GLS Tracking

GLS is one of Europe's largest road-based parcel networks, a group that transports around 926 million parcels a year across more than 50 countries and connects them through more than 120 hubs and about 1,600 depots. GLS tracking ties every scan to a single parcel number, so a cross-border shipment stays visible in one place even after it is handed to a local GLS company or partner for the final leg. Because GLS runs as a group of national companies, the parcel number is also called a Track ID, consignment number, or shipment reference depending on the country, but it is the same identifier the network scans from first pickup to final delivery. Paste the GLS tracking number into the tracker on this page to see the latest scan, the current location, and the estimated delivery date.

GLS Tracking Number Format

A GLS tracking number is the numeric or alphanumeric reference assigned to a shipment when its label is created, and it is the single identifier that follows the parcel through every GLS hub and depot. Because GLS operates as a group of national companies rather than one central system, the exact format varies by country and service. Most GLS parcel numbers are numeric and commonly run to 11 or 12 digits, while some domestic and international shipments use 8 to 14 characters, and a subset of cross-border shipments carry an alphanumeric code that begins and ends with letters.

The reference is known by several names depending on the country: parcel number, Track ID, consignment number, or shipment reference. GLS Italy typically issues a numeric code, GLS France often uses either an 8-character alphanumeric code or an 11-digit number, and the international GLS network uses a 14-digit numeric format on many hub-to-hub shipments. An order number from a retailer is not the same as a GLS parcel number: the order number identifies the purchase, while the GLS parcel number is generated only when the shipping label is produced.

Where to Find GLS Tracking Number

The GLS tracking number appears in the places where the shipment is documented, whether the parcel was bought online or sent in person from a GLS ParcelShop. It is usually printed near the barcode on the label and repeated in the dispatch confirmation from the seller.

• In the shipping or dispatch confirmation email from the online store where the order was placed.
• On the parcel label itself, printed near or under the barcode.
• In the order history of the retailer's website or app.
• On the receipt or drop-off slip issued when a parcel is handed in at a GLS ParcelShop.

Where a retailer shows only its own order number, the GLS parcel number is confirmed once the label is generated, so it may take until dispatch for the trackable number to appear. Some GLS national portals also ask for the delivery postcode alongside the parcel number to display the full detail view.

GLS Tracking Number Example

The table below lists the GLS number formats seen most often across the network. Formats differ between GLS national companies, so the safest approach is to copy the number exactly as it appears in the confirmation and paste it into a universal tracker, which matches it to the correct GLS company automatically.

Where a prefix or suffix pattern is not documented by GLS, treat it as a commonly seen pattern rather than a guaranteed service indicator, because the code alone does not reliably reveal which GLS service was used.

GLS Tracking Status Guide

Each GLS status update marks a stage in the parcel's journey, and while the exact wording varies by country, the lifecycle is consistent across the network. The table below explains the statuses a GLS parcel passes through from pre-advice to delivery.

Because GLS is a group of national companies, the same milestone can be worded differently from one country to the next, but the sequence is the same everywhere: a pre-advice, a first pickup scan, hub-to-hub transit, arrival at the local delivery depot, and out for delivery. The events that call for action are "delivery not possible", which means a card or notification explains the retry or the ParcelShop location, and "deposited at ParcelShop", which means the parcel is waiting for collection, typically for seven calendar days on a domestic shipment. On a cross-border route a "customs clearance" status is a normal stage rather than a fault, and the parcel resumes movement once any duties or taxes are settled.

Why GLS Tracking Is Not Updating or Not Working

GLS tracking that is not updating is almost always a normal pause between scans rather than a lost parcel. The reason usually maps to a specific stage in the journey.

Awaiting the first scan. Tracking goes live only when GLS physically scans the parcel into its network, not when the sender creates the label. Until then a number can show "data received" or no information, and the first scan may take from a few hours up to a working day.

In transit between depots. Long hauls between hubs can run for 1-3 working days with few intermediate scans, so the status can sit at "in transit" without changing while the parcel is genuinely moving.

Customs clearance. On cross-border routes the parcel can pause at customs, and tracking stays quiet until clearance is complete and any duties or taxes are paid.

Failed delivery attempt. If a courier cannot deliver, the parcel may be redirected to a GLS ParcelShop or held at the depot, and the status will reflect the new location once the parcel is scanned there.

Wrong number or missing postcode. A mistyped digit, or a GLS portal that also requires the delivery postcode, will return no result even when the parcel is on its way. Re-checking the number against the confirmation resolves most of these.

Genuinely delayed. If the parcel has not moved for several working days, the sender or retailer should be contacted first because they hold the shipping contract with GLS, and GLS customer service in the relevant country can then open an enquiry.

Services and Delivery Times Compared

GLS focuses on reliable ground delivery within Europe, supported by express options and flexible recipient services, with tracking included on every service. The table below compares the main GLS services and their typical delivery windows.

FlexDeliveryService lets the recipient influence the date, time, or place of delivery while the parcel is still in transit, while ShopDeliveryService routes the parcel to a GLS ParcelShop and notifies the recipient by email or SMS when it is ready. Business Parcel is the core ground product; EuroBusinessParcel is the international equivalent between European countries.

Delivery and Transit Times Across Europe

GLS delivers most European parcels within 1-4 business days, and the exact time depends on the service, the distance, and whether the parcel crosses a border. Domestic shipments generally reach "out for delivery" within 1-3 working days.

• Domestic Business Parcel: commonly 1-2 business days within the same country.
• EuroBusinessParcel to neighbouring countries: often 1-3 business days, for example Germany to Austria, France, Belgium, or the Netherlands.
• EuroBusinessParcel to more distant European destinations: usually 3-5 business days, with remote areas reached within about eight business days.
• Express services: the next possible business day by a guaranteed time in covered regions.

These are estimates, not guarantees. Public holidays, customs checks, weather, and peak shopping periods can all extend transit times.

Returns, Undelivered Parcels, and Claims

When a GLS delivery cannot be completed, the parcel is not immediately sent back; it is usually held nearby so the recipient can still collect it. A parcel routed to a GLS ParcelShop is typically held for 7 calendar days for domestic shipments and up to 9 working days for international shipments before it is returned to the sender.

For returns, many GLS national companies and their retailer partners offer prepaid return labels or a ShopReturnService that lets a parcel be dropped at a ParcelShop for return to the sender. For a lost or damaged parcel, the sender is the contracting party with GLS and should open the enquiry or claim; the recipient's fastest route is therefore to contact the retailer, who can escalate to GLS with the parcel number and proof of value.

Which Countries Does GLS Deliver To?

GLS international tracking covers more than 50 countries through GLS's own subsidiaries and a network of partners, with Europe as its core and North America served through GLS US and GLS Canada (GLS Group, 2025). Because much of the network is integrated road transport, cross-border European parcels often stay within the GLS system from pickup to delivery, which keeps a single tracking number live end to end.

Domestically, GLS national companies run dense networks: GLS Germany operates from 6 hubs and 59 depots with over 9,500 Parcel Shops, GLS Italy from 13 hubs with more than 10,000 GLS Points, GLS France from 10 hubs and 96 depots with over 8,400 Parcel Shops, and GLS Spain from 13 hubs and 26 depots with over 7,600 Parcel Shops (GLS Group, 2025). For destinations outside the GLS network, or the final leg in some countries, the parcel may be passed to a partner or local postal carrier, and tracking continues via that partner's reference.

Representative GLS destinations by region include:

• Core Europe (own subsidiaries): Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Ireland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Denmark, Serbia.
• Wider Europe (partners): United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Switzerland, Greece, the Baltic states, and Bulgaria.
• North America: the United States (GLS US) and Canada (GLS Canada).

Parcels routed to and from the United Kingdom, and other non-EU destinations, cross a customs border, so tracking can show a customs-clearance stage before delivery resumes. In the UK a GLS parcel may be delivered by GLS's own arrangements or a partner such as Royal Mail for the last mile, and in Italy the destination handoff can involve Poste Italiane.

Cross-Border Customs and International Handoff

For shipments that cross into or out of the European Union, or between countries with different customs rules, a GLS parcel is held for customs clearance and may show a status such as "held in customs" or "customs clearance in progress." Clearance time depends on the destination country and on whether duties or taxes are owed; where a payment is required, GLS or the customs authority usually contacts the recipient, and the parcel remains on hold until the charge is settled.

When a parcel leaves the GLS network for its final leg, the GLS number can stop updating while a local reference takes over. This is common on routes into the UK and on some domestic last-mile handoffs, where GLS works alongside operators such as Colissimo in France or postal partners elsewhere. A universal tracker links the GLS scans with the partner carrier's updates so the parcel stays visible under one lookup.

Marketplace Collaborations

GLS is a core delivery partner for European e-commerce, integrating with major shipping platforms so sellers get automated label creation, parcel-number generation, and tracking updates that flow back to the buyer, along with ParcelShop delivery and flexible recipient options at checkout. Parcels from many well-known marketplaces reach shoppers through GLS.

In Germany, GLS delivers for fashion and general marketplaces including Zalando and Otto, and second-hand platforms such as Vinted frequently ship through GLS ParcelShops. In Poland, sellers on Allegro use GLS among their carrier options. Independent stores and larger retailers across Italy, France, and Spain also route parcels through GLS, and cross-border orders from global marketplaces such as Amazon can be delivered by GLS on the last leg in several European markets. GLS competes in this space with other large European networks including DPD.

About GLS

GLS Group (General Logistics Systems B.V.) is an international logistics provider headquartered in Amsterdam that was founded in 1999 and is a subsidiary of International Distributions Services, formerly Royal Mail Group (GLS Group, 2025). Its roots go back to German Parcel, founded in 1989, which Royal Mail Group acquired in 1999 to form the GLS network; the GLS brand itself was launched in 2002, and the network expanded across numerous European countries between 1999 and 2002.

"GLS Group operates more than 120 national and regional hubs as well as about 1,600 depots and agencies." (GLS Group, About us, 2025.)

In fiscal year 2024-25 GLS transported 926 million parcels, serving about 240,000 customers with roughly 23,000 employees (GLS Group, 2025). Its out-of-home network includes more than 94,700 Parcel Shops and 30,200 Parcel Lockers, and GLS runs a fleet of more than 36,100 vans and walkers plus about 6,500 trucks. The company positions itself around dependable ground transport, complemented by express and flexible recipient services across its B2B, B2C, and C2C offering.