customs clearance

Meanings

1. 1noununcountablebusiness

   Official permission, given by border officials after checks and tax payments, for goods to enter or leave a country.

   Grammar: No plural: customs clearance takes time, not customs clearances.

   Patterns

   • customs clearance for something
   • wait for customs clearance

   The shipment is waiting for customs clearance at the port.

   Customs clearance for the medical supplies took only one day.

   You will need an invoice to get customs clearance.

2. 2noununcountable

   The process of passing through customs checks, either for goods or for a traveler's bags at an airport.

   Grammar: Often follows a verb like go through or pass.

   Patterns

   • go through customs clearance
   • pass customs clearance

   After landing, we went through customs clearance in about twenty minutes.

   Customs clearance at the airport was slow during the holidays.

   The agent handles customs clearance for all our imports.

Common combinations

obtain customs clearance

We could not obtain customs clearance without the permit.

delay in customs clearance

A delay in customs clearance left the goods in the warehouse for a week.

customs clearance fees

The customs clearance fees were higher than expected.

await customs clearance

The cargo is awaiting customs clearance.

customs clearance documents

Please send the customs clearance documents by email.

pass customs clearance

The parcel passed customs clearance this morning.

Synonyms and how they differ

customs approval

Customs approval is plainer and refers only to the permission, while clearance includes the whole process.

import clearance

Import clearance covers only goods coming in, whereas customs clearance can apply to exports too.

border inspection

Border inspection is about checking goods or people and does not suggest permission was granted.

Opposites

Word family

customs noun

the authority that controls goods entering a country

clear verb

to give or receive official approval

clearance noun

official permission

customs officer noun

an official who checks goods at a border

Commonly confused: customs clearance or immigration?

Practice

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