CTT Portugal Tracking

CTT tracking follows registered mail, parcels, and express items handled by CTT - Correios de Portugal, the national postal operator founded in 1520 and the oldest company still trading in Portugal. Paste your CTT tracking number into the tracker on this page to see every scan from acceptance to delivery, including CTT parcel tracking for e-commerce orders and CTT international tracking once an item is handed to a partner post abroad.

CTT Tracking Number Format

A CTT tracking number is usually a 13-character code in the Universal Postal Union (UPU) S10 format: two letters, nine digits, and the ISO country code PT for Portugal, for example RR123456789PT. The two opening letters identify the service class, the nine digits make the item unique, and the PT suffix confirms Portugal as the country of origin.

CTT uses several names for the same identifier depending on the product. It may be called a tracking number, a registered item number (número de registo), an object number (número de objeto), or a consignment reference. Domestic express parcels handled by the CTT Expresso network can instead carry a longer all-numeric reference rather than the 13-character UPU code, and some inbound items from Spain arrive on a longer numeric format because CTT Express operates as an integrated Iberian network.

Standard, non-registered letters (Correio Normal without registration) are typically sent with no tracking number and cannot be followed online. If an item has no two-letter/PT code and no numeric consignment reference, it was most likely not sent as a tracked service.

Where to Find Your CTT Tracking Number

The CTT tracking number is issued the moment a tracked item is accepted, and it appears in a few predictable places.

• On the posting receipt (comprovativo) handed over at a CTT counter or post office.
• In the shipping confirmation email or account order page from the online store that shipped the item.
• Printed on the registered-mail or parcel label, next to the barcode.
• In an SMS or CTT app notification when the sender registered your mobile number for alerts.

The order ID from a shop is not the same as the CTT tracking number: the order ID identifies your purchase in the retailer's system, while the CTT number identifies the physical item inside the postal network. For an inbound international order, the tracking number is created by the origin operator and only becomes active on CTT once the item reaches Portugal.

CTT Tracking Number Example

The table below lists the CTT tracking number formats you are most likely to see and what each pattern indicates. The two-letter prefix follows the UPU S10 convention, where the first letter groups the service class; only patterns documented by CTT and the UPU are shown, and a prefix alone does not always guarantee a specific service.

All 13-character codes end in PT, confirming Portugal as the origin. The middle nine digits carry no location or service meaning on their own; they exist only to make each item unique.

CTT Tracking Status Guide

CTT tracking statuses follow the item through acceptance, transit, any customs step, and final delivery, and registered and express items also record a signature at handover. The table below explains the CTT tracking status labels you are most likely to encounter and what each one means for your shipment.

Why CTT Tracking Is Not Updating or Not Working

When CTT tracking is not updating, not working, or seems stuck, the cause is almost always one of a handful of normal stages rather than a lost parcel. The reasons below cover most cases and what each one means.

Awaiting the first scan. A number becomes active only after CTT physically accepts the item. If the sender has created a label but not yet handed the item over, tracking can show "information received" or nothing at all for 24 to 48 hours.

In transit between facilities. Between two sorting centres an item may travel for a day or more with no new scan. A quiet period mid-journey is normal and usually resolves on its own.

Customs clearance. Inbound items from outside the European Union can sit in customs while duties or VAT are assessed. Tracking often pauses at "undergoing clearance" and resumes once the item is released.

Handoff between postal operators. For international mail, scans can go quiet once the item leaves the origin network and before the destination post picks it up. A universal tracker helps here because it follows the same number across both operators.

Failed delivery attempt. If a delivery attempt fails, the item is held at a post office, partner point, or Locky locker, and tracking may not move again until you collect it or a new attempt is scheduled.

Wrong number or missing detail. A single transposed character prevents any match. Re-check the number against the posting receipt or confirmation email before assuming a problem.

Genuinely delayed. If nothing moves well beyond the expected window, contact the sender first (they hold the shipping contract), then CTT with the tracking number and posting receipt.

Services and Delivery Times Compared

CTT runs a full range of mail and parcel services, from economical standard mail to guaranteed next-day express, and each has its own delivery window and tracking level. The table below compares the main CTT services so you can match a shipment to the right one.

Delivery and Transit Times

Domestic CTT delivery is fast: Correio Azul reaches continental Portugal in about 1 business day and the Azores and Madeira in 2, while Correio Normal takes around 3 business days. Registered mail is generally delivered 1 business day after posting. CTT distributes six days a week, Monday through Saturday.

For international priority mail, allow roughly 3 business days to Europe and about 5 to the rest of the world, while standard international mail runs to around 5 business days for Europe and 7 or more further afield. EMS express typically delivers in 1 to 3 business days depending on destination and customs, and the widely quoted CTT end-to-end range is 1 to 20 days once the slowest economy services and customs holds are included. All figures are estimates; customs procedures, weather, and seasonal peaks can extend them.

Delivery Options and Locky Lockers

CTT offers several ways to receive a parcel beyond standard home delivery, which remains the default across all Portuguese territory. If nobody is available, a delivery notice lets you reschedule or collect the item at a post office or partner point, and items requiring a signature are held for a limited retention period before return.

The Locky network of more than 1,000 self-service lockers lets recipients collect parcels 24 hours a day, seven days a week, mostly in shopping centres and transport hubs. When a parcel is deposited, CTT sends an access code or QR code, and you have about 5 business days to collect it. Locky is open to shipments from any operator, though lockers cannot be used for parcels arriving from outside the European Union, which must pass through a post office for customs handling.

Lost or Damaged Parcels and Claims

If a CTT parcel is delayed, lost, or arrives damaged, the claims process starts with the tracking history and the posting receipt. Check the latest status first, allow extra time for any customs step, and for damaged items note and photograph the damage on receipt before opening the parcel.

Claims can be filed online through the support section of ctt.pt or at any post office, and must include the tracking number, proof of posting, and a description of the problem. Compensation for standard lost or damaged items is capped and tied to the postage paid, so senders of valuable goods should add ad valorem insurance at posting for higher coverage. For registered and insured items, the signature and insurance records support the claim.

Which Countries Does CTT Deliver To?

CTT international tracking covers more than 150 countries and territories, because CTT is Portugal's designated universal postal operator and a member of the Universal Postal Union and the EMS Cooperative. Outbound items are carried to the border and handed to the destination country's post for last-mile delivery, so a parcel to the United States is completed by USPS and one to Japan by Japan Post, with the same number tracking across both networks.

Domestically, CTT guarantees at least one postal establishment in every municipality, and 95% of the population lives within 6 km of one. Coverage spans all of continental Portugal, from Lisbon, Porto, Braga, and Faro to rural interior villages, plus the autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira, which are served largely by air. Through its CTT Express subsidiary in Spain, CTT treats the Iberian Peninsula as a single domestic market with 24-hour express delivery between the two countries, sharing 22 logistics hubs, 257 depots, and over 20,000 service points.

Example destinations by region include:

• Domestic: continental Portugal, the Azores, and Madeira.
• Iberia and Europe: Spain (via Correos and CTT Express), France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the wider European Union.
• North and South America: the United States, Canada, and Brazil.
• Africa and Asia Pacific: Morocco, Angola, China, and Japan.

Cross-Border Customs and International Handoff

Within the European Union, CTT shipments move freely with no customs declaration, so intra-EU parcels are not held for duty. For destinations outside the EU, such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Brazil, or China, the sender must attach a customs declaration: form CN22 for small low-value items and the fuller CN23 for higher-value or multi-item parcels.

Import duties and taxes are normally the recipient's responsibility under the destination country's rules, and CTT releases an inbound item only once any fees are settled. An incomplete or inaccurate declaration is a common cause of customs holds, so the contents and declared value should be described accurately. Because tracking passes between the origin and destination posts, a universal tracker keeps the whole journey visible under one number.

Marketplace Deliveries CTT Handles

CTT is a primary last-mile operator for cross-border e-commerce arriving in Portugal, so many parcels from global marketplaces are completed by CTT or CTT Express. Orders from AliExpress and Temu frequently reach Portuguese addresses on tracked letter and packet services that hand off to CTT, and Shein and Alibaba parcels follow similar cross-border postal routes.

For European marketplace orders, Amazon shipments into Portugal are delivered by a mix of carriers that includes CTT for postal parcels, and CTT's strategic partnership with DHL eCommerce strengthens collection and delivery across the Iberian market. When a shop provides only an order ID, the CTT number appears once the item enters the postal network, after which the same code can be followed through to delivery.

What Is CTT - Correios de Portugal?

CTT - Correios de Portugal is the national postal operator of Portugal, founded on 6 November 1520 under King Manuel I and the oldest company still operating in the country. The acronym CTT stands for Correios, Telégrafos e Telefones, a legacy of the era when the operator also ran Portugal's telegraph and telephone services; those telecommunications activities were separated in 1992.

Headquartered in Lisbon, CTT was listed on Euronext Lisbon in 2013 and fully privatised in 2014, making it one of the few historic European posts entirely in private hands, while retaining the universal service concession. The group employs close to 14,000 people across Portugal and Spain and is organised into four segments: mail, express and parcels, financial services through Banco CTT, and logistics. The express and parcels segment now accounts for roughly 45% of total revenues, reflecting CTT's shift toward e-commerce logistics. No matter which CTT tracking number you hold, you can follow it end to end with the universal tracker on this page.