The frustration you and many others feel about Portugal’s postal and customs services (CTT and Alfândega) is a widely discussed topic. The issues are often complex, rooted in privatization, workforce challenges, and adapting to new EU regulations.
This is a frequently discussed topic, particularly prevalent across social media platforms.
During this season, it becomes even more pertinent. A cautionary note: to ensure the timely arrival of items, parcels, or gifts before Christmas, it is advisable to consider placing orders or dispatching shipments promptly… like now….
Regarding Christmas cards, it is worth noting that their relevance has diminished. Furthermore, international delivery can take several weeks, if not months, and the associated postage costs are substantial.
I personally havent really had any issues, I order from Amazon UK a lot, and everything arrives, and if not it is sorted out very quickly. The vat is charged at 23%, and everything works fine, ordering from Europe is also good.
Anything Im unsure where its shipped from I email and ask, if its from America, then forget it , I dont even bother, other places I ask if they include all the tax and customs.
Anything that does go to the customs, I let it be returned and ask for a refund.
For many residents and businesses in Portugal, ordering an item from abroad or simply sending a parcel can feel like a gamble. Stories of weeks-long delays, confusing customs procedures, and items going missing are common, fueling the widely held perception that Portugal’s national postal service, CTT (Correios de Portugal), and the customs authority, Alfândega, are struggling to keep pace.
While individual experiences vary, a closer look reveals systemic issues contributing to the frustration.
CTT: The Struggle of a Privatised Service
The post-privatisation era of CTT has been a major focus of public complaint. Once a well-regarded state service, the company now faces intense scrutiny, primarily stemming from operational shortcomings:
- Chronic Staff Shortages: Perhaps the most frequently cited issue is a significant lack of personnel, particularly mail carriers. Unions and customers point to chronic understaffing that leads to huge, chronic delays in mail and parcel delivery. This pressure has, in some reported cases, led to the use of temporary or sub-contracted workers with insufficient training or knowledge of local routes.
- The “Absent” Note: A common complaint is that delivery notices, indicating the receiver was not home, are left without the carrier ever attempting delivery. This forces the recipient to travel to a post office (often with long queues) to collect the item.
- Post Office Network Reduction: To cut costs, CTT has reduced its number of traditional post offices, sometimes replacing them with less-equipped service points in small shops or other unrelated businesses. This reduction strains the remaining collection points and diminishes customer service quality.
- Customer Service Gaps: Reports often highlight a lack of clarity and slow response times from CTT’s customer support when items are lost or severely delayed.
Alfândega: The Customs Clearance Conundrum
When a package is stuck, the blame often shifts from CTT to Customs (Alfândega). The primary source of recent delays has been the application of new European Union (EU) VAT rules, particularly on goods imported from outside the EU (like the UK, US, or China).
- The End of the VAT Exemption: Since mid-2021, the EU ended the VAT exemption for small-value imported goods (under €22). This change dramatically increased the volume of items requiring customs processing and VAT payment, overwhelming the existing system.
- Complex and Manual Processes: The system for paying VAT and duties often requires the recipient to complete a complex online declaration process on the CTT website (known as Desalfandegamento).
- If the sender hasn’t pre-paid the VAT (DDP – Delivered Duty Paid), the package is held until the recipient uploads invoices and completes forms.
- This process can be confusing, time-consuming, and is not always intuitive for non-Portuguese speakers.
- Fees for “Service”: Even for non-commercial gifts or items with low or no inherent value, CTT charges an administrative service fee for acting as the customs intermediary. This fee, combined with the VAT/duties, often makes the total cost of clearance surprisingly high and a major point of consumer frustration.
- Risk of Re-Classification: Parcels can be held if the declared value or description is questioned by customs. In some cases, a shipment may be arbitrarily re-classified (e.g., as a “commercial sample”), leading to further complex demands for documentation and increased taxes.
A Cultural and Systemic Component
Beyond the practical details, many expats and locals point to a broader issue sometimes dubbed the “Portuguese Way” in certain administrative sectors:
- Lack of Urgency: A general cultural difference in adhering to strict deadlines or a sense of urgency, particularly in bureaucracy-heavy processes, can compound the delays.
- Low Incentives and Pay: Workers in both CTT and public administration (Customs) often face high workloads with low pay, leading to lower morale and minimal incentive to go above and beyond for customers.
In essence, the “bad” experience with post and customs is a perfect storm where operational cutbacks in the privatised postal service (CTT) collide with a sudden, high-volume increase in customs work due to new EU tax rules (Alfândega). The result is a system that can buckle under pressure, turning the simple act of receiving a package into a stressful ordeal.