International Mailing Address Formats

and Other International Mailing Information

Argentina

Format Examples

Mostly adapted from Correo Argentino (Argentina's Postal Service) website:

   Juana Aguirre              [recipient]
   Piedras No 623             [street address (street name + house/building number)]
   Piso2 Dto.4                ["Piso2"="2nd floor".  "Dto.4"="(Weird abbreviation for department: Dpto. would be more usual) 4".  Piso/Depto-Barrio stuff may occur in this line, but only applies to some addresses.]
   C1070AAM Capital Federal   [postal code + city/town/locality.  Yes, currently (writing as of March 2005) an Argentina postal code ("CPA") has one letter + four digits + three letters.]
   ARGENTINA                  [country name, when mailing from outside Argentina]


   Daniela Sosa               [recipient]
   Casilla de Correo 432      [street name + house/building number]
   Correo Central             [optional in this case]
   C1000WAM Capital Federal   [postal code + city/town/locality]
   ARGENTINA                  [country name, when mailing from outside Argentina]


   At. Sr. Hiro Gordo-Globo   [recipient name, literally "ATTN: Mr. Hiro Gordo-Globo".  The ATTN:/At. is certainly optional.]
   Sumo Informática S.A.      [business name]
   Calle 39 No 1540           [street address]  Here the street is named "Calle 39" and 1540 is the house number.
   B1000TBU San Sebastian     [postal code + city/town/locality]
   ARGENTINA                  [country name, when mailing from outside Argentina]


   Prof. Carlo Francis Xavier   [recipient]
   Escuela Rural 45             [name of a rural school or other appropriate named rural place]
   X5187XAB San Clemente        [postal code + city/town/locality]
   ARGENTINA                    [country name, when mailing from outside Argentina]
   

Adapted from the UPU:

   CPA                                      [recipient]
   Sarmiento 151, Piso 3, Oficina 311 BIS   [street name + house/building number, Floor 3, Office 311 BIS]
   C1000ZAA BUENOS AIRES                    [postal code + city/town/locality]
   ARGENTINA                                [country name, when mailing from outside Argentina]
   

Format Information

Addresses in the Spanish Language section.

Postal abbreviations, honorifics, and more about addressing mail in Spanish.

In Spanish only: Some useful pages at the Correo Argentino (Argentine Postal Service) website.

• Addressing format information, somewhat focusing on postal code usage. (in Spanish, with example addresses)
  For example:
  • The postal code (aka CPA) should be printed with capital letters.
  • The lines of address text should be flush left.
  • You needn't write the province name; the postal code implies it.
  • "ATTN" ("At.") lines should be in the addressee part of the address, NOT down with the postal code!
  As usual, if you are mailing to Argentina from another country, don't forget to write ARGENTINA (the destination country) as the bottom line of the address.
• About Argentina postal codes (U.S.ians call it a "zip code"; Argentina calls it a "CPA".) (in Spanish)

Australia

Format Information

Australia Post's "Correct Addressing."

This is fairly complete, but as usual, if you are mailing to Australia from another country, don't forget to write AUSTRALIA (the destination country) as the bottom line of the address.

(Includes several example addresses and even automated formatting aids.)

Mr S Tan 200 Broadway Av WEST BEACH SA 5024   AUSTRALIA

Australia Post's Australian Postcode Lookup

If you know an addresses' town, suburb, city or village and territory, but don't know the numeric postcode.

State/Territory Abbreviations (as of December 2005)

    ACT Australian Capital Territory
    NSW New South Wales
    NT  Northern Territory
    QLD Queensland
    SA  South Australia
    TAS Tasmania
    VIC Victoria
    WA  Western Australia
   

Abbreviations for Types of Streets/Roads/etc. (as of December 2005)

    ALLEY Alley
    ARC   Arcade
    AVE   Avenue
    BVD   Boulevard
    CL    Close
    CRES  Crescent
    DR    Drive
    ESP   Esplanade
    GR    Grove
    HWY   Highway
    LANE  Lane
    PDE   Parade
    PL    Place
    RD    Road
    SQ    Square
    ST    Street
    TCE   Terrace
   

MONKEY MAN ENTERPRISES SUITE 109 FLOOR 5 240 WANDALOO ESP   NEW CANBERRA WA 1234

(Yeah, how many people would've expected the floor and the thoroughfare address would go on the same line?)

The Australian Post's "Australia Post Terms and Conditions" Appendix "Correct Addressing Standards" for utter nitpickers and would-be lawyers

Austria

Format Examples

The talented programmer who wrote the software installation tool INF-TOOL.

   R. Fellner         [recipient]
   Pazmaniteng 24-9   [street address]
   A-1020 Vienna      [postal code + city/town/locality]  The A- is an optional country code for mailing within the EU.
   AUSTRIA            [country name]
   

Council of Europe Publications: Sales Agents

   Gerold und Co
   Weihburggasse 26
   A-1010 VIENNA
   AUSTRIA
   

When name of destination is different from name of post office (adapted from UPU)

   Frau               ["Mrs." (sometimes also used for "Miss")]
   Mag. Maria Muster  [recipient]
   Gartenweg 8        [street address]
   Rafing             [city/town/locality]
   3741 PULKAU        [postal code + city/town/locality OR post office's name
   AUSTRIA            [country name]
   

Format Information

The Austrian Post's website includes some formatting and packaging information in German (At least as of 24 March 2005, but since then they've re-scrambled their website and hidden it).

For the fastest and most accurate machine processing of your mail:

• The bottommost 15 mm of an envelope should be left blank.
• The return address on an envelope should extend no more than 40 mm from the top of the envelope, and should not extend within 74 mm of the envelope's right edge.
• The recipient address should be at least 40 mm from the top of an envelope, possibly should extend no more than 140 mm from the envelope's right edge, should be at least 15mm from the envelope's right edge, and should be surrounded on the right and left by blank zones at least 15mm wide.

Belgium

Format Examples

UPU Model Address

   M. André Dupont
   Rue du Cornet 6
   B-4800 VERVIERS
   BELGIUM
   

ABB Flexible Automation World-Wide Contacts

   Asea Brown Boveri S.A. - N.V.
   Flexible Automation Division
   Hoge Wei 27
   B-1930 Zaventem
   BELGIUM
   

Brazil

The Brazil section is not fully finished yet, but can be viewed by clicking here.

Britain

(Please see Great Britain...)

Canada

Format Information

The Canada Postal Guide includes sections about letter mail, addressing, and parcel standards.

Postal code lookup:

At Canada Post
At Westminster (a mail services company)
    This link might be more direct, if it works.

Postal Symbols (Abbreviations) Recognized by Canada Post

• Province and Territory Symbols
• Street Types
• Street Directions and Unit Designators (e.g. APT, SUITE, etc.)

"Provincial and State Abbreviations"

Canada Post's Top Ten Tips for Using Lettermail

Format Examples

a street address from Canada Post website, including features that only some addresses have

   JOHN JONES
   MARKETING DEPARTMENT
   10-123 1/2 MAIN STREET NW        [10 is a unit number, such as a suite or apartment number.]
   MONTREAL QC  H3Z 2Y7             [MONTREAL is the city;  QC is the province abbreviation;  H3Z 2Y7 is the postal code.]
   CANADA                           [If you were sending your mail from Canada, you wouldn't need this.]
   

China ('People's Republic of', i.e. Communist/Mainland China)

Please see People's Republic of China and Hong Kong.

China, Republic of (Taiwan)

(Please see Taiwan...)

Costa Rica

Miscellaneous Information

• Spanish-Language Addressing
• costarica.com website:
  • A bit of information about the postal system in Costa Rica, including example formats for post office box addresses..
  • Tips for travelers for sending and receiving mail in Costa Rica

Czech Republic

Format Information

Czech postal address information document at the UPU website.

Czech Post postal code lookup form

Format Examples

In a town with delivery office (from UPU documentation)

   Pan Martin Parma       [recipient name]
   Prujezdna 320/62       [street name + block number / building number]
   100 00 PRAHA 10        [postal code + city name + one to three digit numeric identifier for post office]
   CZECH REP.             [country name (suitable for mailing to Czech Republic from most other countries)]
   

Czech Post (from UPU documentation)

   Czech Post               [recipient name]
   Headquarters             [recipient name]
   Mail Traffic Department  [recipient name]
   Prujezdna 9              [street name + block number and/or building number]
   225 99 PRAHA 3           [postal code + city name + one to three digit numeric identifier for post office]
   CZECH REP.               [country name (suitable for mailing to Czech Republic from most other countries)]
   

Denmark

Format Examples

from the Universal Postal Union:

   Hr. Niels Henriksen             [recipient]
   Kastanievej 15                  [street address]
   DK-8660 SKANDERBORG             [country code + postal code + city/town/locality.  The "DK-" is an optional country code.]
   DENMARK                         [country]

   Post Denmark                    [recipient]
   International Post and Jetpost  [recipient]
   Tietgensgade 37                 [street address]
   DK-1566 COPENHAGEN V            [country code + postal code + city/town/locality.  The "DK-" is an optional country code.]
   DENMARK                         [country]
   

from the Theseus list of Danish libraries and archives:

   Botanisk Centralbibliotek       [recipient]
   Sølvgade 83, opg. S             [street address (street name, building number, additional delivery information]
   DK-1307 København K.            [country code + postal code + city/town/locality + letter additionally indicating delivery office/district/zone]
   DENMARK                         [country]
   

Chris Herborth's Example:

Thanks to Peter Mogensen, we have an entry for Danish addresses: Peter Mogensen Name c/o Fictional Company Office or whatever (optional) Niels Bohrs Alle 23, 1330 Street address floor 13 More address (optional) Dalum Local area or village (optional) 5230 Odense M Zip code and postal district Odense City (optional) Danmark Country (optional) The city is optional, only the postal district is relevent, so a minimal address would be: Peter Mogensen Niels Bohrs Alle 23, 1330 5230 Odense M

Format Information

Specifications for mailed items: includes some addressing format information.

"Danish language locale for Denmark, Narrative Cultural Specification"

Includes some postal abbreviations. See "Clause 25: Mail addresses". Alas, this document is kind of old (1996).

Storey specification is placed after the street number. The following conventions apply: English Danish Danish abbreviation Ground floor stuen st 1st floor 1. etage 1 basement kælderen kld right til højre th left til venstre tv middle midt for mf

England

(Please see Great Britain...)

Estonia

Format Examples

address for a building of Estonia's central government

   The Stenbock House
   Rahukohtu 3         [street name + building number]
   15161 Tallinn       [postal code + city]
   Estonia             [country name (for mailing to Estonia from United States)]
   

Format Information

See our Estonia Details: International Mailing Address Formats page for more details.

Fiji

Use the Fiji Page

Finland

Format Examples

from the Universal Postal Union:

   Ms. Aulikki Laasko   [recipient]
   Vesakkotic 1399      [street address]
   FIN-00630 HELSINKI   [country code + postal code + postal district.  The "FIN-" is an optional country code.]
   FINLAND              [country]
   

from a version of the tidily formatted Greenland Guide:

   Saga Matkat OY       [recipient]
   Saga Tours Ltd
   Albertinkatu 36 B    [street address]
   00180 HELSINKI       [postal code + postal district.  (FIN- could optionally be added before the postal code.)]
   FINLAND              [country]
   

ABB Group

France

Format Examples

from the Universal Postal Union:

   Madame Duval             Some people prefer to write the recipient's last name in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, but the UPU does not deem this necessary.
   27, rue Pasteur          [street address (house/building number, street name)]
   14390 CABOURG            [postal code + city]  You may precede the postal code with France's country code and a dash, e.g. FR-14390
   FRANCE

   M. Bernard               this is a variant "Small locality" format
   Impasse Vivaldi
   VAUCE
   53300 COUESNES VAUCE
   FRANCE
   

Chris Herborth's Example

Format Information

The Universal Postal Union listing for France is one of the best, most informative of the UPU country listings. (in PDF format)

AskOxford: Writing Letters in French includes some information about addressing letters sent to French destinations.

Germany

Format Examples

German Post Office (Deutsche Post) sample addresses:

A normal address:

   Herrn                         ["Mr." (form of address)]
   Eberhard Wellhausen           [name]
   Wittekindshof                 
   Schulstrasse 4                [street address]
   32547 Bad Oyenhausen          [postal code + city/town]
   GERMANY                       [country]
   

A PO Box ("Postfach") type of address:

   Firma                         ["company"]
   Wellhausen                    [company's name]
   Postfach 10 01 65             ["PO Box" + its number]
   32547 Bad Oyenhausen          [postal code + city/town]
   GERMANY                       [country]
   

The Deutsche Post website has a lot of advice for making your mail machine-readable for speedy and accurate delivery, but I think much of it may be less important when mailing internationally. Some of this advice is translated and summarized in Addressing a Letter in Germany (English Language Instructions.)

ABB Group

   ABB Flexible Automation GmbH  [company name]
   Grüner Weg 6                  [street address]
   D-61169 Friedberg             [postal code + city/town.]   By some countries' postal systems the D- is understood as the country code.  The D- is optional if you write the country name below.
   GERMANY                       [country]

   ABB Lackieranlagen GmbH       [company name]
   Schorbachstrasse 9            [street address]
   Postfach 260                  [PO Box number]              This unusual form is a dual address in case either the street address or PO Box address is out of date or undeliverable.  Normally either would be sufficient.
   D-35510 Butzbach              [postal code + city/town.]   By some countries' postal systems the D- is understood as the country code.  The D- is optional if you write the country name below.
   GERMANY                       [country]
   

Format Information

Exeter Beginners' German textbook on the WWW

"Addresses and postcodes" partly explains German address format, but for more information you should also read "German letter layout," which gives more address formatting details.

Postal code lookup information, for German and English speakers.

This form lets you find a German address's postal code (German equivalent of a U.S. zip code.)

Addressing a Letter in Germany (English Language Instructions) shows the unintentional humor and pathos of addressing a letter in a machine-processing age.

Finding Addresses, Postal Codes / Zip Codes when you don't have an exact address, etc.

English-language version of "The Telephone Book" website

"Das TelefonBuch" ("The Telephone Book") is imperfect for English speakers:

• If a word you need to type in includes dots over a letter, you can type an e after that letter in place of the dots.
  Example: Köln = Koeln
  Leaving out both would cause the word you type to be misinterpreted!
• You might need to use the German form of a German placename.
  Example: Köln, not Cologne

Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, United Kingdom, U.K.)

Format Information

Royal Mail Guide to Preparing Mail - Addressing

The Royal Mail (British Postal Service) keeps reorganizing their website, but you might find addressing information here and/or here.

Some oddities of the Royal Mail include:

• A preference for the return address to be on the back of the envelope.
• A Locality line that only some addresses have (between the street address and town/city.)
• The "full stops" you are requested not to use in an address are periods.

From the Royal Mail website (as of March 2005):

"What is a correct Postal Address?

Every house and business in the UK has a complete postal address that helps Royal Mail deliver mail quickly, accurately and cost effectively.
We've laid out below the elements that make up a postal address and those that are required for us to deliver mail.

Address	Is it Required?	Information
Mr A Smith	When applicable	Addressees Name
Acme Plc	When applicable	Company/Organisation
Acme House	Yes (except if it has a number)	Building Name
3 High Street	Yes	Number of building and name of thoroughfare
Hedle End	Yes but only if a similar road name exists within a Post Town area	Locality Name
SOUTHAMPTON	Yes	Post Town please print in capitals
SO31 4NG	Yes	Postcode please print in capitals

You do not need to include a County name provided the Post Town and Postcode are used."

Format Examples

Nildram Systems

   Nildram Ltd         [recipient]
   Ardenham Court      [probably the building name: see Format Information.  Not all addresses have this part.]
   Oxford Road         [street name]
   AYLESBURY           [postal town (town/city)]
   BUCKINGHAMSHIRE     [county (not needed)]
   HP19 3EQ            [postal code]
   GREAT BRITAIN       [country name]
   

from the Universal Postal Union:

   Mr. Walter C. Brown
   49 Featherstone Street
   LONDON
   EC1Y 8SY
   GREAT BRITAIN
   

Greenland

Format Examples

You can find some addresses in the Travel and Accommodations section of the 'Greenland Guide'.

These addresses are taken from various versions of the helpfully tourism-promoting Greenland Guide. It appears that 'Postbox' is an accepted alternate way of saying 'P.O. Box.' The example address below includes both street address and P.O. Box address in case either is undeliverable or out of date.

 
   Tikilluarit Nuuk Tourism A/S    [recipient]
   Hans Egedesvej 29               [street address]
   P.O. Box 199                    [P.O. Box + box number]
   DK-3900 Nuuk                    [postal code + postal district.  The "DK-" is an optional ISO country code; it is actually the country code of Denmark, because Greenland is still in some senses a part of the Kingdom of Denmark.]
   GREENLAND                       [country name]
   

Note: Greenland is still in some senses part of the Kingdom of Denmark and uses a similar address system, so also see Denmark.

Hong Kong

Format Examples

Example address from HongKong Post (see Format Information)

   Mr. CHAN Kwok-kwong
   Flat 25, 12/F, Acacia Building
   150 Kennedy Road
   WAN CHAI
   HONG KONG
   
   

New Systems Online

   Flat D, 6/F, Golden Industrial Center, Block 4,
   182-190 Tai Lin Pai Road,
   Kwai Chung, N.T.,
   HONG KONG
   

Format Information

Address Formatting Information from HongKong Post

Partial summary of information useful for people outside Hong Kong and the PRC:

• For Hong Kong, the address should always include :­
  1. Name of addressee,
  2. Flat and Floor numbers,
  3. Name of building,
  4. Number of building and name of street,
  5. Name of village, town or district (in CAPITAL LETTERS),
  6. Hong Kong, Kowloon or New Territories as appropriate (in CAPITAL LETTERS).
  

  Mr. CHAN Kwok-kwong
  Flat 25, 12/F, Acacia Building
  150 Kennedy Road
  WAN CHAI
  HONG KONG
  
  

• For items addressed to P.O. Boxes in Hong Kong, the address should always include :­
  1.Name of addressee,
  2.P.O. Box number,
  3.Name of Post Office (in CAPITAL LETTERS) at which the box is located,
  4.Hong Kong, Kowloon, or New Territories, as appropriate (in CAPITAL LETTERS).
  

Links:

• in HTML may be at http://216.239.51.100/search?q=cache:i5kcgtTXdkwC:www.hongkongpost.com/PO_Guide/Post%2520Guide%2520pdf%2520folder/Section%25206.pdf+HongKong+Post+%22method+of+addressing%22&hl=en&ie=UTF-8 or will probably turn up among of the first few items on this search page: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=HongKong+Post+%22method+of+addressing%22
• in PDF format is probably at http://www.hongkongpost.com/eng/publications/guide/content/6.1.pdf or http://www.hongkongpost.com/eng/news_publications/po_guide/content/sec6.pdf#pagemode=bookmarks&page=1 or look for a link in http://www.hongkongpost.com/eng/publications/guide/index.htm probably under "6 PACKING, ADDRESSING AND PROHIBITIONS".

Iceland

Format Examples

Example street address

   Gudmundur Jonasson Travel       [recipient]
   Borgartun 34                    [street address]
   105 REYKJAVÍK                   [postal code + locality.  The country code "IS-" is optional before the postal code, e.g. IS-105]
   ICELAND                         [country name]
   

Example format for a P.O. Box address.

   Elmér Fúdd                  [recipient (person)]
   Wabbitwatchin Excursions    [recipient]
   Pósthólf 1034               [PO BOX + boxnumber]
   121 REYKJAVÍK               [country code (IS-) + postal code + locality.  The country code "IS-" is optional because ICELAND is written below.]
   ICELAND                     [country name]
   

Format Information

English-language version of Iceland Post home page.

• Addressing and Labeling
• P.O. Box information includes address format for P.O. Box Addresses
• Site Map

If the letter's contents are delicate and the envelope may not be folded for it to be put in a mailbox it is imperative to write "Má ekki brjóta" in the bottom right corner on the address side. [Excerpt from Iceland Post website]

It is important that the destination (after post code) be written in CAPITAL LETTERS. [Excerpt from Iceland Post website as of January 2006 http://www.postur.is/english/Miscellaneous_information/Mailbox_Mail_Slot_Labeling.html]

India

Format Examples

From the UPU:

   Mr. I. K. Taneja
   Flat No. 100
   Triveni apartments
   Pitam Pura
   NEW DELHI-110034    [city/town/locality - postal code (equivalent of U.S. zip code)]
   INDIA

   Steel Authority of India Ltd.
   Ispat Bhavan
   Lodhi Road
   NEW DELHI-110003
   INDIA

   Department of Posts
   Business Development Directorate
   Dak Bhavan
   Parliament Street
   NEW DELHI-110001
   INDIA
   

Kay Jay Exports

   Kay Jay Exports
   Post Office Box 924
   Ludhiana-141003
   INDIA
   

Format Information

Indiapost "PIN Code" (postal code / zipcode) lookup form

Format Information??

The India Post website might not have much format information.

Don't use the impostor/fake/false/bogus/sleazy-advertising "India Post" website now at indiapost.org.

Indonesia

Format Examples

self-declared 'Weblog Wannabe'

Firda Beka
Jl. Perhubungan IV/25  [For privacy we may have used an out-of-date address or changed it.]
Pondok Betung
Tangerang 15224        [city/town/locality + postal code (equivalent of U.S. zip code)]
Indonesia
   

From the UPU:

   Mr. N. Suprapto
   73, Jalan Cilaki
   BANDUNG 40115
   INDONESIA

   PT Pos Indonesia
   International Relations Dept.
   30 Jalan Banda
   BANDUNG 40115
   INDONESIA
   

The (non)punctuation of street addresses is wonderfully variable, no?

Format Information?

The PT POS Indonesia website is not in English.

Ireland

Format Information

"Ireland Mailing Address Formats (snail mail)"

An easy-to-understand guide.

An Post

Ireland's national postal service.

Israel

Format Examples

Australian Embassy Addresses

Council of Europe Publications Sales Rep

   R.O.Y. International
   PO Box 13056
   ISL-61130 TEL-AVIV
   ISRAEL
   

The UPU Example

   M. Ploni Almoni
   16, Rue Yafo
   94142 JERUSALEM
   ISRAEL
   

Israeli Postal Authority's mail-order address for buying stamps by mail

   The Israel Philatelic Service
   12 Shderot Yerushalayim
   68021 Tel Aviv - Yafo
   ISRAEL
   

Italy

Format Examples

from the Universal Postal Union:

   Sig. Mario Rossi
   Viale Europa, 22      [street, house/building number]
   00144-ROMA RM         [postal code-city province]  Province code is two letters.  Province may be optional when city is a provincial capital.
   ITALY
   

ABB Group

Several example addresses.

Japan

Format Information

Learning Japanese should be fun and games TileTagTM is the game that helps you efficiently learn to read and write Japanese a genuine BitBoostSM product

Postal Information for Japan from japan-guide.com

Nice; includes additional links.

Japanorama: Japanese Address Formats

Has some good examples, but postal code format shown is the old three digit instead of the new longer format.
Also, be sure to write 'Japan' on a line below the rest of the address when you mail from the United States or other Western countries to Japan.

Bruce "Tog" Tognazzini's perspective on the Japanese address system

"How to write Japanese address" ("Wayback Machine" copy)

Sometimes slow to download, but good. Includes information about latest postal code change. (Link is to a "Wayback Machine" copy because original page was recently taken down.)

Korea

(Please see South Korea...)

Latvia

Format Information

Try the "Addressing the Mail" page on the Latvija Pasts website.

Lithuania

Format Information

Try the "How postal items must be addressed?" page on the Lithuania Post website.

The front page of the Lithuania Post website's English version.

Luxembourg

Format Information

Luxembourg address format seems mostly similar to France's format, except that:

• The postal code is a four-digit number.
• Of course, the letter that you can optionally write before the postal code is L- for Luxembourg (not F- for France.)
  for example, L-1316.

A possible source of confusion is that Luxembourg is the name of both the country and its capital city, so you could write an address such as:

   M. Andrée TROMMER   [(M. = Monsieur) recipient name]
   BP 5019             [P.O. Box + number]
   L-1050 Luxembourg   [(optional country code L-) + postal code + city/locality]
   LUXEMBOURG          [country name]
   

Format Examples

from the Universal Postal Union:

   M. Jacques Muller           [(M. = Monsieur) recipient name]
   71, route de Longwy         [street address (house number + street name)]
   L-4750 PETANGE              [(optional country code L-) + postal code + city/locality]
   GRAND DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG   [country name]
   

The l'Annuaire/P&T telephone/address/internet directory of Luxembourg

is a source of addresses.

Malaysia

Format Examples

example from the Pos Malaysia website

Ahmad Bin Gh azali
75 Kg Sg Ramal Luar    [House Number/Lot Number/Floor and Building Name]
43000 Kajang           [postal code + city]
Selangor               [state]
Malaysia               [country name (for mailing to Malaysia from other countries)]
   

Format Information

The Pos Malaysia postal code search form.

The Pos Malaysia help page includes information about
properly formatting addresses.

Mexico

Format Examples

from the Universal Postal Union:

   Sra. Otilia Ramos Perez                 ["Mrs. Otilia Ramos Perez"]
   Urión 30                                [street address] (in this case, street name + building number)
   Col. Atlatilco                          [Neighborhood/Quarter Atlatilco]  ("Col."="Colonia"=neighborhood/quarter)
   02860 MEXICO, D.F.                      [postal code + ("MEXICO, D.F." represents "Mexico, Districto Federal"; compare to "Washington, D.C.")]
   MEXICO                                  [country name]

   Alonso Reyes Diáz                       [recipient]
   Super Manzana 3 - 403                   [street name + building number - apartment number]
   Puerto Juarez                           [village]
   77520 CANCUN, Q. ROO                    [postcode + locality name, province abbreviation]
   MEXICO                                  [country name]

   Departmento de Asuntos Internationales
   Nezahualcoyotl 109 Piso 8               [street name + house/building number + floor 8]  piso = floor.  So this is street name (Nezahualcoyotl) + building number (109) + 'Floor' (Piso) + floor number (8).
   Centro                                  [neighborhood/quarter]
   06082 MEXICO, D.F.                      [postal code + (MEXICO, D.F." represents "Mexico, Districto Federal"; compare to "Washington, D.C.)]
   MEXICO                                  [country name]
   

from a copy of US Postal Bulletin S-1 at the NRLCA (but updated by us):

   Jaime Lopez                             [recipient name]
   8th Straco # 69                         [street address]
   46800 Puerto Vallarta, JAL              [postal code + city, province/state abbreviation]
   MEXICO                                  [country name]
   

ABB Group

   ABB Sistemas, S.A. de C.V.
   Flexible Automation Division
   Via Gustavo Baz No. 166
   Col. San Jerónimo Tepetlacalco
   54090 Tlalnepantla, Edo. de México
   P.O. Box 58 BIS Col. Centro
   06600 México, D.F.
   MEXICO
   

Format Information

Addresses in the Spanish Language section.

Postal abbreviations, honorifics, and more about addressing mail in Spanish.

In Spanish only: Servicio Postal Mexicano

• Postal Code Search Form (Spanish-language only)
• Google Search for Postal Codes on Mexican postal service website (probably Spanish-language only)

Province abbreviations

Aguascalientes AGS Morelos MOR Baja California BC Nayarit NAY Baja California Sur BCS Nuevo Leon NL Campeche CAM Oaxaca OAX Coahuila COAH Puebla PUE Colima COL Queretaro QRO Chiapas CHIS Quintana Roo Q ROO Chihuahua CHIH San Luis Potosi SLP Distrito Federal DF Sinaloa SIN Durango DGO Sonora SON Guanajuato GTO Tabasco TAB Guerrero GRO Tamaulipas TAMPS Hidalgo HGO Tlaxcala TLAX Jalisco JAL Veracruz VER Mexico MEX Yucatan YUC Michoacan MICH Zacatecas ZAC

Miscellaneous/Other

See Other Guides to International Postal Address Formats

Netherlands

Format Examples

Chris Herborth's Examples

Koninklijke TNT Post BV

Koninklijke TNT Post BV   [recipient name]
Prinses Beatrixlaan 23    [street address (street name + house number / building number)]
2595 AK 's Gravenhage     [postal code + town/locality.  The 's is part of the town/locality name.]
Netherlands               [country name]

Format Information

Please see the Netherlands Details Page for additional information, such as postcode finders.

New Zealand

Format Information

Addressing Mail

Includes explanations of special New Zealand format variants such as the apartment number -- house number format.
Don't forget to write NEW ZEALAND as the bottom line of the address when mailing from distant countries like the USA!
(Note: a "full stop" is what is called a "period" in the USA.)

   Mrs Brown          [recipient]
   Flat 2             [apartment number]
   173 Park Road      [house number + street name]
   Johnsonville       [suburb (only in some addresses)]
   Wellington 6004    [city + postal code]
   NEW ZEALAND        [country]
   

Rural Address Formats

Addresses are formatted differently away from cities and towns, on rural delivery routes.

   John Sample        [recipient]
   Flat 2             [apartment number]
   56 Maple Boulevard [house number + street name]
   RD 2               ['RD' + rural delivery (route) number]
   Wellington 6004    [postal town + postal code]
   NEW ZEALAND        [country]   

Use ‘RD’ plus the RD number instead of a suburb. ‘RD’ has no spaces or punctuation (eg. ‘RD 1’ not ‘R D 1’). Include the name of a registered occupant if the rural address doesn’t have a street number. Don’t use floor levels in rural addresses. Use the correct mail town, ie. the town name of the rural delivery route -- this is not always the town closest to the address.

Post Code Finder

Format Examples

Chris Herborth's Example

from the Universal Postal Union:

   Mr. .........
   Private Bag 39 990      "Private Bag" addresses are not typical.  I don't know why the UPU didn't provide a normal address also.
   WELLINGTON 1            So please also see Chris Herborth's Example.
   NEW ZEALAND
   

Norway

Use the Norway Page

Pakistan

Example Address(es)

From Paksintan's UPU documentation

   Mr. Nasratullah Khan
   House No 17-B
   Street No 30
   Sector F-7/1
   ISLAMABAD-44000
   PAKISTAN
   

Format Information?

Post Codes

People's Republic of China (Communist/Mainland China)

(Also see Hong Kong...)

Format Examples

Mainland Chinese address formatting is a rather confused (not even just confusing) topic. For example, the Universal Postal Union, a Microsoft book on internationalizing software, and other sources I have seen all have differences in their preferred formats. From this I conclude that there must be mail deliverers in China who are accustomed to figuring out weird variant address formats.

from the Universal Postal Union:

   95 Yong An Road
   Beijing Friendship Hospital
   100050 BEIJING
   PEOPLE'S REP OF CHINA

   13 West Chang An Street
   Directorate General of Posts
   100804 BEIJING
   PEOPLE'S REP OF CHINA
   

Imation® Local Contact Address

   Imation Shanghai Branch Office
   Imation (Shanghai) Limited
   10/F Jiu Shi Fu Xin Mansion
   918 Huaihai Zhong Road
   Shanghai 200020
   PRC
   

ABB Flexible Automation World-Wide Contacts (old)

   ABB Flexible Automation Ltd
   5F, No. 16 Lane, 195, TianLin Road
   Caohejin New Technology Development Zone  This line would be hard to fit into the format suggested by the Microsoft book on internationalization and localization of software.
   Shanghai, 200233, P.R.                    This "P.R." stands for "People's Republic," to differentiate from Taiwan (R.O.C.)
   CHINA
   

ABB (China) Investment Ltd. (new)

   South Tower
   Rainbow Plaza
   14 Dongsuan Huan Beilu
   Chao Yang District
   Beijing 100026
   CHINA
   

Poland

Format Examples

Adaptation of UPU Example Addresses

   Mme Anna Kowalska                  recipient
   Ul. Bosmanska 1                    street address
   81-116 GDYNIA                      postal code + locality
   POLAND                             country name

   Poste Polonaise
   Direction générale
   Bureau du trafic international
   Pl. Malachowskiego 2
   00-940 WARSZAWA
   POLAND
   

Portugal

Format Examples

Addresses based upon UPU Example Addresses

   Sr. Antonio Costa                  recipient
   Rua do Farol 2                     street name, house/building number
   AZOIA
   2740-029 COLARES                   postal code + 'territorial subdivision'
   PORTUGAL                           country name


   CTT - CORREIOS DE PORTUGAL, S.A.
   Rua Conde de Redondo 79
   1167-921 LISBOA CODEX
   PORTUGAL
   

Format Information

Some notes on official formatting standards for Portugal addresses

Portugal's postal service has made some changes:

• Postal codes changed from 4-digit to 7-digit, e.g. 1234-567
• Comma between street name and building number is no longer preferred format.
• For more information follow UPU link below.

SOME FORMAT CHANGES IN AN EXAMPLE ADDRESS: Sr. Antonio Costa Rua do Farol, 2 remove comma from between street name, house/building number AZOIA 2740-029 COLARES postal code now has three added digits for a total of seven PORTUGAL

Look up Portugal on this UPU addresses page (enhanced handicapped accessibility form.)

Republic of China (Taiwan)

(Please see Taiwan...)

Romania

Use the Romania Page

Russia (Russian Federation)

Format Examples

Adaptation of UPU Example Addresses for mailing from the United States:

   Ivanova I.S.                       recipient (family name first)
   Rue Tverskaya 9, appart. 187       street address, apartment
   103009 MOSCOU K-9                  postal code + locality
   RUSSIAN FEDERATION                 country name

   Service d'information              recipient
   37 Varchavskoyé chaussée           street address
   113105 MOSCOU                      postal code + locality
   RUSSIAN FEDERATION                 country name
   

Note the similarities to French address format.

Format Information

The usual local address format in the former Soviet Bloc was a 'larger entity first' ordering, e.g.

   RUSSIAN FEDERATION                 country name
   103009 MOSCOU K-9                  postal code + locality
   Rue Tverskaya 9, appart. 187       street address, apartment
   Ivanova I.S.                       recipient (family name first)
   

To this day, Russia uses this format locally, but can handle the more westernized format in international mail.

Singapore

Format Examples

Example address from Singapore Post

   Singapore Post Pte Ltd
   10 Eunos Road 8
   #05-33 Singapore Post Centre
   Singapore 408600
   REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE          (Added for mailing from some foreign countries e.g. the United States)
   

UPU Examples

   Mr. M. Rajendran
   Blk 35 Mandalay Road
   # 13-37 Mandalay Towers
   SINGAPORE 308215
   REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE

   Ms. Tan Bee Soo
   16 Sandilands Road
   SINGAPORE 546080
   REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE
   

Addresses of many Singapore post offices:

• You can search for post office addresses.

Format Information

Recommended address format and other information to help your mail reach the right destination quickly!

For example:

• Write the return address on the back of the envelope.
• Don't print text or images within the designated 'clear zone' at the bottom of the front and back of the envelope.

Singapore postal code lookup (requires Javascript).

This page includes some information about how Singapore's postal codes work.

"The 6-digit postal code was introduced on 1 September 1995. It allows SingPost to assign a unique postal code to every house and building in Singapore so that the mail sorting system is able to sort mail directly into the sequence of delivery for each postman...."

A .PDF document from the UPU may be here.

South Africa

Format Examples

from the Universal Postal Union:

   Mr. J. Public
   1234 Church Street
   Colloyn
   PRETORIA
   0083 SOUTH AFRICA

   The Senior General Manager
   Postal Business
   SA Post Office
   P.O. Box 10 000
   PRETORIA
   0083 SOUTH AFRICA
   

Format Information

South African Post Office website.

South Korea

Format Examples

from the Universal Postal Union:

   Ministry of Information and Communication
   116 Shinmullo 1-ga
   Chongno-gu
   SEOUL 110-700
   REP OF KOREA
   

For more information you can contact:

   International Postal Division
   Bureau of Posts
   Ministry of Information and Communication
   SEOUL 110-700
   REP OF KOREA
   

Format Information

For best understanding, look at all of the South Korean address format references given below.

"Postal Addresses in Korea"

• Complains that finding an address on foot can be difficult.
• Explains some of the structure of South Korean addresses.
• Explains more words found in a South Korean address.

"Korean Addresses" (an explanation for students of the Korean language), ARCHIVED AT ARCHIVE.ORG

• Explains the basic structure of urban and rural South Korean addresses for mailing within Korea
• Defines some terms that occur within postal addresses.

When mailing from many countries such as the U.S., you will have to place the name of the destination country at the bottom of the address, and the rest of the address will be in the reverse of the ordering usually used within Korea.

   AN EXAMPLE ADDRESS FORMATTED FOR MAILING FROM THE UNITED STATES OR WESTERN EUROPE:

   Ms. Yi Hun Kyong  [person's name]
   467 ponji         [house number]
   Yaum-dong         [subdivision or precinct of the city]
   Ulsan-si          [city name]
   Kyongsangnamdo    [province]
   South Korea       [country name: added for mailing from most foreign countries e.g. the United States]

South Korean Postal code / Zipcode Lookup (Requires Javascript)

Spain

Format Examples

from the Universal Postal Union:

   Sr. D. Alvaro Blanco Ruiz
   Luna, 10 - 3o               [street name, house/building number - floor number]  (For more information see Spanish Language Addressing page.)
   28300 ARANJUEZ (MADRID)
   SPAIN

   Organismo Autónomio Correos y Telégraphos
   Area de Asuntos Internacionales
   Calle Aduana, 29                       [street name, house/building number]
   28070 MADRID                           [postal code + city/town/locality]
   SPAIN
   

Format Information

Addresses in the Spanish Language

Postal abbreviations, honorifics, and more about addressing mail in Spanish.

Sweden

Format Examples

Chris Herborth's Example

With piece-by-piece explanation [and light editing by BitBoost].

Jon "I can't stop reading email while on vacation" Wätte writes: Ms. Hypothetical Name of person/company/whatever c/o Jon Wätte Extra name/info (optional) Hagagatan 1, vi Street, number, apartment floor SE-113 49 Stockholm Postal code [113 49] and city SWEDEN Country For mail within Sweden, remove the "SE-" prefix (part of the ISO standard for country codes) and the country.

ABB Group

Don't forget to write SWEDEN as the bottommost line when mailing from distant countries like the United States!

Martin Rebas' world domination letter

Hey, it's funny.

   Martin Rebas                            [Human being's name]
   Gyllenkrooksgatan 1                     [Street name + house number]
   412 84 GÖTEBORG                         [Postal code + city/town]
   SWEDEN                                  [Country name]
   

Format Information

"The Swedish Gazetteer - National Atlas of Sweden [search page]

Helps you find information about possible city/town names in Sweden, to help you evaluate an address' plausibility.

Switzerland

Format Examples

Interactive Post Office Directory finds post office locations

If you are mailing to Switzerland from another country, don't forget to write SWITZERLAND as the bottom line of the address!
This list has many addresses of different styles. (Note: Postfach = PO Box.)

                Philatelie der Post
                Maria Reichenbach
                Fraumünsterpost
                Kappelergasse 1          [Street name + building number]
                8022 Zürich              [Postal code + city/town/village  (If city/town/village name is not unique, place 2-letter abbreviation for the containing canton's name after the city/town/village.)]
                Switzerland              [Country name]
                

Format Information

"Addressing items correctly"

A subpage of the Swiss Post website.

packaging and addressing parcels

A subpage of the Swiss Post website.

Correct addressing and packaging pages will probably be found by this site search.

A subpage of the Swiss Post website.

postcode finder / postcode search (Swiss equivalent of U.S.'s zip codes, i.e. "Swiss zip codes")

If the above page doesn't work, search using the small form near the top of the English version of the main Swiss Post website.

Canton abbreviations (as of 2005/2006)

AG Argau AR Appenzell AusserRhoden AI Appenzell Inner-Rhoden BL Basel-Landschaft BS Basel-Stadt BE Bern FR Fribourg GE Geneva GL Glarus GR Graubunden JU Jura LU Luzern NE Neuchâtel NW Nidwalden OW Obwalden SG Sankt Gallen SH Shaffhausen SZ Schwyz SO Solothurn TG Thurgau TI Ticino UR Uri VS Valais VD Vaun ZG Zug ZH Zürich

Taiwan (Republic of China)

Format Examples

U.S. Asis Environmental Partnership in Taiwan

   U.S. Asis Environmental Partnership in Taiwan
   (U.S.-AEP Taiwan), American Institute in Taiwan
   International Trade Tower
   32/F, 333 Keelung Road, Section 1
   Taipei, 105-48
   TAIWAN, R.O.C.
   

An address for buying stamps by mail from the Directorate General of Posts (Taiwan)

   The Philatelic Department       [recipient]
   Directorate General of Posts    [recipient]
   55 Chin Shan South Road Sec. 2  [(house/building number) + street + section of street]  Some roads are divided into multiple sections, for each of which sections the house numbering starts over again.
   Taipei, Taiwan 106-03           [city, (island name) + numeric postal code]
   TAIWAN, R. O. C.                [country]
   

Post Office Locations

Format Information

Some format information from the English-language section of the website of Taiwan's Postal Service.

Excerpts:

   Yu Chi Enterprises Co., Ltd.
   5 Lane 80 Taiyuen Road
   Datong District, Taipei City 10349
   Taiwan (R.O.C.)
   

Stamp: on the upper right corner

Writing order: first line - addressee or company's name
Second line - address number, alley, lane, road, and street
Third line - county, town, province, zip code
Fourth line - country

Postal code ("zip code") finding form from the English-language section of the website of Taiwan's Postal Service.

A diagram shows an example of how addresses in Taiwan can sometimes include not only a road and the specific section of the road, but also a further branching out to a lane and an alley.

"Here's the example of #4, Alley 14, Lane 104, 3rd Section, Xi-tun Road."

United Kingdom

• WARNING: "GB" not "UK"! "UK" doesn't mean "United Kingdom" to the United States Postal Service! Don't mark your mail "UK" or pick "UK" in most computerized postage/addressing systems if you want to send mail to Great Britain. The United States Postal Service has computer systems that use UK as an abbreviation for "Ukraine".
• Please see Great Britain.
  

United States

Format Examples

Many street addresses include a direction (e.g. E = EAST): CHRIS NISWANDEE BITBOOST SYSTEMS 421 E DRACHMAN TUCSON AZ 85705 USA	An example with the optional latter 4 digits of the zip code: JOHN DOE CENTER FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO DEPOSED NIGERIAN ROYALTY 421 E DRACHMAN TUCSON AZ 85705-7445 USA
With an apartment/suite/etc. number (which many addresses don't have): MARY ROE BITBOOST SYSTEMS 421 E DRACHMAN SUITE 5A TUCSON AZ 85705 USA	If you don't have room for the apartment/suite/etc. number on the street address line: MARY ROE BITBOOST SYSTEMS SUITE 5A-1204 421 E DRACHMAN TUCSON AZ 85705 USA
Some variants exist. In certain regions, some addresses have a direction after the street name. JOHN SMITH 300 BOYLSTON AVE E SEATTLE WA 98102 USA	"PO Box" and "POB" are two valid ways of saying "Post Office Box." If an address has two conflicting lines, such as a post office box line and a street address line, the lower line will be used if mail can be delivered to that address. Most often conflicting lines are not used. JOHN SMITH 100 MAIN ST PO BOX 1022 SEATTLE WA 98104 USA

The examples in the table above are in capital letters only, and omit puctuation, because that is what the USPS prefers.

Format Information

For a decent summary see the USPS's "Business Mail 101 - Addressing - Delivery Address."

The USPS's Publication 28 spells out preferred address formats in considerable detail. Unfortunately it is an Adobe Acrobat file requiring a special reader/display program, i.e. Adobe Acrobat, from Adobe.

Follow this link, type the words publication and 28 in the search box, and click the Search button.

Misc. Address Repair, Correction, and Code Resources

USPS Web Page for Zip Codes, Official Abbreviations, Etc.

Information about USPS formats etc. at Millsaps College

Mailing from the United States

United States Postal Service International Rate Calculator

This calculates the postage rate to send mail from the United States to any of various countries. Please note that it does not include the indirect costs of sending someone to the post office to fill out and sign customs forms, etc. So it would be unwise for a business to base its postage & handling charges on only the rate calculator's figures.

Mailing from some other countries (short listing)

Austrian Postage Calculator (in German language)

Postal rates for sending different sorts of mail from Austria. (Features may require Javascript.)
Note: "Brief" = letter. "Paket" = package. "Inland" = within Austria. "Ausland" = outside of Austria. "Länge" = length. "Breite" = width. "Stärke" = thickness. Rates are in Austrian currency.

Australia Post's Postage Calculator

In-country and overseas postage rates for sending different sorts of mail from Australia. (Requires Javascript)

Belgian Postage Calculator (in Dutch/French/English language)

Postal rates for sending different sorts of mail from Belgium. Rates are in Euros.

Canadian Postal Rates (Canada Post)

Mail from Canada to anywhere.

Danish Postal Service Website (many features require Javascript)

in Danish language

• Danish Postal Rates (in Danish language) Note: "Breve" = letter. "Pakker" = package. Rates are in Danish kroner.
in English language

Finnish Postal Rates (Finland Post)

Mail from Finland to anywhere.

English-language version of Iceland Post home page.

• Price Lists
• Postage Calculators

Indiapost Postage Calculators (Requires Javascript)

Irish National Postal Service

Italian Postal Rates (in Italian language)

You will have to understand enough Italian to click on the type(s) of mail that interests you; or an English language version of the website might be available.

Japanese Postal Rates

"This guide-page has been prepared to help foreign residents in Japan."

Malaysian Postal Rates

Pos Malaysia website's postal rate links

New Zealand Rate Finders

Sending mail from New Zealand to anywhere. (Requires Javascript)

• New Zealand Postage Rates Finder. Includes estimated/target delivery times.

Singapore Postal Rates

• Overseas [international] rates information from Singapore Post itself. Singapore Post has a good, easy to use English-language website.
• I don't know whether Expat Singapore: Postal Services in Singapore will be kept well-updated as information changes.

South African Postal Rates

South African Postal Rates

• South African Postage / Postal Rates for International Letters and Small International Parcels
• South African Postage / Postal Rates for Large International Parcels

Swiss Postal Rates & Prices

Links to price lists and calculators for various types of mail.

Taiwan (Republic of China) Postal Rates

This link might work, or you might have to look for the English section of this website.

The United Kingdom's Royal Mail.

More complete listings at other sites (sites that give rates for mailing from more countries.)

Postage Rates Worldwide by Markus Seitz

Postal rates to send mail from over 60 countries. But do note:

• Seitz' listings do not include some special classes of mail.
• Seitz' rate change dates are in a dy.mo.yr format, not the mo.dy.yr format that many Americans expect.
• Although Seitz' site is relatively complete, BitBoost cannot guarantee that every Markus Seitz listing is always fully updated.

"Postage rates worldwide: Overview on rates of postal services for many countries"

Provides links to various postage rate references for over 40 countries. References are marked according to type:

• Official: a link of this kind takes you to a page, maintained officially by the postal service in this country.
• A link leading to an online calculation form instead of a table.
• A page with rates set up based on information which was provided on paper.
• Pages that are unofficial and list the postal rates in the country, but are not connected to the postal service.
• Newly added information.

Links to Address/Telephone Directories of Many Countries (at CERN)

This page links to telephone/address directories for many countries,
For the largest number of countries, check the "Other Directories" section. Both White Pages and Yellow Pages are generally included.

"Translating the Messages on Returned Mail" [backup copies at archive.org]

"Help!!! What do these foreign returned mail endorsements mean? Look them up here (sorted by foreign term)."
Terms include Spanish, French, German, and Italian.

Don't forget the "Miscellaneous/Other" section in this page.

Includes listings of well-formatted sample addresses for 18 European countries and over 30 miscellaneous worldwide countries and special regions.

The Universal Postal Union (a division of the United Nations) provides address format examples for its 180+ member countries.

This provides sometimes decent, sometimes scanty information for 180+ countries. The skimpiest country listings provide only one example address that's an atypical government bureaucrat address or PO Box. Certain countries and special regions, such as Taiwan/R.O.C., are left out because they don't have the right relationship with the United Nations.

Although we give several example addresses labeled as being drawn from UPU documentation, in most such cases we have combined these with our own information such as [our right-side annotations in gray].

Requires Adobe's PDF / Acrobat viewer, and Javascript to access much of the information. Chris Herborth recommends that if you can't get an appropriate Adobe Acrobat viewer for your system, you might try a Ghostscript viewer.

No Javascript? Try this workaround page to access UPU documentation of mailing address formats for member countries anyway.

The United States Postal Service International Mail Manual

is more oriented towards giving information about customs requirements and mailing rates. Includes some special data such as where in Russia USPS Express Mail can be delivered.

Universal Postal Union > Worldwide postal organizations[s]

A listing of websites connected with various nations'/countries'/regions' postal services.

"Frank's Compulsive Guide"

has some good points and some drawbacks. This guide has a lot of miscellaneous background information, some of which, to the casual mail sender, would be obscure trivia or even misleading. You might have to do a lot of reading to look for the information that you wanted and find out if it's in Frank's guide. If you have to deal with large amounts of international mail addressing and you're developing a thorough understanding of the subject through using a variety of sources, this guide looks like appropriate reading, because you will be developing the right perspective to evaluate its contents. For example, if you're developing an involved system for tracking, storing, and formatting international addresses in a database, you really ought to read Frank's page among other sources.

Postal Administrations Throughout the World (list at the 'International Postal Consultancy Web Site')

is a list of links to the postal administrations of over 80 countries. Some of these postal administrations may provide guides to preferred mailing address format and /or related guides such as postcode finders or postcode maps.

Graham Rhind's Links to Postcode Pages

Provides links to pages providing postal codes (the local equivalents of what in the United States are called zip codes.) Also tries to sell you a book. Does include a decent listing of "Links to Post Office Pages."

For links to information on address formats for some countries such as Cambodia, Croatia, Estonia, Lebanon, and Malaysia, scroll most of the way down near the bottom of his "Links to Other Address Issue Pages" to the "Country-by-country:" section.

Australia Post's International Guide

You can find out whether you might run into trouble mailing toy guns to Germany or lottery tickets to the United States. (Make sure you don't send Mexican jumping beans or Japanese shaving brushes to India--that's illegal!) Doesn't generally have address formatting information though.

some stamp collecting related sites by "R.A.F."

Some miscellaneous links related to different countries' post offices and stamp collecting, mostly European.

Chris Herborth's International Mailing Address Formats

Currently offline. Chris Herborth says he is no longer maintaining or updating his International Mailing Address Formats web page. is a resource to help programmers write programs that handle different address formats. For programmers, Chris Herborth's International Mailing Address Formats page is worth viewing for even just the interesting links.

I have compared Herborth's page against other documents including the UPU's example address information, and it generally looks OK. For United States address formats, Herborth shows a positioning for suite/apartment number that the US Postal Service says in its most technically voluminous documentation is not theoretically the ideal format; but even most Americans wouldn't know any better, and I'm sure the mail would be delivered and look respectable anyway.

djcl's "The Post Office."

Mostly postal codes.

List of Postal Authority Websites (at Iceland Post Website)

List of Postal Authority Websites (at Israel Postal Authority Website)

refdesk.com's Postal Information Resources.

An assemblage of miscellaneous links, most of which are USA-only.

Although these links and other information were compiled by BitBoost Systems personnel primarily for the use of such personnel: None of the information included or linked to is guaranteed by BitBoost Systems to be available or correct. Nor is it guaranteed by any personnel or organizations associated with BitBoost Systems. BitBoost Systems takes no reponsibility for the results of using such links or other information.