About China Post

China Post is the official postal service of the People’s Republic of China. Its services cover mail delivery (domestic as well as international), express mail delivery, postal money transfer services, logistics and parcel delivery, and EMS. China Post is also responsible for the circulation of books, journals and newspapers, and for issuing stamps.

China Post History

China has had postal services for about 2500 years, but its modern postal system — the Customs Post Office of the Qing Empire — was established by Robert Hart in 1878. It had branch offices in five of the country’s major trading cities.

This organization changed and was renamed a few times, following the political situation of the country. It was renamed the Great Qing Post in 1896, became independent of the customs service in 1911, and was renamed Chunghwa Post in 1912. During the struggle between the Nationalist and Communist governments, both parties issued their own stamps. With the victory of communism in 1949, the postal services were renamed General Postal Administration. The current name is China Post Group Corporation.

China Post tracking

If you want to track a parcel or piece of mail sent through China Post, you can do so on this page. Just enter your tracking number into the search bar at the top of the page, and click on the search button on the right-hand side of it.

How to track China post ?

To track your package, all you need is the package tracking number. Once you have it:

Use the search bar at the top of this page;
Enter the tracking number (or tracking code, or ID number) in the search bar, without including any dashes or spaces;
Click on the Search button
View the tracking history and status information of your package.

Why can't I track my China Post package?

In most cases, this happens because the seller hasn't shipped the package, or the package has not been collected yet. The seller may have assigned a tracking number from China Post to your package with shipping software provided by a third party — eBay, AliExpress, WISH, Amazon, Debenhams, Ikea, Woolworths, Joom etc. — but not shipped the parcel yet.

Other possible reasons why you cannot track your parcel are:

You are using the order number to track the package instead of the tracking number. Check the shipping confirmation email you received from the seller to get the correct number.
The seller has shipped the package and sent you the tracking code, but the package status has not yet been updated by China Post. Wait two days from the day you received the shipping confirmation email, then try again.
The tracking code the seller gave you is incorrect. Contact them, give them your order number, and ask them to find the correct tracking number for your shipment.
Your package has not been registered, and therefore can only be tracked inside China.

What does a China Post tracking number look like?

Every postal item registered at the China Post is assigned a unique tracking number that conforms to the S10 standard. It consists of 13 digits — four letters and nine algarisms.

These tracking numbers usually start with R, C, E, A or L and always end with CN. For instance: RV433264709CN. The tracking codes’ initial letters indicate the shipping mode, as follows:

R — Registered Air Mail RR123476780CN, RI999654321CN. These parcels can be tracked in most countries.
C — Registered Surface Mail CP423459780CN. This kind of mail takes longer to arrive than Registered Air Mail.
E or A — China Post EMS parcels EE423155780CN, EA087671324CN. Rates are higher for this shipping mode, but parcels are delivered faster.
L — ePacket parcel LK827456580CN, LN467604321CN, LM770456799CN. This service delivers parcels in the United States in 9-12 days after shipping, due to a special agreement between China Post and the United States Postal Service (USPS). For other countries, delivery times are almost as fast as EMS.

Besides these kinds of registered mail, there is also Unregistered Mail. Unregistered Mail receives a tracking number that can only be used to track the parcel inside China. Once the parcel leaves Chinese territory, it is no longer possible to track it.

U — Standard Mail UP753203568CN, UW653203568CN. For this shipping mode, you can see the date the package left the post office, but you cannot track it beyond that point.

China Post tracking statuses

Status	Description
已收寄	Received at [location post office]
下一站	Next stop, parcel is in transit to location
已到达目的国	Parcel arrived at the destination country
送交至目的国海关	Parcel delivered to customs in the destination country
海关验关	Customs clearance in process
正在投递	Parcel left for delivery
地址欠详	Unknown address
出口邮件直封封发	Outgoing mail is directly sealed and sent
交航扫描	Air scan
总包到达寄达地	The total package arrives at the destination
到达境外进口互换局	Arrive at Overseas Import Exchange Bureau
到达	Arrivals
送交承运商	Delivery to carrier
转运中	In transit
计划交航	Planned delivery
出门投递	Go out for delivery
到达境外经转局	Arrive at overseas transit bureau
到达待取	Pending for pick up
投递失败	Delivery failed
已投递	Delivered
境外进口取消	Cancellation of overseas imports
进口海关留存待验	Import customs to keep pending
已完成目的国清关	Customs clearance of destination country has been completed
已放行	Released
境外邮寄	Overseas mail
到达境外自提点	Arrive at the overseas pickup point
境外已完成目的国清关	Customs clearance of destination country has been completed overseas
离开	Leave

What does the China Post tracking status “Opening” mean?

This status means your parcel is undergoing customs clearance

Why is my parcel status stuck at “Departure from outward office of exchange”?

This status usually means one of two things:

The status of your parcel has not yet been updated. In this case, you should try again in two days, and then you will see the updated status.
Your package has left China, and cannot be traced further, either because the destination country does not support China Post global tracking, or because the shipping mode does not include tracking outside of China.

What does the status PVG/PEK/FOC/CAN mean when I track my package?

These statuses mean that your package is transiting through one of the airports listed below:

PVG — Shanghai Pudong Airport
PEK — Beijing Capital International Airport
FOC — Fuzhou Changle International Airport
CAN — Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport.

China Post tracking without a tracking number

If you can’t find the tracking number, here are a few things you can do to track your items:

if you are the sender, contact the recipient and ask if they have already received the shipment. Ideally, you should do this only after the estimated delivery time (EDT) has passed;
if the recipient has not received the package, contact the courier company in the destination country. Give them the shipping details so they can track the shipment for you;
if you are the recipient, contact the seller, give them the order number — which you can find in your receipt, or in the purchase confirmation email — and ask them to give you the corresponding tracking ID.

China Post Services

China Post Registered Air Mail: this is a cost-convenient shipping service which you can use when you don’t need to send your package urgently. International packages sent through China Post Registered Air Mail take 2-4 weeks to be delivered. The tracking code for these packages is a 13-digit alpha-numeric code, which begins with R and ends with CN.
China Post International Small Parcel: this service delivers light packages (under 2 kg) from China to other countries. The combined length, width, and depth of the parcel must be less than 90 cm, with no dimension larger than 60 cm. There are two types of small parcels: the Ordinary Small Packet Plus is cheaper, but there is no shipment tracking, while the Registered Mail is more expensive but can be tracked online.

What is Unregistered China Post?

This delivery service is used for packages that require tracking only during their transit through Chinese territory. Packages sent through Unregistered China Post are not registered at all the transit points, and after they leave the country, the sender won't be able to track them.

However, if you are sending mail or parcels to Kazakhstan, you will be able to track them, since the national postal service KazPost supports international tracking of any unregistered mail that enters the country.

Unregistered China Post packages also receive a tracking number with a total of 13 alpha-numeric characters. But its structure is different — the code starts with U and ends with CN, for instance:

UG55554444CN

China Post Rates

China Post rates depend on a number of variables such as the mode of shipping, size and weight of the parcel, charge unit, and pricing in different zones. Also, the exact price is based on the latest quotation of the Office. For detailed information on rates you can check the China Post official website.

Check rates

How do I send a package by China Post?

In order to use China Post services, you need to go to the post office. You can ask your hotel receptionist or residence concierge to direct you to the nearest post office. If there is no one available to direct you, this website in English may help you find the nearest post office. Alternatively, if you read Chinese, you can find out how to send a parcel by China Post on their official website, on this page, and on this one.

How do I change the delivery address?

If you gave the wrong delivery address for your package — or if you have moved to a new address since — China Post cannot alter it for you. What you can do is to contact the local courier in the destination country, give them the tracking number and shipment details, and ask them to change the delivery address.

What prohibited items cannot be shipped by China Post?

If you want to send items through China Post, make sure that they do not fall into any of these categories:

liquids;
magnetic items, or items that have batteries inside;
explosives, fireworks, firecrackers, firearms and ammunition (including imitations);
anesthesia injection guns, steel ball guns, tear gas guns;
daggers, three-sided scrapers, switchblade knives with self-locking devices (jumping knives), and other similar single-edged, double-edged, and three-edged sharp knives;
electric shock devices;
compressed and liquefied gases and their containers;
toxic, flammable, explosive or suffocating gases;
oxidants and peroxides, flammable liquids or solids, and substances that are flammable in contact with water;
oxidants and peroxides, flammable liquids or solids, and substances that are flammable in contact with water;
toxic or infectious substances, biochemical products, radioactive materials, etc.
drugs, drug use tools and precursor chemicals (including poppy shells, flowers, buds, leaves; morphine, heroin, cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, ketamine, methcathinone, amphetamine, anaphylamine, piperonal, safrole, safrole, ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, hydroxylimine, o-ketone, phenylacetic acid, bromopropiophenone, acetic anhydride, toluene, acetone, etc.);
counterfeit goods and goods that violate intellectual property rights;
endangered wild animals and products made from them;
espionage equipment.

You can check this page for the full list of China Post forbidden items (in Chinese). Also, a list of FedEx and USPS products that do not ship to China can be found on this page and this page.

How long does China Post take?

China Post has an agreement with the postal service of the United States (USPS) and you will usually receive your shipment in your American address by USPS within 9 to 12 days using ePacket. You must insist the seller choose ePacket shipping, otherwise it will take 60 to 80 days for the package to arrive by China Post standard mail.

Estimated delivery time in different services

Services	Ordinary Mail (days)	Registered Mail (days)	EUB (days)	EMS (days)
Seller’s storage time before shipping	1 - 5	1 - 3	1 - 3	1 - 2
Collecting and dispatching time to the destinations	2 - 5	2 - 5	2 - 5	1 - 2
Days from China to the destination country	15 - 40	5 - 20	3 - 15	3 - 7
Transit times to local post office for delivery	2 - 10	3 - 5	2 - 3	1 - 2
Delivery	1 - 2	1 - 2	1 - 2	1 - 2
Total	21 - 60	12 - 35	12 - 28	7 - 15

In other countries, delivery times for China Post parcels depend on a number of factors, such as the shipping mode and the destination country. The average time taken to deliver most international packages is between 15 and 60 day. If it was sent by economic shipping mode, the package can take as long as 3 to 6 months to arrive.

Approximate arrival time China Post to different countries

Destination	Ordinary Mail (days)	Registered Mail (days)	EUB/ePacket (days)	EMS (days)
USA	30-90	10-60	10-30	7-15
United Kingdom	30-90	10-60	10-25	7-15
Australia	30-90	10-60	15-30	7-20
Canada	30-90	7-40	10-35	7-20
France	30-90	7-50	15-30	7-20
Brazil	30-90	7-50	15-35	7-20
India	20-60	10-50	10-25	7-15
Indonesia	20-60	10-25	10-25	7-15
Italy	30-90	10-30	15-30	7-20
Japan	20-60	5-20	10-25	7-15
Malaysia	20-60	12-30	10-25	7-15
New Zealand	20-60	7-15	10-25	7-15
Philippines	20-60	10-20	10-25	7-15
Pakistan	20-60	12-50	7-20	7-15
Russia	20-60	7-40	7-30	7-15
Ukraine	30-90	15-50	10-30	7-20
Saudi Arabia	30-60	30-60	15-45	7-20
Kuwait	30-60	30-60	15-45	7-20
Singapore	20-60	5-15	7-20	7-15
South Africa	30-90	10-35	7-20	7-20
Thailand	20-60	7-40	7-30	7-15
Turkey	20-60	10-25	7-20	7-15
Vietnam	20-60	10-25	7-20	7-15
Spain	30-90	10-30	15-30	7-20
Germany	30-90	10-30	15-30	7-20

US, Australia and Canada: 30 to 90 days for standard mail.

UK: 40 to 90 days for standard mail.

China Post International Large Package

This China Post service transports and delivers packages that weigh more than 2kg and up to 30kg. You can choose standard or registered shipping mode — the standard shipping mode does not include parcel tracking, whereas if you register your package you will be able to track it all the way to its destination.

Delivery times depend on the method of transportation — Air Parcel, Surface Air Lift (sea, land or air) or Surface Parcel (land and sea).

Air Parcel delivery times:

Countries that share borders with China: 5-10 days
Europe, US and Canada: 7-15 days
Mexico, Central and South America: 10-20 days
Africa, and other countries or regions: 15 – 30 Days

Surface Air Lift delivery time:

for all destinations: 15-20 days

Surface Parcel delivery time:

for all destinations: 1-2 months

Postage rates for China Post International Parcels

China Post postage rates for international parcels vary depending on the shipping mode, parcel size and weight, and the places from and to which you are sending the parcel.

You can calculate the rates for your international postal items on this China Post calculator (in English). You will also find a detailed table of China Post rates for international parcels in English here.

Who delivers China Post mail in the USA, UK, Australia, and Canada?

China Post works with national couriers to deliver mail and parcels in these countries. This means that in these four countries, China Post parcels are delivered by couriers such as UPS, 4PX, LaserShip, OnTrac, Pitney Bowes, SpeedPAK, FedEx and DHL. Besides these, USPS too delivers China Post mail and packages in the USA; Royal Mail, DPD, Parcel2Go, ParcelForce, Yodel, Packlink, Hermes, etc. deliver them in the UK; Australia Post, Aramex, and Startrack, among others, do it in Australia; and in Canada, couriers such as Canada Post and Purolator deliver China Post mail and parcels.

How do I return a China Post package?

To return a package, you need to follow the same steps you would when sending it. If you are returning the package because China Post delivered it to you by mistake, you won’t have to pay anything.

China Post did not deliver the order, what should I do?

At times packages can take longer than normal to reach the recipient. If you are the recipient and your package has not arrived within the estimated time of delivery, here are a few things you can do:

track your parcel using the universal package tracker pkge.net;
check the package status to see if there is any explanation for the delay;
if the tracking page gives no reason for the delay, contact the courier, give them the tracking number and ask them to track the order for you.

About compensation from China Post Express Logistics

If your express China Post mail arrived after the estimated date of arrival, the sender must file a complaint within 30 days from the date of delivery. China Post Express Logistics will reply within 7 working days. In order to file a complaint, the sender must provide basic information about the shipment: delivery date, zip code and zip code of the recipient (except Hong Kong).

If the sender does not send the request within the specified time, China Post Express Logistics will no longer pay compensation according to the relevant requirements of the promised service. If it is confirmed that China Post Express Logistics is responsible for the delay, the postage collected will be returned to the sender (excluding packing, customs and other charges).

You can find more information on compensation by visiting this page, by logging on to your China Post account at EMS, and by calling the national unified customer service number at 11183 — or at (+86) 10-11183 if you live abroad.

China Post Contacts

11185	Contact phone number, if you live in China
(+86) 10-11183	Contact phone number, if you live abroad
feedback@chinapost.com.cn	Email address
http://english.chinapost.com.cn	China post website (English)
http://www.chinapost.com.cn	China post website (China)
https://11185.cn/web/#/index

The postal address for contact is:

3 Financial Street
Xicheng District
Beijing
100808 China

China Post Tracking