Parcels and letters

Many everyday items you wouldn’t think twice about sending can’t be sent in the post. Before sending an item, you must check the restriction list for the country you’re posting to.

If you're sending your item at Post Office, you'll be asked about the contents of your parcel at the counter. We promise we’re not being nosey. It's to make sure the items are safe to post. If you send prohibited or restricted goods in your parcel, the carrier may deal with it as they see fit, which might involve disposing of or destroying it.

For UK post, address your parcel in the same way you'd address a letter. Write or print the addresses clearly, don't cover any part of the label, and use ink that doesn't smear so all the relevant information is easy to check.

International mail follows the same address format as a UK letter with the addition of a country. You'll need to use the full address, including the zip code or postcode, and write the country on the last line of the address in English using capital letters. Please don't use country abbreviations such as FR for FRANCE. You must include the correct address to make sure it reaches its destination.

Choose a box that’s the right size for the job. If you’re reusing a box, make sure it’s free from damage, especially at the corners and along folds. It’s better to buy a box that’s too big than one that’s too small and use packing materials to fill any empty space. Your item should fit as snuggly as possible so it’s secure and doesn’t move around. If the item is delicate or easily breakable, you should consider using bubble wrap.

Custom forms are mandatory for all gifts and goods sent outside the UK from England, Scotland or Wales. If posting from Northern Ireland, they're only needed for non-EU destinations, except the UK. They help local customs authorities identify if items you’re sending internationally are allowed into their destination country and calculate any duties or taxes due.

Goods and gifts sent with Royal Mail international services valued under £270 will require a CN22 customs form.

Goods and gifts sent with Royal Mail international services valued over £270 will require a CN23 customs form.

Goods and gifts sent with Parcelforce Worldwide services will require a CP72 customs form regardless of the item value.

All customs details for Royal Mail, Evri and DPD services bought through Parcels Online are filled in during the online booking process.

To make sure your package arrives at its destination, please complete all custom form information correctly. Any mail with incomplete or missing customs forms is likely to be returned to the sender.

There are lots of reasons to request parcel tracking when you send an item. Its contents might be urgent or valuable, or you may simply want to know it arrived safely. Having the ability to track your parcels means you can always check their whereabouts wherever in the UK or overseas you send them, and whichever carriers you choose to handle delivery.

When you use Royal Mail, Evri and DPD services via Parcels Online, you'll get a tracking number. You'll receive this by email, find it in your order history if you have an account, and it will be on your Post Office receipt.

Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide can only be tracked if you've bought a service with a tracking or reference number. You'll need the reference number on your Post Office receipt to track your items.

If you bought Royal Mail, Evri or DPD services through Parcels Online, they're fully tracked.

Royal Mail's International Tracking and Signature services provide different levels of tracking. Please check the service details to see what tracking it offers before entering the tracking number into the Royal Mail tracking tool.

Parcelforce Worldwide's international globalpriority and globalexpress services are fully tracked. Enter the tracking number into the Parcelforce Worldwide tracking tool to locate your parcel.

Follow the instructions given by the vendor on either their website or on the delivery note included with your item. Many offer a free returns service you can use at the Post Office. Or you can pay to return your item at any of our branches.

Make sure the item is correctly packaged and addressed with the correct returns label included. Then bring it into branch and we’ll give you a Certificate of Posting to confirm you’ve posted it back to the retailer.

Printer-less returns are available with selected retailers. You can bring a QR code into branch with your correctly packaged items and we’ll print the returns label for you (check with your retailer for availability).

Lots of items are free to return, but there are some exceptions. If you do need to pay, our price finder tool can help you find the most affordable option.

We recommend you check with your retailer to see if they provide this option.

If you don’t have the original product packaging, use packaging which has a suitable strength and thickness for the size and weight of the goods being posted. You can find more information within our guide on how to pack a parcel.

Just speak to us when you’re in branch. We’ll be happy to help.