Poste Italiane tracking in English

If you live in Italy or are expecting a parcel from Italy, tracking Poste Italiane shipments in English is easy. This page explains how it works.

How Poste Italiane tracking works

Poste Italiane is the national postal service of Italy. Every trackable shipment, such as a parcel or a registered letter, is assigned a unique tracking number at the moment it is accepted. That number is the key that links the physical item to its record in the postal system.

When you enter the tracking number into our tool, we query the official Poste Italiane system and show the list of recorded events. Each event tells you where and when the shipment was scanned: acceptance, processing at a sorting centre, transit, arrival in the delivery area, and final delivery. The status changes as the parcel physically moves through the network.

It is important to understand that tracking is not a GPS. It does not follow the parcel continuously: it only records the moments when the item is scanned. For this reason, the location you see is the last scan point, not the exact current position. Updates are not continuous either, so one or two days may pass between scans without this indicating a problem. The information we show is identical to what is available on the official Poste Italiane channels.

Finding your tracking number

The tracking number is the only way to follow a shipment: there is no method based on the recipient's name or address. Where you find it depends on who sent the item.

If you posted the item yourself, the number is printed on the shipping receipt issued by the post office, usually next to a barcode. Be careful not to confuse it with the counter operation number, which is not used for tracking. If you are expecting an online order, the number is provided by the seller, not by Poste Italiane: look in the shipping confirmation email or in the "My orders" area of the shop's website or app. If a postman tried to deliver a registered item and you were not at home, the number is printed on the delivery notice (avviso di giacenza) left in your mailbox.

The number usually follows the international UPU S10 format: two letters, nine digits and a two-letter country code, for example RR123456785IT. Some domestic parcels use longer, digit-only codes, which are also valid. Enter the number exactly as given, without spaces.

Understanding the tracking statuses

Poste Italiane statuses are usually shown in Italian, even on this English page, because they come directly from the official system. Here is what the most common ones mean:

• Accettato – accepted: the item has been taken in charge.
• In lavorazione – being processed and prepared for departure.
• In transito – in transit between sorting centres.
• In lavorazione presso CMP – being processed at a mechanised sorting hub.
• In consegna – out for delivery today.
• Consegnato – delivered to the recipient or an authorised person.
• In giacenza – held at a post office, waiting for collection.
• Tentativo di consegna non riuscito – a delivery attempt failed.
• Spedizione non rintracciata – not found yet, or an invalid number.

The last status in the list is the most recent known position. See our full list of tracking statuses for a detailed explanation of each one and what to do.

Registered mail and parcels

Poste Italiane handles several types of trackable items. Registered mail (raccomandata) is used for official letters, documents and legal communications: it travels with proof of delivery and its tracking number usually starts with the letter R. If you are not at home when a registered item arrives, the postman leaves a delivery notice and the item is held at a post office.

Standard parcels (pacchi) cover most online shopping deliveries sent through the postal network, with codes that often start with C. The Crono and Poste Delivery services are also used for e-commerce parcels and may have longer, digit-only codes.

To collect an item held at a post office, you normally need the delivery notice and a valid ID document. Collection by another person may require a written authorisation. Items in giacenza are kept for a limited period; after the deadline they are returned to the sender, so it is best not to delay collection. Whatever the service, the principle is the same: a unique code and a series of events recorded at each scan.

Tracking parcels from abroad

If you are expecting a parcel sent from another country to Italy, you can follow it as long as it has a valid tracking number, usually in the UPU S10 format. When a parcel crosses a border, tracking gradually passes to and from different postal systems, which is why updates sometimes slow down at that point.

The status Arrivato nel paese di destinazione means the shipment has arrived in the destination country, and it will normally pass through customs. The status In lavorazione presso la dogana means it is undergoing customs checks. Customs clearance can take several days, especially if documentation or contents need to be verified.

If duties or VAT are due, you may receive a payment request before the parcel is delivered. Delivery only takes place once the amount has been paid. Once customs procedures are complete, tracking resumes and the parcel is forwarded for local delivery. Duty amounts depend on customs rules, not on the carrier, so any questions about charges should go to customer service rather than to the postal operator.

SDA, the express courier

SDA is the express courier of the Poste Italiane group. Many online orders, including a large share of Amazon deliveries in Italy, are handled by SDA rather than by the traditional postal network. SDA operates with its own branches, sorting hubs and couriers.

SDA shipments have their own tracking number and their own status descriptions, but you can follow them on this site as well. Common SDA statuses include "spedizione presa in carico" (taken in charge), "in transito" (in transit), "in consegna" (out for delivery) and "consegnata" (delivered).

If an SDA courier cannot find anyone at the delivery address, a failed delivery attempt is recorded and a new attempt is usually made on the next working day. After the planned attempts, the parcel is held at the local SDA branch, where you can arrange collection or a new delivery. See our dedicated SDA tracking page for full details on how SDA deliveries work, expected delivery times and what to do if there is a problem.

When tracking does not update

It is completely normal for tracking to stay still for a day or two, especially on weekends, public holidays and busy periods such as Christmas and sales. Updates only happen at each scan, not in real time, so a gap between events does not mean the parcel is stuck.

In the first hours after posting, the number may show Spedizione non rintracciata (not found). This simply means the item has not yet been scanned at a sorting centre. Wait a few hours, or until the next working day, and try again.

If the status stays unchanged for many days, or the number keeps returning no results, check a few things: make sure you typed the number correctly, with no spaces and the right country code; confirm with the sender that the shipment has actually departed; and allow a little more time. The official status always comes from the Poste Italiane system — our site only displays it more clearly. For persistent problems, contact Poste Italiane or SDA customer service directly, as we cannot modify or release a shipment.

About this independent tracking tool

PostaTracking.org is a free and independent tool. It is not the official Poste Italiane website and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Poste Italiane. We built it to make tracking faster and easier to read, especially for people who prefer instructions in English.

All the tracking events we display come from the official Poste Italiane system and, for express parcels, from the SDA system. We do not generate, change or interpret these events: we retrieve them and present them in a clearer layout. If a status seems unclear, the correct explanation is always the one provided by Poste Italiane.

Because we are a display tool only, we cannot intervene on individual shipments. For complaints, claims, delays or lost items, you must contact Poste Italiane or SDA customer service, which have the means to act on a specific parcel. Poste Italiane also offers its own official channels — the poste.it website and its mobile apps — where you can enter a tracking number. Our service does not replace them; it is an additional, convenient way to consult the same data.

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