Help your letters arrive safely

PAR AVION

There’s nothing like a letter arriving from the other side of the world — and nothing worse than one that never gets there. These simple checks help your letters, postcards and parcels reach your penpal safely.

1 million+ members · 195+ countries · 30+ years connecting penpals

Post guidelines by country How to address it

How to address a letter overseas

  1. 1Copy the address exactly. Write it just as your penpal gave it to you, line by line, in the order their country uses.
  2. 2Never leave out the postcode. Some countries won’t deliver a letter without one.
  3. 3Put the country last, in capitals. Write it in English on the bottom line, so your own post office knows where to send it.
  4. 4Add your return address on the back of the envelope, so a letter that can’t be delivered can find its way home.

Can’t read an address? Take the envelope to your post office — post office staff are used to international addresses and handwriting.

Before you post it

Seal it wellIf you’re not sure the envelope’s glue will hold, add a strip of tape.
Mark it airmailUse an airmail sticker from the post office, or write “Airmail / Par Avion”. Surface (sea) mail is cheaper but can take months.
Weigh itInternational postage is charged by weight. Anything more than a couple of sheets is worth weighing at the post office.
Parcels need a customs formAnything other than paper usually needs a customs declaration. Ask your post office which form to use.
Check what’s allowedMany countries ban seeds, food, liquids and batteries in the post. Never send cash.
Check your penpal’s countryPostal services differ, and some are sometimes suspended. See our post guidelines by country
Post guidelines for every country. How to address a letter, delivery times, postage, postcodes, customs rules and anything currently suspended — for your penpal’s country. Free for everyone. See post guidelines

Keep your address safe

Keep the envelopes your penpals send you until you’ve saved their address — sometimes it’s the only place you’ll find it. If you’d rather not share your home address, or worry that your letterbox isn’t secure, you can rent a post office box and use that as your postal address instead.

On Global Penfriends, always swap addresses with the Address button, never by typing them into a message. How to swap addresses safely.

After you post it

Log your letter on the site so your penpal knows it’s on its way, and they can mark it received when it arrives. International post can take anything from a week to several weeks, so be patient. How to log your post.

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