Mailing Services: Outgoing Mail

International Mail

Mail addressed to countries outside of the United States must have the address typed or printed in Roman capital letters and Arabic numerals. The complete address must include name, house number, street address or box number, city, province, postal code (if known,) and country. The last item shown in the address must be the country name --in capitals and not abbreviated.

Addressed written in Russian, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, or Chinese must be interlined with an English translation of the destination, post office, province and country. It is recommended that addresses written in other languages also include an English translation of the destination country.

International letters should be placed in red and blue border AIR MAIL envelopes to ensure the best possible handling by both the Mailing Services Department and the U.S. Postal Service.

International rates and regulations vary widely from country to country. There are two methods of transporting international mail: International Air and International Surface. There are generally five types of rates, which fall under each of these methods of transport. Not all countries have all rates, and specific size and weight restrictions for each type vary with the destination country.

The types of rates available are described below:

1. Letters and letter packages--includes all letters and most flat.

2. Parcel Post--includes parcels and packages.

3. regular printed matter-printed material, non-personal in nature and not hand- or typewritten (such as manuscripts).

4. Books and sheet music.

5. Small packet--small quantities of merchandise or non-personalized documents.

When mailing international pieces (not letter size), please indicate what is inside the piece and when it has to arrive. Mailing Services can then determine the most economical method of mailing.

NOTE: In general, Mailing Services will not use Surface Mail for international mailings unless specifically requested by the sending department. Although these rates are appreciably less expensive, transit time is quite long--often up to two months. If time is not a concern, Surface Mail does reduce postage cost by as much as 75% and is worth considering.