An arrival notice is the message a carrier or its destination agent sends to the consignee and notify party shortly before or upon a vessel’s arrival. It states the expected arrival date, the charges due, hold status, and the documents required to obtain release of the cargo.
It is the operational starting gun for import work: paying collect charges, surrendering or releasing the bill of lading, filing or completing customs entry, and booking drayage. The notice usually itemises freight and local charges and names the terminal where the container will discharge.
An arrival notice is informational, not a release document; that role belongs to the delivery order once charges and documents are settled. Notices go to the parties named on the B/L, which is why the notify party field matters.
Arrival notices arrive when the carrier sends them; tracking tells you continuously. Watching the vessel’s ETA and actual arrival in TrackingMCP means the notice confirms what you already planned for rather than starting the scramble. That lead time is what protects free time at busy gateways like New York or Hamburg.
An arrival notice is the message a carrier or its destination agent sends to the consignee and notify party shortly before or upon a vessel’s arrival. It states the expected arrival date, the charges due, hold status, and the documents required to obtain release of the cargo.
Practice varies: commonly a few days before the vessel’s ETA at the discharge port, with updates if the schedule slips. Some agents send it only on arrival, which is why independent ETA tracking is worth having.
It is not itself a customs document, but the details it carries, such as the terminal, arrival date, and charges, feed the entry and release process. Brokers often work from it.
Track vessel arrivals ahead of the notice →
Port arrival context →
More in Bills of lading & documents: Bill of lading (B/L) · Telex release · Sea waybill · Switch bill of lading · House vs master bill of lading · Delivery order (D/O) · Letter of credit (L/C) · Browse all 106 terms →