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International Mail

How an international piece of mail is addressed has a great impact on whether it is delivered on time, or delivered at all. The U.S. Postal Service requests that the last line of an international address be the country of destination in all caps (in English). Every country has its own unique addressing format and postal code that must also be used. Language differences increase the chances of poor delivery. A sample of how to address foreign mail is as follows:

MR THOMAS CLARK
117 RUSSELL DRIVE
LONDON WIP6HQ
ENGLAND

Mail Services must properly complete necessary export documents; therefore, please inform Mail Services concerning the contents of all large envelopes and boxes, that contain more than just documents. Because foreign post offices are responsible for delivery of international mail, it is difficult to estimate how long a letter will take to reach a certain destination. Some countries have very good postal systems, and others, such as Italy and Canada, have very poor ones. Some guidelines to follow are as follows:

  • Express Mail - 1 to 5 days
  • First Class Letters (Air Mail) - 1 to 12 days
  • Air Printed Matter - 7 to 15 days
  • Air Parcel Post - 7 to 17 days
  • Surface Printed Matter - 2 to 5 weeks
  • Surface Parcel Post - 2 to 6 weeks

These are just estimates of travel times and cannot be relied on in all cases. The actual time depends on the city and country destination. Of course, things such as weather and strikes often play a role in the delivery of international mail.

Express Mail, Air Letter Mail, Air Printed Matter, Air Parcel Post, Surface Letter Mail, Surface Printed Matter, and Surface Parcel Post are all available with international mail. Special services such as Registered Mail, Insured Mail, Special Delivery, and Return Receipts are also available. The restrictions regarding the various services available for international mail are too numerous to list.

If you have any questions regarding international mail, please call Evanston Mail Services at 847/491-7227 or Chicago Mail Services at 312/503-9162.