Countries Without a Postcode System

Postcodes are very common, but they are not universal. Some countries have no nationwide postal code system, and others have introduced one only recently or only partly.

Why some places do not have one

There are several reasons, which differ by country:

• the number of addresses is small enough that sorting by town works
• delivery relies on PO boxes or pick-up at a post office rather than home delivery
• building and street data are incomplete, so a code system would be hard to base on addresses
• the cost of creating and maintaining a system was not seen as worth it

Whether a system exists is not a measure of how developed a country is; each place makes its own decision.

How addresses work instead

Without a postal code, the address relies on other elements:

• the recipient name
• a building name or number and a street, where streets are named
• a district or neighbourhood
• the town or city
• sometimes a landmark or description, such as "near the market"
• a PO box number for people who collect mail

The key is the town name, which sorting staff use to route mail. See postcodes for PO boxes.

Implications for online forms

International shops should not insist on a postcode for every country. A required postcode field will block customers who simply have none. Good forms allow it to be left blank where the country does not use one; see postcode formats in online forms.

Implications for delivery

Couriers in such places rely on phone calls, local knowledge and landmarks. This is where an exact map position adds clear value. See why postcodes cannot pinpoint exact locations for the limits even of countries with a system.

A complement, not a substitute for a national system

UPCS can generate an exact-location code for a point in any of its supported countries, which can accompany an address where no postcode exists. It is not an official postal code, it is not issued by any government and it does not replace the national postal system. For more on this role, read how exact-location codes complement postcodes. The wider background of addressing is covered in the guides hub.