International Mail

[dirkduck]

Hey everyone. A few days ago I sent out 3 letters of recommendation and a transcript via USPS Priority International mail to a school in Europe. Of course, a few minutes after I send the package, I find out that international Priority mail has an extra required "customs form" that must be attached. Does anyone know if USPS will return the mail to my return address? Or perhaps only a very few packages get checked for the form, and most go through fine? I still need to submit the online portion of the application, in addition to paying the online app. fee, but I am unsure if I should even bother. The deadline is in about 15 days, so assuming the package doesn't make it through AND is returned, I may have time to resend it (I would have to have it returned, as it has the only copies of my recommendations that I have), but I don't know if I should just give up on the school and save the time and fee. Thanks for the advice.

[modernity]

Did you send it at the post office, with the help of a postal worker? I've never done it any other way so I'm speaking from limited experience if you did it otherwise. They do need the customs form, so far as I recall. I have family in Europe and have sent them things via priority mail, and I've always had them ask for that customs form - but that was when I was sending gifts/coins/etc. not when I was sending just plain old paper. If its not needed because its just paper, and there's nothing to "declare" it should make it just fine by my estimation. If it needed the customs form regardless - it may be parked at your local post office, and you might want to give them a call. For priority mail they should have given you a tracking number - and they should be able to locate it rather quickly/remedy the situation. Its entirely possible that it will pass through without the customs form as from what I am told it is all run through a scanner, and if there is anything of question its opened anyway (can't tell you how many times we have gotten things that have been rifled through. i'm sure the postal workers felt mighty silly when they found chocolate...)

Also, we have sent things priority to Europe (emergency items forgotten on my grandparents trip) and had them arrive in less than 3 days- guaranteed (although i believe it was ups/dhl or something that we used rather than USPS and it was not exactly cheap), so 15 days should give you plenty of wiggle room. Don't panic yet. Dig up the tracking number, call your post office, etc. before you give up.

[linden]

Dirkduck:

I think you're okay. I have never been asked to fill out the customs forms for packages that contained documents or returns.

Good luck!

Linden

[slothy]

As others have suggested, documents are noramlly exempt from customs forms (no matter how much you had to pay for your transcripts). The worst that could happen would be your package being delayed by one day max if they have to open up the envelope to determine that it's just documents. You're worrying about nothing. Relax.

[40404]

Hi,

I'm a grad school applicant and I happen to work at DHL as well. Documents normally do not require customs forms since these are non-dutiable (unless you sent a whole lot since some countries have a maximum number of kilos of papers and more than that will be considered a parcel already).

Just use the tracking number given and if its not delivered yet, call up their customer service.

goodluck!

[dirkduck]

Hey everyone, thanks for the info. I never received the envelope back in the mail, so I am assuming it went through. I went ahead and submitted the electronic portion of the app. the other day (day before deadline!). Turns out it was no big deal, as there was no application fee!

Regrettably, I do not have a tracking number, so I have no idea where the envelope is at. Never the less, I'm, hoping for the best at this point!