clearance completes.

How do DHL Packstation lockers work and how do I get a pickup code?

The Packstation is Germany's favourite delivery trick: an automated locker bank that accepts your packages any hour, no waiting for the doorbell. You register once for a free DHL account and get a Postnummer; from then on you can ship orders directly to any Packstation (address format: your name, Postnummer, Packstation number, postcode) or have missed deliveries rerouted to one. When a package lands, the DHL app notifies you and shows the pickup code — open the app at the machine, enter or scan the code, the door pops open, done. Packages wait several days before being rerouted, so collect within the window in your notification. If you're often out, making a Packstation your default delivery address quietly ends the missed-delivery problem forever.

What happens if my package is sent to a local Zollamt (Customs Office) for collection?

This happens when customs couldn't clear your package remotely — usually because the declaration or invoice was missing or unclear — so instead of DHL bringing it to you, the package waits at your local Zollamt and you get a letter explaining what to bring. It's an errand, not a catastrophe. Take the letter, your photo ID, and proof of what you paid — the order confirmation or PayPal receipt on your phone usually suffices. At the counter, the officer reviews the value, you pay the import VAT on the spot, and the package is yours. Two deadlines matter: Zollamt storage is limited to a couple of weeks before the package returns to sender, and opening hours are civil-service hours, so plan the visit. Prevention for next time: shops that attach proper invoices and use IOSS keep you out of this queue entirely.

Which German couriers and parcel services are supported on Parcel Monitor?

All the ones that matter in a German hallway. DHL carries roughly half the country's packages, and we follow it scan by scan — alongside Hermes, DPD, GLS and UPS, the standard rotation for German webshops, plus FedEx for express and the pickup-point networks. Your Otto order by Hermes, your Zalando package by DHL and your AliExpress find clearing Frankfurt all live in one timeline here. In total we track more than 1,000 carriers worldwide, recognising each number's format automatically — so the carrier lottery at checkout stops mattering. And when a package crosses over to a German courier at the border, we follow it straight through, even when a new tracking number appears mid-journey.

Can I enter multiple tracking numbers at once?

Yes — add every package you're waiting for and see them side by side in one view. That's the core of what we do: instead of five tabs for five couriers, one glance tells you what's out for delivery today, what's still clearing customs, and what needs your attention. Each number keeps its own full timeline underneath. It's especially useful in Germany, where a single shopping weekend can produce a DHL, a Hermes and a DPD package simultaneously. And if even pasting numbers feels like admin: connect your Gmail, and new orders get spotted in your confirmation emails from Amazon, Otto or Zalando and tracked automatically — your list fills itself while you get on with your week.

Where do I pick up my parcel if I missed a home delivery in Germany?

Check the card in your mailbox or the carrier's app — it names the exact spot, and in Germany that's one of three places: a nearby Filiale or Paketshop, a Packstation locker (DHL reroutes there if you're registered), or a neighbour who accepted it for you, which German drivers do routinely. If it went to a neighbour, the card says who; a knock and a thank-you completes the delivery. For shop or locker pickups, bring photo ID (and your DHL app for Packstation codes). Hermes, DPD and GLS use their own Paketshop networks, always named in the tracking. The one rule that bites: pickup locations hold packages for a limited window — with DHL typically about a week — before returning them, so make the pickup this week's errand, not this month's.

Why hasn't my international shipment updated after arriving at IPZ Frankfurt?

IPZ Frankfurt is Germany's international mail gateway — practically every posted package from outside the EU funnels through it, and the pause there is the most ordinary silence in German tracking. After the arrival scan, your package queues for customs review and then waits to enter DHL's domestic network; neither step reliably produces public scans, so the timeline freezes while real progress happens backstage. A few days is normal, and peak season or a customs query stretches it. Two useful checks while you wait: your mailbox and email for a customs letter (a package diverted to the Zollamt announces itself by post, not by tracking), and your order confirmation for whether VAT was collected at checkout — IOSS packages clear noticeably faster. Past two weeks of total silence, ask the seller to open a trace from the origin post.

Can someone else pick up my DHL or Hermes parcel with a Vollmacht (Power of Attorney)?

Yes — the Vollmacht is the standard German solution. Write a short authorisation naming yourself, the person collecting, and the package (tracking number helps), sign it, and send your helper with it plus their own photo ID; a copy of your ID alongside makes the counter visit bulletproof. DHL also accepts the signed authorisation printed on the back of the yellow delivery card for one-off pickups, and household members at the same address often collect with just their matching-address ID. Hermes Paketshops work on the same logic: authorisation plus the collector's ID and the notice or tracking number. For a recurring arrangement — a partner always collecting — DHL lets you register a standing authorisation in your account, which beats writing a new note every time.

What is the difference between an Order Number and a Tracking Number?

They come from two different worlds, and mixing them up is the top reason a number "doesn't work". The order number (Bestellnummer) is the shop's internal reference — it identifies your purchase in their system, appears on your invoice, and means nothing to any courier. The tracking number (Sendungsnummer) is issued by the carrier when the package ships, and it's the one that unlocks the journey: scans, customs status, delivery. You'll usually find it in the shipping confirmation email — the second email, not the order confirmation — often behind a "track your order" link. If a number returns "not found" here, check which one you've got: order numbers tend to sit in the shop's format, tracking numbers in the carrier's. When in doubt, paste in both — we'll recognise the real one instantly.

What other countries can I track parcels in with Parcel Monitor?

You may also want to explore tracking for these other destinations:

• Check on your France delivery

• Your Netherlands orders, all in one place

• Waiting on something from Belgium?

• Keep an eye on Austria deliveries

• Tracking made easy for Switzerland

• See deliveries to and from Italy

Which other carriers can I track with Parcel Monitor?

These carrier pages are worth a look too:

• Following a Asendia Germany delivery?

• DPD tracking, step by step

• See where your Hermesworld package is

• Got a DHL Express number? Start here

• Check your UPS shipment