Tracking, refunds, and returns

For tracking information, see Tracking an AncestryDNA® Kit. For information about refund amounts and eligibility, see our Renewal and Cancellation Terms. 

Shipping to another country

AncestryDNA® kits purchased in the UK can be shipped only to an address in the UK. Orders placed in the UK must have a UK billing address. 

Shipping in hot or cold weather

Shipping the DNA kit back in extremely hot or cold temperatures should be fine, but if your test fails at the laboratory for any reason, we will provide a free replacement kit.

Shipping

We offer two shipping options for DNA kits: expedited shipping and standard shipping.

With expedited shipping, you pay a shipping fee of £19.99 for the first kit and £9.99 for each additional kit in the same order. Kits ordered with expedited shipping are shipped with tracking by DHL Express and should take 1 to 3 business days to be delivered. You can track orders purchased with expedited shipping here. 

Our standard shipping option costs £9.99 for the first kit and £4.99 for each additional kit in the same order. Standard shipping will be shipped by Globalmail and delivered by Royal Mail (UK) or An Post (IE) within 7 to 10 business days. You can track orders purchased with standard shipping here. If a kit isn’t received within 14 business days (or 5 business days for expedited shipping), please contact us for a free replacement kit.

Both shipping fees cover both the kit being shipped to you with tracking, and you shipping the kit back, as well as other shipping related to the provision of the DNA testing service. When the kit is shipped back, it's sent first to Ireland and then to our lab in the United States. No additional postage is necessary.

DNA kits can also be tracked from your DNA homepage. To access your tracking from within Ancestry, sign in to your account and click the DNA tab at the top of the page.

Shipping the sample back

Samples should be returned in the prepaid mailing box labeled with our return address. No additional postage is necessary. The sample can be dropped directly into the mail, even in extreme temperatures. If you live outside of the UK and the kit didn’t come with a return shipping label, print a prepaid label and attach it to the box. 
 
If the resealable plastic bag is damaged or misplaced, put the sample tube into a Ziploc-type bag before placing it into the return shipping box. 
 
If the return shipping box is damaged, you can ship the kit back in packaging that you provide. 

• If the pre-printed shipping label is undamaged, try removing it from the original box and reattaching it to the packaging you provide. 
• If the pre-printed shipping label is misplaced or damaged, you can mail the kit to the following return address (at your own expense):

When we receive the sample, we'll send an email notification that it was received. If you're the owner of the account on which the DNA test was registered and you don't receive a notification email within 20 days of the date you returned a sample to us, the kit was likely lost in the mail; in that case, please contact us for a free replacement kit.

Troubleshooting

If you don't receive your kit within 14 business days (or 5 business days for expedited shipping), please contact us for a free replacement kit. To change the shipping address for your order, follow the steps in Updating the Shipping Address for AncestryDNA®.