Countries
Germany Postal Codes and Addressing Guide
How German Postleitzahlen and addresses work, how street and house numbers are written, and how a UPCS DE code complements a German address.
Updated 14 October 2026 · 3 min read
Germany uses a five-digit postal code called the Postleitzahl, usually abbreviated PLZ. It is written before the town name, and the street name comes before the house number, which is the reverse of what English speakers often expect.
How German postal codes work
The PLZ is a purely numeric code of five digits. The first digits group the code into broad regions of the country, and the remaining digits narrow it down to a town, a part of a large city or a delivery district. Small towns commonly have a single PLZ, while large cities have many. Some very large recipients, such as companies or authorities that receive a lot of mail, can have a PLZ of their own.
The current five-digit system dates from the period after German reunification, when a single system replaced the previous separate ones. The format is described in detail in Germany postal code format explained.
How addresses are written
A German address is written with the recipient first, then the street and house number, then the PLZ and town. The country name is added only for mail from abroad. Conventions on additions such as floors, rear buildings and c/o lines are covered in how to write a German address correctly.
How UPCS codes work in Germany
UPCS generates a short code for an exact location chosen on a map. For Germany the code begins with DE, followed by two blocks of letters and digits, for example DE-XXXX-XXXX (placeholder only). Each code stands for a 3 m x 3 m grid cell, and the same coordinates always give the same code.
A UPCS code is not an official postal code and it is not issued by Deutsche Post or any German authority. It does not replace the PLZ or the street address. It is an optional addition that helps someone open the precise entrance, courtyard gate or pick-up point on a map.
Why the PLZ alone is not always enough
A PLZ identifies a delivery district, and a single street name or house number can still be reached through several entrances, courtyards or rear buildings. That is why German carriers also rely on the name on the doorbell and on written delivery notes, and why an exact map point can be a useful extra when an address is hard to read.
In this guide
Four more pages follow. Postal code format explains the structure of the PLZ. Address format covers the line order and German-specific details. Finding a PLZ shows how to look one up and check it. Delivery and addressing challenges describes typical problems such as rear buildings and shared entrances. You can also browse the countries hub for other places.
In this guide
Frequently asked questions
Is a UPCS code the same as a German Postleitzahl?
No. The Postleitzahl is the official five-digit postal code used for mail sorting. A UPCS code is a separate code for an exact 3 m x 3 m location and is not issued by any postal operator or government.
What prefix do UPCS codes in Germany use?
They start with DE, for example DE-XXXX-XXXX in the standard CC-XXXX-XXXX layout.