Questions and answers

There are three ways to get your parcel to us: bring it to London hub (Unit 4, Heathrow Cargo Park, Hounslow TW6 0XX, open Mon–Fri 10:00–19:00, Sat 10:00–16:00), book a collection from your home, or post it to our hub with any UK carrier and add the carrier's tracking number in your account.

Then fill in the online customs declaration for the recipient and pay the invoice. We weigh the parcel, put it on the next flight to Tashkent and send you the tracking number. The recipient can pick it up at our Tashkent office or have it delivered by courier.

We fly to Tashkent once a week. The date of the next flight and the drop-off deadline are shown in the Next flight box on the home page.

To make a flight, drop your parcel off at the hub before the deadline with the declaration completed. Online-shop orders need to reach our hub earlier, so we have time to receive and check them. Anything that arrives later goes on the following week's flight.

The flight itself is overnight; most of the time goes on customs clearance in Tashkent, sorting and the last leg to the recipient.

Customs doesn't work at weekends or on public holidays, and delivery to the regions takes a little longer than in Tashkent. If a flight or customs is delayed, we show it on the tracking page with a new estimate.

Yes. We deliver to every region of Uzbekistan and to Karakalpakstan. After sorting in Tashkent, the parcel is handed to our regional courier partner, who brings it to the recipient's door. You'll see the handover on the tracking page.

Courier delivery to the regions costs £5.00 and is free for parcels from 10 kg. It usually takes a few working days longer than in Tashkent. Please give an accurate address with a landmark and a phone number the courier can reach.

Once the status changes to “Ready for pickup”, the parcel is stored free for 7 days at our Tashkent office (Yunusobod district, Tashkent, open Mon–Fri 09:00–18:00, Sat 10:00–15:00). After that, a small daily storage fee applies, and parcels left uncollected for a long time may be returned.

Someone else can collect on the recipient's behalf. They need the parcel number and the recipient's passport or ID card, and we may send a confirmation code to the recipient's phone.

Yes, until the parcel leaves London. Open the parcel in your account and edit the declaration. We'll need the new recipient's passport details and PINFL, because the parcel counts towards their monthly allowance.

Once the parcel has flown, the recipient's name can't be changed, because the declaration has already been filed with customs. The phone number and delivery address in Uzbekistan can still be updated until sorting starts in Tashkent: message us on Telegram at @parceltrade_uk.

Before the flight you can cancel at any time. You can collect the parcel from the hub, or we can post it back to you at the UK carrier's price. If you've already paid, we refund the shipping charge.

After the flight, a parcel can only come back through customs. That happens if the recipient refuses it, doesn't confirm it on my.gov.uz in time, or it contains something that isn't allowed. Returns take several weeks and the return trip is charged separately, so please double-check the recipient's details and the contents before you send.

Clean clothes and shoes in good condition, toys without batteries, children’s books and school supplies, bedding, towels and baby items. Flying a donation is free: we reserve space on our flights every month for charity.

Each donation can weigh up to 20 kg. We can’t take food, medicines, cosmetics, electronics or anything damaged.

No. Donations go only to partner organisations: children’s homes, care homes and mahalla programmes that hand items to people in need. To send to your own family, use a normal parcel instead.

You can choose the cause, or a specific partner organisation.

£7.00 per kg if you pay in the UK. If the recipient pays in Uzbekistan, the calculator shows that rate. We charge by the chargeable weight: the greater of the actual weight and the volumetric weight, rounded up to the next tenth of a kilo. A minimum charge applies to very light parcels.

Pickup at our Tashkent office is free. Courier delivery in Tashkent costs £3.00 (free from 5 kg), and to the regions £5.00 (free from 10 kg). The calculator shows the full price in pounds and dollars before you book.

Space on an aircraft is limited by size as well as weight, so large, light boxes are charged by their volume. Volumetric weight = length × width × height in centimetres, divided by a fixed factor. The calculator does this for you.

We compare it with the actual weight and charge whichever is greater. For example, a big box with a duvet or toys may weigh little but still be charged by its size. To keep the price down, use a box that fits the contents snugly, or ask us to repack it for you.

Yes. There is a minimum chargeable weight and a minimum charge, so even a small parcel with documents or a phone case costs at least that. The calculator shows it.

If you're sending several small things to the same recipient, put them in one box: one parcel is cheaper than several parcels that each pay the minimum.

One parcel can weigh up to 30 kg. There is also a limit on the longest side, and the calculator shows it before you book. Anything bigger can be split into several parcels or sent as a commercial shipment.

Use a sturdy box, fill empty space so nothing moves, wrap fragile items separately and seal liquids in a bag. Don't send bags or suitcases wrapped in film: they tear in the hold. If the packaging isn't strong enough for the flight, we'll offer to repack it before loading.

Collecting from our Tashkent office (Yunusobod district, Tashkent) is free. Courier delivery within Tashkent costs £3.00 and is free for parcels from 5 kg.

Courier delivery to any other region or Karakalpakstan costs £5.00 and is free from 10 kg. You choose the delivery option in the declaration, and the calculator adds it to the price automatically.

Insurance is optional. Its price is a percentage of the declared value and is shown before you confirm. With insurance, if the parcel is lost or damaged while it's in our care, we compensate up to the declared value.

Without insurance, our liability is limited as described in our Terms. We recommend insurance for phones, laptops and anything you couldn't easily replace. Make sure the declared value is the real one: it's also the basis for any compensation.

Uzbekistan lets each person receive goods worth up to $200 per calendar month by international courier without paying customs duty. The limit belongs to the recipient, not the parcel: customs uses their PINFL to add up everything sent to them that month, from all senders and all delivery companies.

What counts is the value of the goods in the declaration. If the recipient also orders through other services, check with them how much of this month's allowance is left.

The parcel is still delivered, but customs charges a single customs payment on the part above $200: 30% of the excess, and at least $3 per kg. From 1 January 2027 this changes to 20%, and at least $2 per kg.

The recipient pays the duty in Uzbekistan before the parcel is released; we'll tell you the exact amount and how to pay. The calculator on the Customs page gives you an estimate in advance. If the gifts are for different family members, declare each parcel to its real recipient.

PINFL (JShShIR) is the recipient's 14-digit personal identification number. It's printed in the Uzbek biometric passport, on the photo page as “Personal No.”, and on the ID card.

Uzbek customs requires it for every courier parcel, together with the passport series and number. That's how the monthly duty-free allowance is counted and how the recipient gets the notice on my.gov.uz. We don't need scans. We use these details only for the customs declaration, and share them with no one except customs and our delivery partner.

Under Uzbekistan's current customs procedure, the recipient automatically gets a notice about each incoming parcel on my.gov.uz or in the customs app E-TIJORAT. For most parcels nothing needs to be done. But if the customs risk system selects a parcel, the recipient must confirm it within 10 calendar days: that it's really theirs and that it may use their monthly allowance.

If it isn't confirmed in time, customs treats the parcel as refused and it's returned. When this happens, the tracking status changes to “Recipient must confirm” with the deadline, and we message you and the recipient straight away.

The declaration is filled in online for each parcel and takes a few minutes: the recipient's name, passport details, PINFL, phone and address, then every item with its quantity and value in US dollars, and the purpose (gift or personal use). Please complete it before the drop-off cut-off, or the parcel will wait for the next flight.

Declare the real market value, even for gifts; for used items, give a fair second-hand value. If the value looks too low, customs can set its own value, hold the parcel or fine the recipient.

Customs can hold a parcel for several reasons: duty is payable because the monthly limit was exceeded, documents are requested, an inspection is scheduled, customs isn't sure the goods are for personal use, or the recipient needs to confirm the parcel on my.gov.uz.

The tracking page shows the reason and what to do. Usually customs needs one thing from you or the recipient, such as a receipt, a photo or a payment, and releases the parcel within a few working days of getting it. We'll message you as soon as anything is needed.

No personal limit applies to you or to anyone in Uzbekistan: donations travel together as charity cargo addressed to the organisation, which provides its own documents to customs. That’s why we don’t ask for a recipient’s passport or PINFL.

Enter the parcel number on the Track page. It starts with PT and is on your receipt, in your account and in our messages. No login is needed, so you can simply send the number to the recipient and they can follow the parcel too.

The page shows where the parcel is now, what happens next and the expected dates. If there's a delay or something is needed from you, it's shown at the top with clear instructions.

Usually not. Some stages have no new scans for a few days: waiting at the hub for the weekly flight, and customs clearance in Tashkent, which doesn't work at weekends or on public holidays. The status changes as soon as the parcel moves to the next stage.

Check the top of the tracking page: if the flight or customs is delayed, we show the reason and a new estimate there. If the expected date has passed and there's no delay notice, message us on Telegram at @parceltrade_uk with the parcel number and we'll check.

“Arrived in Tashkent” means the plane has landed. The parcel still has to go through customs, then sorting at our Tashkent office. Customs usually takes a few working days and doesn't work at weekends or on public holidays.

After sorting, the parcel is either ready for pickup at the office, out with a Tashkent courier, or handed to our regional partner, who needs a few more days. If the status says “Ready for pickup”, the parcel is waiting for you: it's only brought to the door if courier delivery was chosen.

Yes. Connect Telegram in your account and we'll message you at each important step: received in London, flight departed, arrived, released by customs, out for delivery and delivered. The recipient can get the same updates by opening the parcel's tracking page and tapping “Notify me on Telegram”.

Our only official account is @parceltrade_uk. We never ask for card codes and never send payment details from other accounts. If in doubt, check the payment details in your account.

Most delays have one of four causes: public holidays in Uzbekistan (New Year, Navruz, Ramazon Hayit, Qurbon Hayit), when customs is closed; limited cargo space on the flight in busy weeks, when some parcels move to the next flight; weather, technical problems or a change of aircraft; and customs checks, such as an inspection or a document request.

When a flight or parcel is delayed, the tracking page shows the reason and a new estimate, and we send you a message if notifications are on. Before big holidays, we also post the adjusted schedule on the website and in our Telegram channel.

If the box looks damaged at delivery, ask the courier or office staff to note it, and take photos before you open it. Then send us the parcel number, photos of the box, the contents and the packaging, and the receipts for the items, through your account or on Telegram at @parceltrade_uk.

We open a case straight away and keep you updated on the tracking page. Insured parcels are compensated up to the declared value; for uninsured parcels, the limits in our Terms apply. Please keep the packaging until the case is closed.

Every donation gets a tracking number. Once our Tashkent team assigns the organisation, its name appears on the tracking page, and we send you a photo when the items are handed over.

Some things are banned by Uzbek customs in courier parcels: alcohol and tobacco of any kind, weapons and ammunition, drones, laser pointers, narcotic and psychotropic substances, and printed or recorded material against the state order. Others can't travel on a passenger aircraft: flammable liquids, aerosols, loose lithium batteries and power banks, and anything corrosive or under pressure.

We also don't accept cash, precious jewellery, perishable food, or valuables that can't be declared properly. Some items, such as medicines, perfume and food supplements, are allowed only in limited amounts. Search for any item on the Prohibited items page before you pack.

Only over-the-counter medicines for personal use, in small quantities, sealed in their original packaging with the leaflet. Prescription-only and controlled medicines (strong painkillers, sleeping pills, psychotropic drugs) need a permit from the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan, so we can't carry them.

Vitamins and food supplements are limited per recipient: customs allows only a small number of different products, one pack of each. List every medicine and supplement separately in the declaration, with its name and quantity. If you're not sure, send us a photo before you pack.

Cosmetics such as creams, shampoos and make-up are fine if they're sealed and aren't aerosols. Perfume and aftershave contain alcohol, which counts as a flammable liquid on aircraft, so we accept them only new, sealed in the original box, and in small quantities per parcel.

Uzbek customs also limits perfume per recipient, so declare each bottle separately with its volume. Aerosol deodorants, hairspray and nail polish remover can't be sent.

Yes, if the battery is inside the device or packed with it: laptops, tablets, cameras, electric toothbrushes and so on. Switch the device off, protect it from being switched on by accident, and pack it so it can't be crushed.

Loose lithium batteries, power banks, e-cigarettes and damaged or swollen batteries can't be sent: airlines don't allow them in the cargo hold. Declare each device separately, with its brand and model.

Yes, if it's shop-bought, sealed and keeps without a fridge: chocolate, sweets, biscuits, tea, coffee, baby formula and the like. Keep everything in its original packaging, and make sure it stays within its use-by date for the whole journey.

We can't take meat, fish, dairy, fresh fruit and vegetables, home-cooked food, seeds or plants: they spoil and need veterinary or phytosanitary certificates. Liquids such as syrup or oil must be tightly sealed and wrapped in a bag.

Yes, new or used, declared at its real value. An expensive phone can use up most of the recipient's $200 monthly allowance or go over it, so compare the value with the limit first. Several phones for one recipient may be treated as commercial goods.

In Uzbekistan, a phone brought from abroad works on local networks only after its IMEI is registered. The owner does this through uzimei.uz or my.gov.uz and pays the state fee; registering late costs more. Switch the phone off and pack it with padding.

Anything sent for business or resale: stock for a shop, goods for a company, samples, or a large number of identical items. Uzbek customs also treats a parcel as commercial if the quantity is more than a family would need, the same goods are sent repeatedly, or they go to the same address again and again. Anything heavier than 30 kg per piece is handled as commercial too.

Commercial goods don't use the personal $200 allowance. They're cleared under the general import rules, with duty and VAT, so they need their own paperwork and pricing.

Send a request on the Commercial shipping page. The quick form needs only your name, phone and a short description. The detailed form lets you add the goods, their value, weight and number of boxes, which gets you an exact price faster.

Commercial shipments are priced individually, depending on the weight, volume, type of goods and how often you ship. We reply through your preferred channel within a working day, with the price, the documents needed and the timeline.

Usually a commercial invoice and a packing list, the recipient company's details and tax number (STIR), and a contract between the sender and the recipient if the goods are being sold. Some goods also need certificates of conformity, or veterinary or phytosanitary certificates.

We'll send the exact checklist for your goods with the quote, and a licensed customs broker in Tashkent handles the import declaration. Please don't send commercial goods as personal parcels: customs can hold them and fine the recipient.

Yes. Personal belongings can go as several standard parcels of up to 30 kg each, but remember that each one counts towards the recipient's monthly allowance by value. For a large volume, such as the contents of a whole flat, one consignment is usually easier: request a quote on the Commercial shipping page.

Used personal items are declared at a fair second-hand value. Furniture, large appliances and anything heavier than 30 kg per piece are accepted only as a commercial consignment.

Yes. Order as usual and use our London hub as the delivery address, with your customer code in the name line. Then add the order in your account as an expected parcel, with the shop's name and tracking number, so we can match it when it arrives.

We check the parcel on arrival, can combine several orders into one box, and send it on the next flight. Orders must reach our hub early enough for us to receive and check them before the flight; ask us in Telegram if your delivery date is close. The UK shops page lists shops that work well with our address, plus current sales.

Put your own name followed by your personal customer code, in the form “Your Name ATTN <code>”, then our hub address: Unit 4, Heathrow Cargo Park, Hounslow TW6 0XX. Your code and a ready-to-copy address template are in your account and on the UK shops page.

The code is how we know the parcel is yours. Without it, an order can sit unidentified at the hub and miss the flight. Give your own phone number and email, so the shop's courier can reach you about the delivery.

Some shops only accept UK-issued cards, check that the billing address matches the card, or cancel orders sent to warehouse addresses. On the UK shops page, each shop is marked by how easy it is to order from and whether a UK card is needed.

The “Don't order from” list shows shops that often cancel forwarded orders or don't deliver to our area. If a shop cancels your order, the shop refunds your card, not us.

Yes, and it usually saves money: one parcel pays the minimum charge only once, and we can remove bulky shop boxes to reduce the volumetric weight. Ask for it when you add the orders in your account, and we'll wait until all of them have arrived.

All the orders must arrive early enough to make the flight you are aiming for. Repacking is an optional extra; its price is shown before you confirm. Remember that the total value of the combined parcel counts towards the recipient's $200 monthly limit.

After we weigh the parcel, an invoice appears in your account and we send you a message. In the UK you can pay by bank transfer, using the parcel number as the payment reference, or by card at the hub when you drop the parcel off. The bank details are on the invoice.

Please pay before the drop-off deadline shown in the Next flight box on the home page, so the parcel isn't held back. If you'd rather the recipient paid in Uzbekistan, choose that option in the declaration.

Yes. The rate for paying in Uzbekistan is shown in the calculator. The recipient can pay with Click or Payme, by Uzcard or Humo card, or in cash at our Tashkent office.

The parcel is handed over, or sent out with the courier, once it's paid. Any customs duty is separate: it's paid to the state, not to us.

We convert pounds to dollars at the exchange rate we publish for the day of payment.

Dollar prices on the website are rounded and shown as a guide. The final amount in dollars is fixed on the day you pay.

Transfers usually arrive within minutes, but sometimes the bank takes a few hours, and we match payments by their reference. If you forgot to put the parcel number in the reference, or paid for several parcels at once, we may not be able to match it automatically.

Upload a screenshot of the payment on the invoice page in your account. The status changes to “Proof uploaded” and we confirm it manually. If you upload it before the cut-off, the parcel won't miss the flight while we check.

The price in the calculator includes the flight and the delivery option you choose. Other charges apply only if you ask for them or if something happens after arrival: optional insurance (a percentage of the declared value), repacking or an extra photo of the contents, and storage if a parcel isn't collected within 7 days.

Customs duty is charged only if the recipient goes over the $200 monthly limit, and it's paid to the state, not to us. We never add a charge after you've paid without telling you first.