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Addressing your mail

Getting it there safely

Overview

Preparing your mail properly helps us to get it there quickly and safely. The following guidelines show you exactly how to address and format your UK and international mail.

UK mail

When sending mail to UK addresses we need a full and accurate address complete with postcode. You do not need to include a County name provided the post town and postcode are used. Avoid using commas or full stops and do not centre or stagger your lines.
Diagram of an envelope or label correctly addressed for a UK destination. It shows an example of the addressee’s name on line 1; the house number and street name on line 2; the locality name (if required) on line 3, the post town printed in capitals on line 4; and the postcode printed in full in capitals and on a separate line on line 5.

 

 

 

International mail

If you’re sending an item abroad, the country name, printed in CAPITALS, must come last. We recommend that you write your address on the back of all mail so that it can be returned to you if there’s a problem delivering it. Do not centre or stagger your lines. Include an Airmail sticker if being sent by Airmail. Ideally, the destination address should contain:
Diagram of an envelope or label correctly addressed for an international destination. It shows an example of the name of the addressee on line 1; the building number and street or road name on line 2; the place name on line 3; the name of the province, state, department and postal code (if appropriate) on line 4; and the name of the country in capitals on line 6.

 

 

 

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