Military address use the same basic fields we know for personal addresses. There is a bit of a twist… The city, state, and Zip Code are special for military shipments and the details such as name and address are critical.
Name = Service Member’s Name: Person’s full name
Mail MUST be addressed to an actual person or it won’t be delivered. Soldier, Any Service Member, etc. is not allowed. Rank/grade/rating are not required and should be skipped if sending to a DPO (example: CPT for Captain)
Army: Unit [Number] Box [Number]
Air Force: PSC [Number] Box [Number]
Navy: Ship [Number] Hull [Number]
Embassy: Unit [Number] Box [Number]
Military Post Office: APO/FPO/DPO/MPO
APO: Army Post Office – Associated with Army or Air Force installations
FPO: Fleet Post Office – Associated with Navy installations and ships
DPO: Diplomatic Post Office – Associated with U.S. diplomatic locations/overseas embassies
Armed Forces: AA/AP/AE, the mail processing facilities that get your mail to and from each military location.
AA: America – Excludes Canada
AP: Pacific – Japan, Korea, Pacific Islands, and Far East
AE: Europe – The Middle East, Africa, and Canada
Zip Codes for correlating State for Armed Forces
Europe/Atlantic: AE, Zip Codes start with 090-092 and 094-099
Iraq/Afghanistan/Middle East: AE, Zip Codes start with 093
Japan/Korea/Pacific Islands/Far East: AP, Zip Codes start with 962-966
Central America/South America/ Caribbean: AA, Zip Codes start with 340
Addresses are laid out differently depending on the service branch. The USPS says each shipment to an APO, FPO, or DPO should include the recipients name, rank, and, unit. Mail addressed to soldier or any service member won’t be delivered for security reasons.
Army
Unit [Number] Box [Number]
Air Force
PSC [Number] Box [Number]
Navy
Ship [Number] Hull [Number]
Embassy
Unit [Number] Box [Number]
CPT ERIC C. COLE
PSC 3 BOX 4121
APO AE 09021
SEAMAN JOSEPH R. SMITH
UNIT 1001 BOX 4120
FPO AP 96691
SUSAN S. SMITH
UNIT 8400 BOX 122
DPO AE 09498-0048
When you ship your package from a post office it goes to the International Service Center to transition to the military mail stream.
Because with military packages you are only paying domestic rates to one of these locations. Once they are at a military post office packages have to be sorted and redistributed again. Here are some average shipping times for USPS shipments.
EUROPE / ATLANTIC (APO / FPO AE ZIP™ Codes beginning with 090-092 and 094–099)
Express Mail® Military Service 3 Days
First-Class Mail® / Priority Mail® Service 7–19 Days
Package Services* 30-45 Days
IRAQ / AFGHANISTAN / MIDDLE EAST (APO / FPO AE ZIP™ Codes beginning with 093)
Express Mail® Military Service Not Available
First-Class Mail® / Priority Mail® Service 7–13 Days
Package Services* 20–24 Days
JAPAN / KOREA / PACIFIC ISLANDS / FAR EAST (APO / FPO AP ZIP™ Codes beginning with 962–966)
Express Mail® Military Service 3 Days
First-Class Mail® / Priority Mail® Service 7–9 Days
Package Services* 30–45 Day
CENTRAL AMERICA / SOUTH AMERICA / CARIBBEAN (APO / FPO AA ZIP™ Codes beginning with 340)
Express Mail® Military Service Not Available
First-Class Mail® / Priority Mail® Service 7–9 Days
Package Services(*) 18–21 Days
AFRICA
Express Mail® Military Service Not Available
First-Class Mail® / Priority Mail® Service 15 – 18Days
* Ground delivery service for U.S. addresses, including PO boxes and military addresses.
Be sure you know what can and can’t be sent overseas.
General prohibited items include:
The best way to know what is prohibited is to use this Military Restricted Items Link:
https://postcalc.usps.com/militaryrestrictions
Enter the deployment Zip Code in the box and you’ll get a list of restricted items specific to the deployment location.
Package cannot exceed 70 pounds
Length + Girth cannot exceed 108 inches
Length is the measurement of the longest side and girth is the distance around the thickest part (perpendicular to length).
DRINKS & SAUCES | FOOD & SNACKS | HYGIENE & PERSONAL ITEMS | GAMES & MISC. |
---|---|---|---|
Coffee (check for restrictions) | Healthy snacks | Shampoo | Books (non religious) |
Teas | Dried fruits | Conditioner | Magazines (current) |
Cocoa | Nuts | Soap | Games |
Apple cider packets | Trail mix | Body wash | Card games |
Sugar | Beef jerky (check for restrictions) | Shaving cream (non-aerosol) | Puzzles |
Stevia packets | Granola bars | Razors | Note Pads |
Nondairy creamer | Protein bars | Lotion | Blank note cards |
International coffee creamers (single serve) | Sunflower Seeds | Deodorant (stick is best- no aerosols) | Adult coloring books |
MIO | Pumpkin Seeds | Baby wipes | Cards to send out (birthday, holiday, etc.) |
Lemonade | Chips (if canister list Pringles) | Body powder/Gold Bond | Pens |
Kool Aid | Crackers | Toothpaste | Pencils (regular & colored) |
Crystal Light | Cookies | Toothbrushes | Music CD's |
BBQ sauce | Ramen noodles | Dental floss | Movies |
Taco sauces | Instant oatmeal | Mouthwash (no alcohol) | Balls (football, baseball, etc.) |
Hot sauces | Microwave mac & cheese | Tissues | Frisbees or small toys |
Mayonnaise | Microwave popcorn | Lip balm with sunscreen | Alkaline batteries (limited quantity original packaging) |
Ketchup | Tuna & chicken pouches (check for restrictions | Sunscreen (SPF 50) | Notes and reminders of home |
Mustard (single serve or plastic) | Life Savers, mint | Visine | Hats |
Jelly (single serve or in plastic) | Candy | Feminine products | Cotton socks (black or white) |
Peanut butter (single serve or in plastic) | Gum | Shoe insoles | Pillow cases |
Apple sauce (single serve or in plastic) | Moleskin/Band-Aids | Blankets | |
Pudding cups (single serve or in plastic) | Wet weather items | Hand and foot warmers | |
Winter socks (military green, black – Meet Reg 670-1) | |||
Sunglasses (Wiley X – Regulation only) |
Customs Forms: Required for all military packages.
Your Customs Form is included on your label when you use our shipping tools, so you skip the forms.
PS FORM 2976
Under 1 LBS
PS FORM 2976-A
Over 1 LBS
Drop Offs: You can drop you package off at any Post Office or request a pick up.
January 2019 Customs Form Update: People who ship to military destinations at USPS retail locations using hard copy customs forms (2976, 2976-A, 2976-B), will be requested to use the 2976-R. The Postal Clerk will be required to enter the data into the postal service systems. Source: Director, Global Trade Compliance, USPS Headquarters