Your Correios tracking froze on “Encaminhado para fiscalização aduaneira” and you can’t tell if your package is lost, taxed, or fine. Every aggregator shows the Portuguese and translates nothing, so you guess while the clock runs. This guide decodes each status word-for-word, breaks down the AB123456789BR number format, and maps a realistic customs timeline — including the Curitiba import fee you may have to pay.
📦 Read Correios in plain English
Drop any AB123456789BR code into Package Tracker and it auto-detects Correios, follows every customs step, and pushes an alert the moment your package moves — free.
What your Correios tracking number actually tells you
A Correios number looks like AB123456789BR: two letters, nine digits, then a two-letter country code. The two letters at the front are the part that matters — they name the service class, which tells you how much tracking to expect and whether a signature is required. The last two letters are the ISO code of the country the item shipped from (BR means it left Brazil; CN, US, or IT mark other origins), and the ninth digit is a check digit, not part of the serial.
The two-letter prefix decoder
| First two letters | Correios service | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| RA · RB · RN · RR | Registered mail (Registrado) | Fully tracked, signed for on delivery. Most low-cost AliExpress and Shein orders ship this way. |
| LA · LB · LX · LP | Letter-post packet (Prime / Log) | Lightweight tracked packet, delivered to the door without a signature. |
| EE · EN · EA | EMS / Express (Expressa) | Priority express, the fastest international tier, tracked end to end. |
| CP · CB · CA | Parcel (Encomenda) | Heavier standard parcel; full tracking, may need a signature. |
| UA · UB | Ordinary / unregistered | Little or no tracking after dispatch — scans can stop early. |
| VC · VV | Insured (Valor declarado) | Declared-value item carrying insurance. |
These letter groups follow the Universal Postal Union’s S10 standard, so the same logic reads any postal number, not just Brazil’s. If a fresh code returns nothing on the Correios site for a day or two, that’s normal — the label is generated before the item is first scanned. If it still fails after several days across every tracker, here’s why a tracking number may not work yet.
Every Correios status, translated
Correios logs every event in Portuguese, and the aggregators copy it verbatim without a word of translation. Here’s what each string actually means and what, if anything, you should do. Read from the top — posting — down to delivery.
From posting to arrival in Brazil
| Portuguese status | English meaning | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Objeto postado | Item posted | Accepted at the origin post office. The trip has started but it hasn’t physically moved yet. |
| Objeto postado após o horário limite da agência | Posted after the branch cut-off | Same as posted — just logged after the daily deadline. No problem. |
| Objeto em trânsito – por favor aguarde | In transit — please wait | Moving between facilities. Normal, and it can go quiet for days on long routes. |
| Objeto encaminhado de [X] para [Y] | Forwarded from X to Y | Routed between two units; pure movement, nothing to do. |
| Objeto recebido pelos Correios do Brasil | Received by Correios in Brazil | It cleared the airline and entered Brazil (usually the Curitiba hub). The international leg is done. |
Customs, payment and delivery
| Portuguese status | English meaning | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Encaminhado para fiscalização aduaneira | Forwarded for customs inspection | Handed to the Receita Federal at Curitiba. Standard step — wait for the outcome. |
| Fiscalização aduaneira concluída | Customs inspection concluded | Customs finished and released it (taxed or not). Transit resumes next. |
| Aguardando pagamento | Awaiting payment | It was taxed. Pay the import fee in Minhas Importações within 20 days or it is returned. |
| Pagamento confirmado | Payment confirmed | Your import fee cleared; the package is moving again. |
| Objeto saiu para entrega ao destinatário | Out for delivery | On the delivery van today — expect it before evening. |
| Objeto entregue ao destinatário | Delivered to recipient | Delivered. Tracking is complete. |
| Tentativa de entrega não efetuada / carteiro não atendido | Delivery attempt failed / no one to receive | Nobody answered. It’s usually re-attempted or held at a local agency. |
| Objeto aguardando retirada no endereço indicado | Awaiting pickup at the indicated location | Go collect it at the named Correios agency, with ID. |
| Objeto será devolvido ao remetente | Will be returned to sender | Heading back — often an unpaid fee or repeated failed delivery. Contact the seller. |
“Objeto saiu para entrega ao destinatário” is the one you want: it’s on the van right now. It’s the Portuguese twin of the English out for delivery status, and it means delivery should land the same day.
The Curitiba customs stage — and the import fee
Almost every international item entering Brazil is routed to the Correios international hub in the Curitiba region (CEINT, in Pinhais), where the Receita Federal — not Correios — inspects shipments around the clock. Correios has no legal authority to release or tax your package; it only holds it while the tax authority decides.
When you see Encaminhado para fiscalização aduaneira, your item is in that inspection queue. Many orders pass through untaxed within a few days. If it’s taxed, the status flips to Aguardando pagamento and you pay inside Minhas Importações — the imports area of your Meu Correios account — by PIX or boleto, with 20 calendar days before it’s returned to sender. This is the exact fee no aggregator explains; if your item lingers here, read why a package gets stuck in customs and what customs clearance really involves.
What you’ll actually be charged (Remessa Conforme)
Brazil’s Programa Remessa Conforme sets the tax rates for sellers certified with the Receita Federal. Since 12 May 2026 the old 20% “taxa das blusinhas” on small orders was zeroed, but state ICMS still applies — so “tax-free” isn’t quite tax-free. The order value counts goods, shipping, and insurance combined.
| Order value (goods + shipping + insurance) | Federal import tax | State ICMS | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to US$50 — certified (Remessa Conforme) seller | 0% since 12 May 2026 | 17–20% | The “taxa das blusinhas” was zeroed; you still owe ICMS. |
| Up to US$50 — non-certified seller | 60% | 17–20% | No exemption — the flat rate applies even on cheap items. |
| US$50.01 to US$3,000 | 60% (minus a US$20 deduction) | 17–20% | Applies to the combined declared value. |
Buying from a marketplace that isn’t certified means the flat 60% can hit even a small order, which is why the platform you buy from matters as much as the price. The ICMS rate depends on your state, so a cheap order can still cost a fifth of its value in state tax alone.
A realistic Correios delivery timeline (15–30 days)
Most Brazil-bound orders from Asia land in 15 to 30 days door to door; the US and Europe are often similar once customs is involved. Plenty of Correios items begin as China Post hand-offs from AliExpress and Shein orders, so your first scans may sit under the origin carrier before Correios takes over inside Brazil.
| Stage | Typical status | Realistic timing |
|---|---|---|
| Order accepted abroad | Objeto postado (or the origin carrier’s “posted”) | Day 0 |
| International line-haul | Em trânsito / left origin country | Day 1–12 |
| Enters Brazil at Curitiba (CEINT, Pinhais) | Objeto recebido pelos Correios do Brasil | Day 8–18 |
| Customs queue | Encaminhado para fiscalização aduaneira | Day 9–22 — the usual stall point |
| If taxed: pay the fee | Aguardando pagamento → Pagamento confirmado | 1–5 days after you pay |
| Released by customs | Fiscalização aduaneira concluída | Day 12–24 |
| Domestic transit to your city | Objeto em trânsito | Day 13–27 |
| Delivery | Saiu para entrega → Entregue | Day 15–30 |
The two stages that stall are the international line-haul and the Curitiba customs queue. A week of silence on Objeto em trânsito – por favor aguarde is common and rarely means trouble; here’s when a package stuck in transit is actually a problem worth chasing.
When to actually worry
Most Correios delays resolve themselves. These are the few signals that justify contacting the seller or Correios rather than waiting:
- No scan at all after 30 days from an Asia origin, or 20 days from the US or Europe — raise it with the seller first, since the label may never have been handed over.
- “Aguardando pagamento” left past 20 days — the item gets returned to sender, so pay in Minhas Importações or contact Correios promptly.
- “Objeto será devolvido ao remetente” — it’s already heading back; you’ll usually need a refund or a reship from the seller.
- “Fiscalização aduaneira concluída” but no movement for 10+ days — the domestic leg has stalled; contact Correios with your number.
- The number is rejected on the official Correios site but the format is valid — give it 48 hours, then treat it as not yet scanned.
The pattern that matters is momentum: as long as the date keeps advancing, even slowly, the package is fine. A frozen date at customs or a returned-to-sender status is when you act.
Frequently asked questions
It means your package was forwarded to Brazil’s Receita Federal for customs inspection, usually at the Curitiba international hub. It’s a standard step for every international item, not a fault. Most parcels clear within a few days, either untaxed or with an import fee to pay.
It means your item was taxed and Correios is waiting for you to pay the import fee. Log into the Minhas Importações area of your Meu Correios account and pay by PIX or boleto. If you don’t pay within 20 calendar days, the package is returned to the sender.
Sign in to Meu Correios, open Minhas Importações, find the object marked awaiting payment, and pay the import tax plus ICMS online with PIX or a boleto. You need a Brazilian CPF linked to the account. Once payment clears, the status changes to payment confirmed and the item resumes its journey.
The last two letters are the ISO code of the country the item shipped from, so BR means it was posted in Brazil. A number ending in CN shipped from China, US from the United States, and so on. It tells you the origin, not the destination.
Curitiba, specifically the CEINT hub in Pinhais, is where almost all international mail enters Brazil and is inspected by the Receita Federal. Sitting there means it’s in the customs queue, which can take a few days to a couple of weeks. It moves again once customs releases it or you pay any tax due.
Customs inspection usually adds a few days to two weeks on top of transit. Untaxed items often clear in two to five days, while taxed items wait until you pay the fee. The full international-to-doorstep trip typically runs 15 to 30 days.
Since 12 May 2026, orders up to US$50 from a Remessa Conforme-certified seller pay 0% federal import tax, but you still owe state ICMS of roughly 17 to 20 percent. Orders from non-certified sellers can be taxed at 60% regardless of value.
It means the item left one facility and is moving toward the next, either between Correios processing centers or toward your city. Long gaps are normal on international routes. As long as the date keeps updating or the item is mid-haul, there’s nothing to do but wait.
The official Correios site shows statuses only in Portuguese. Third-party tracking apps can auto-detect the carrier and translate the events, which is the easiest way to follow a Correios number without reading Portuguese or juggling several websites.
It means the package is on the delivery vehicle and should arrive that same day. It’s the Correios equivalent of out for delivery. If no one is home, the status usually changes to a failed attempt or an instruction to collect it at a local agency.
2 Comments