How to Address Mail to the UK
Try our shipping calculator
If you’re sending mail to the UK, find out how to write a UK address from the USA with our simple to follow guide, and find the cheapest way to ship to the UK using our clever shipping calculator.
UK address format
If you’re sending a package to England, you can avoid delays and the risk of your parcel getting lost by ensuring it is addressed correctly.
To demonstrate how to write a UK address from overseas, we’ve provided an example of a US address next to a UK address, so you can see the difference.
UK address format example
| US address example | UK address format |
|---|---|
|
Mrs Smith 813 Howard Street Oswego NY 13126 USA |
Mrs Smith 71 Cherry Court SOUTHAMPTON SO53 5PD UK
|
How to write a UK address
Step 1
After the recipient’s name, you need to write their house name or number and the street name. In our example, it’s 71 Cherry Court.
Some addresses may have a house or building name. If the property has a name this should be on one line after the recipient’s name, then the street name should go on the next line.
If you’re sending to a business address, put the company name underneath the recipient's name.
Step 2
Unlike an American address, where the town, state and ZIP code appear on the same line, the town and postcode is written on separate lines for a UK address.
On the line after the street name, you need to write the town or city, followed by the postcode on the next line. For clarity, the town and postcode should be written in capital letters.
Step 3
Finally, write the destination country. This seems obvious, but it’s amazing how many people forget! It's best practice to write this in capital letters too.
Why use
Compare, book and send parcels using discounted parcel delivery services. Save time & money with Parcel Monkey.
- We’ll help you to find the right courier service
- We’ll help you save time & money
- We compare prices for shipping to over 240 destinations
- We compare prices for pickup & drop-off services
- We've got over 4,300 independent reviews
Try our shipping calculator:
London address format
If you’re sending a package to London, you should follow the same UK address format as above, making sure you include the correct London postcode.
London postcodes are used to divide London into geographic areas, these are West London, Central London, East London, North London and South London. This is segregated further into South West, South East, North West, West Central and East Central.
You can tell which part of London an address appears in by the postcode. For example, the address for Buckingham Palace is:
Buckingham Palace
London
SW1A 1AA
The SW stands for South West London, while the numbers and letters after that refine it further to the street address. Most of the time, the first 4 letters and numbers will be enough, however, if you have the full postcode it’s always a good idea to use it.
Quick tips: How to address mail to the UK
- Write the town and postal code on separate lines
- No commas or full stops
- Left align the text
- Include your return address
- Use a font or handwriting that is easy to read and clear
- Use a pen or ink that is clear to see against the colour of your envelope or parcel
- Use our shipping calculator to calculate the correct postage
Sending a package to the UK?
If you’re sending a parcel to the UK, Parcel Monkey can help you find a courier service that will ship your package to the UK at an affordable price.
Simply enter the weight, dimensions and destination of your parcel into the Parcel Monkey shipping calculator to receive a list of discounted prices from reputable couriers, such as USPS, DHL and UPS. Select the service that’s best for you, print out your shipping label and you’re good to go!
Related links: