Addresses around the world
How to Write an International Shipping Address
Step-by-step guidance for writing an address on an overseas parcel: line order, country name, postal code, phone number and common slips.
Updated 14 October 2026 · 2 min read
Writing an address for an overseas parcel is mainly a matter of copying carefully and following the destination's conventions. These steps work for most destinations.
Step by step
- Get the address from the recipient. Ask for it as text, in the form they use, with the postal code.
- Write the recipient's name on the first line, exactly as it is on their ID or letterbox.
- Write the building and street in the order the destination uses.
- Add unit, floor or entrance details where relevant.
- Add the locality, city, region and postal code in the destination's order.
- Write the country on its own last line, in capitals, in the language of the origin country's postal staff.
- Add a phone number and an email if the form allows.
Do not translate the address
Place names, streets and districts should be left as the recipient writes them. Translating them can make a valid address unrecognisable. Only the country name is usually written in the sender's language.
Be careful with abbreviations
Use only abbreviations that are standard at the destination. Spell out anything you are not sure about. For region names, see state, province and region in addresses.
Keep the lines clean
- No extra commas or decorative punctuation.
- No full stops after abbreviations if the destination does not use them.
- Keep the country line in capitals, on its own line, as in step 6.
- Do not put the return address near the destination address.
Customs paperwork
The address on the label and the address on any customs form must match. See customs forms and addresses.
Where the address is weak
If the recipient's address has no number, no street name or is hard to describe, add a precise location. A UPCS code, for instance, can be written on a separate line below the address or included in the delivery notes, as an extra for the courier. It does not replace the address. See exact-location codes for ambiguous addresses.
Summary
Copy the address exactly, follow the destination's order, write the country clearly and add a phone number. The rest is checking.
Frequently asked questions
In what language should I write an international address?
Write it in the form the recipient provides. A Latin-letter version is helpful if the destination uses another script, and the country name should be clear to the origin country's staff.
Should I include a phone number?
Yes. A contact number lets the carrier resolve problems quickly, and customs or couriers may require it.