Work out who to contact when a China parcel stops updating in Portugal: confirm the carrier, compare CTT and AT records, and ask about the specific step still outstanding.
An “arrived in Portugal” update does not explain a gap in tracking or tell you whether you need to act. For a postal parcel handled by CTT, comparing its clearance case with the corresponding AT record can help you ask the right question.
Confirm the actual carrier first: not every YDA Express route to Portugal uses CTT. If another courier or customs agent handles your parcel, ask that operator for its process.
Official guidance checked: 6 November 2026.
Ask the sender for the international postal reference and any separate local number. For consolidated Taobao or Pinduoduo purchases, you need the reference for the final international shipment. A seller’s China domestic number and your YDA warehouse ID serve different purposes; neither replaces the recipient’s Portuguese tax number, the NIF. The Pinduoduo tracking guide explains the different shipment references.
Use CTT tracking for transport events, the CTT clearance portal for your case and requests, and the AT postal enquiry for the customs declaration. AT is Portugal’s Tax and Customs Authority. Keep the last CTT event and its date alongside your enquiry result.
AT has no matching record
Follow the postal-search link in AT’s official guidance. Check that you are using the correct recipient’s NIF and postal reference. No result in that official enquiry means AT has not received the corresponding declaration; its guidance directs you to CTT. This conclusion does not apply to an empty result on a third-party tracking site.
A practical question for CTT is:
Podem confirmar se a declaração aduaneira deste objeto já foi submetida à AT e se falta alguma informação do destinatário?
Meaning: Can you confirm whether this item’s customs declaration has been submitted to AT and whether any recipient information is missing?
This is our suggested wording, not an official form. Add your international reference, latest CTT event and date, and the AT result through the official support channel. Ask what remains outstanding rather than assuming the parcel is lost.
AT has a record: check whether it shows release
Look at which date is present, not just whether the search finds your parcel:
| Field in the AT enquiry | What the date records |
|---|---|
| Data Aceitação | AT received the declaration from CTT. |
| Mercadoria liberta de ação aduaneira | AT authorised release. |
A separate control date records a check of documents or goods. Without release, review the CTT case for any actual request and ask which step remains pending. A declaration record alone does not give a delivery date.
If AT shows release but you have not received the parcel, its guidance says to contact CTT. Ask about handling and delivery after the recorded date:
A consulta da AT indica uma data de libertação aduaneira. Podem verificar o tratamento e a entrega do objeto após essa data?
Meaning: The AT enquiry shows a customs-release date. Can you check the parcel’s handling and delivery after that date?
This is also suggested wording. Add the reference and release date, then retain the reply and case number. A delivery enquiry does not resolve a dispute about tax or a product permit; ask who must answer that particular request.
Check whether CTT needs something from you
If tracking says a clearance notice was sent but you did not receive it, check the official portal. If the parcel is absent from your account, verify the email used and whether someone already started the case for you; contact CTT if unresolved. “Em Validação CTT” is CTT’s own validation stage, not proof that AT has detained the goods. Follow the current CTT instructions.
If documents are requested, identify the missing item. CTT’s purchase-document guidance lists the commercial invoice, purchase-history screenshot and payment proof. Keep them consistent and ask the seller for a missing invoice. For a used Xianyu purchase, see the Portugal value-and-condition evidence guide. Follow the request for your case, rather than opening another case or repeatedly uploading the same files.
How YDA Express can help
For a shipment arranged through YDA Express, send the forwarding-order reference, international reference and latest status or request. We can check available shipment records and clarify the next carrier or agent; existing warehouse photos and packing records may help link the goods to the shipment.
Those records do not replace a seller’s invoice or change an AT decision. YDA cannot guarantee clearance or a delivery date. Send personal documents through the appropriate official channel. For a suspicious notification, open CTT’s website yourself and check its phishing alerts. Recheck current instructions when acting.
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