How to send a letter UK| Post Office® (2023)

These days, people usually send letters because they’re important. Make sure you’ve got it right

Whatever the reason you’re sending a letter – whether it’s an important document or a heartfelt message to someone special – we know it’s important that it arrives on time. Here’s how to make sure of that

Guide

Step 1: Check you can post

Some items are prohibited

A few items that you might not think twice about are prohibited from being sent by post, including lottery tickets. Read the full list of restricted and prohibited items so that you can be sure you’re posting legally and safely.

Step 2: Choose an envelope

When mailing a letter, postage cost depends on the size and shape of the mail piece

There are envelopes available for a variety of important documents as well as foldable letters. You can get any of them in your local branch.

Step 3: Address your Mail

Think of it as ordering the info smallest to largest, followed by postcode. So the addressee goes first, then their house name/number and street name, locality (if necessary), town/city, county (if necessary) and postcode. Align left

Getting your delivery address right is crucial. If you're not sure of the address you're sending to - whether an entire address or just part of one - use a digital maps service or search engine like Google or Apple Maps to fill out the remaining details.

Here’s how the addressshould be laid out:

Name of recipient
House name/number and street
Locality

(if relevant)
Village/town/city

(if the address is very remote but is near a village or town, you can put “Nr” followed by the nearest named area, but this is usually unnecessary)
County

(again, this is usually unnecessary if you have the town and postcode)
Postcode

(print all letters in capitals)

Step 4: Weigh your letter

The size and weight of a letter will also determine the type of postage you’ll need to attach

Step 5: Choose a postage option

Choose your postage depending on how soon you want your letter to arrive and whether you need it to be tracked and signed for

The size of your letter and speed and security you need to send it with will determine what kind of postage you’ll need, and so the price you’ll pay. There are two different sizes of letter which are called “letter” and “large letter”.

• Letters have a max width of 16.5 centimetres, a max length of 24cm and a max depth of 0.5cm.

• Large letters have a max width of 25cm, a max length of 35.3cm and a max depth of 2.5cm. Weight also becomes more important with large letters.

You can send letters by 1st class or 2nd class post. Letters sent 1st class are usually delivered in one working day and those sent 2nd class within 3 days, but neither are guaranteed.

We also provide postage options for items you need to guarantee to arrive before a specific time. Called Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9am® and Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm®, these guarantee delivery by 9am and 1pm the next working day respectively.

Use our postage price finderto find a preferred method and price for sending your letter

Step 6: Place your stamp/ postage sticker on your envelope

The days of licking stamps are over. Just peel your stamp and stick it in the top, right-hand corner of your letter

You’ll need your stamp to be clearly visible, not bent over an edge and on the same face of your parcel as the address. Many stamps contain barcodes to assist in tracking, so it’s important that the stamp is flat and easy to scan. We’ve got a guide to help you attach your stamps perfectly

Step 7: Post your letter

If you’ve got the right stamp and your address is correct, you can head over to your nearest post box

Or pop in to see us at your local branch. We’re on hand to help with any of your queries, help you find the right postage and get your package on its way.

Example

Here’s an example of how to address and stamp your post. You’ll see that the address is on the left-hand side of the item while the stamp is in the top right-hand corner. We know that sometimes, especially if you’re reusing packaging, this isn’t always 100% possible. But get as close as you can and make sure that the address is clearly legible and the stamp clearly visible.

How to address mail

Send parcels from a local Post Office

Let’s find the nearest one to you.

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Key Available Services

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