If you move abroad and file a change of address at a Post Office before you leave, USPS can forward part of your mail overseas. Only some First-Class Mail and Priority Mail letters and postcards cross the border. Magazines, advertising mail, packages and mail sent with extra services are not forwarded abroad.
The rules come from two USPS rulebooks. Forwarding is covered by the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM). The International Mail Manual (IMM) covers mail that leaves the country. We quote both below, and we link to each section in the sources at the end.
Which mail USPS forwards to a foreign address
The DMM sorts forwarding by mail class. The class decides whether a piece can follow you to another country. The table below puts the rules for a move abroad in one place.
| Type of mail | Forwarded to a foreign address? | What the rule says |
|---|---|---|
| First-Class Mail and Priority Mail postcards and unregistered letters | Yes, with conditions | DMM 507.1.5.1: the piece must not appear to contain merchandise. The sender must not have printed "Return Service Requested," or "Change Service Requested" under option 1. |
| Mail with Certified, insured, Registered Mail, USPS Tracking, Signature Confirmation or Adult Signature service | No | DMM 507.2.3.7: "forwarded to a domestic address only" |
| Periodicals, such as magazines and newsletters | No | DMM 507.1.5.2 and IMM 762.12: returned to the sender after a move abroad |
| USPS Marketing Mail (advertising mail) | No | DMM 507.1.5.3 and IMM 762.12: returned to the sender after a move abroad |
| Package Services and Parcel Select | No | DMM 507.1.5.4: forwarded only to domestic addresses. IMM 762.12: Package Services returned to the sender after a move abroad |
| Priority Mail Express | No | DMM 507.1.5.5: "forwarded only to domestic addresses" |
The extra services row matters most for founders. Legal papers and some state notices arrive by Certified Mail or with a signature requirement. Under DMM 507.2.3.7, USPS will not send those pieces to an address outside the US.
IMM 762.12 states the rule for a move abroad directly. Periodicals, USPS Marketing Mail and Package Services sent to someone who "has moved to another country must not be forwarded to another country but must be returned to the sender."
Our comparison of mail forwarding and a virtual mailbox covers how forwarding works inside the US, including how long each class is forwarded.
Is there an extra charge to forward letters abroad?
Some guides say USPS forwards mail overseas for a high fee. The manual's text for letters says something different. IMM 762.11 says letters and postcards can be sent on to you in another country, and "Letters and cards are forwarded without prepayment of additional postage."
The rule says you do not prepay extra postage. We did not find a rule that says the trip is free from end to end. The destination country's own post office may have its own charges for moving mail inside that country.
What about military addresses overseas?
A military move to a military post office address (APO, FPO or DPO) follows a separate rule. Under DMM 507.2.2.6, "military authorities forward mail between the United States and those addresses." The same rule says "forwarding is limited to 60 days." The rule covers official change of station orders only.
How to file a change of address when you move abroad
USPS asks for an in-person visit for an international move. The USPS change of address page says you must file in person "if: You're moving outside the United States."
The same page sets the timing: "If you're going to move outside the United States, before you leave the U.S., you must go to a Post Office location to verify your identity and submit your change of address request in person."
The timing has a hard limit. In-person identity checks happen only "at Post Office locations in the 50 states and Puerto Rico." The page adds: "If you are outside of the U.S., you cannot verify your identity in-person and won't be able to submit a change of address with USPS." A founder who has already left may have no way to start forwarding from abroad.
Some mail will not follow you even with a valid order. The page says "mailers like government agencies and financial institutions do not allow forwarding of sensitive documents." The list includes identity documents, credit cards and bank statements. USPS also says "You are responsible for telling government agencies, companies, and any other senders that your address has changed."
For a founder, the safe order is to update each sender directly. A forwarding order then moves the letters that senders did not update.
Why a mailbox address works differently
A virtual mailbox is run by a commercial mail receiving agency (CMRA). A CMRA is the postal term for a business that receives mail for its customers. DMM 507.2.2.7 says mail addressed to a CMRA customer is not forwarded through USPS. The customer can arrange for the operator to remail it with new postage.
The remail step changes which rules apply. When an operator mails a letter from the US to another country, the letter becomes a new international mailing. The class limits for forwarding no longer decide what can go. Instead, the international rules for that mailing decide it, including the customs form rules.
The USPS customs forms page sets the main line. "You do not need a customs form if you're sending First-Class Mail International that weighs under 15.994 oz." The page adds that this mail "must contain only nonnegotiable documents or correspondence." The same page says "Everything else that you send to another country ... must have a customs form."
IMM 123.622 explains what counts as documents. The list includes "Audit and business records," "Personal correspondence," and "Money orders, checks, and similar items that cannot be negotiated or converted into cash without forgery." Documents do not include "digital and electronic storage media or devices such as CDs, DVDs, or flash drives."
IMM 123.621 adds a weight rule. If any item "weighs more than 16 ounces, the mailer must place a customs form on it, regardless of the content."
| What goes in the envelope | Customs form under USPS rules |
|---|---|
| Paper documents only, First-Class Mail International, under 15.994 ounces | None needed |
| Any item over 16 ounces | Required, whatever is inside |
| Merchandise, or a CD, DVD or flash drive | Required. First-Class Mail International cannot carry merchandise at all. |
| Priority Mail International | PS Form 2976-A on every item |
USPS names its forms in IMM 123.11. PS Form 2976 is the customs declaration known by the international code CN 22. The customs declaration and dispatch note known as CP 72 is PS Form 2976-A. PS Form 2976-R is a paper worksheet for the retail counter. Under IMM 123.11, customers "cannot use PS Form 2976-R as a stand-alone customs form."
If you are traveling abroad and coming back
A trip with a return date needs a different tool than a move. USPS offers four services for people who are away. Each one has a limit, and none of them sends a weekly bundle to a foreign address.
Hold Mail. DMM 508.11.1.1 says USPS can hold all mail at the Post Office "for not less than 3 days and not more than 30 days. There is no fee for this optional service." On the end date, you can pick up the held mail or have the carrier deliver it. The carrier delivers only what fits in your mailbox and leaves a notice for the rest. Mail not picked up within 10 days of the end date "will be returned to the sender or securely destructed." If you file a change of address while a hold is active, USPS cancels the hold and forwards the held mail.
Temporary change of address. Under DMM 507.2.1.3, a first temporary order runs from 15 to 185 days. A second order can extend it "up to a maximum of 12 months (364 days)." A temporary order is most useful when you have a US address to point it to, such as a family member's home.
Premium Forwarding Service Residential. The service ships all mail addressed to your primary address in a weekly Priority Mail shipment, for a fee. Under DMM 508.7.2.5, the service "is available only from and to domestic addresses." The same section excludes customers whose primary address is a CMRA.
General Delivery. Under DMM 508.6.4, each piece is held at a Post Office "for no more than 30 days," unless the sender asks for a shorter period. You collect it at the counter, and DMM 508.6.3 lets the Post Office ask for identification. Because you collect the mail in person at a US Post Office, General Delivery does not help while you are outside the country.
The table below sorts these options by the length of the trip.
| Your situation | USPS option that fits | Limit in the rules |
|---|---|---|
| Away for 30 days or less | Hold Mail | 3 to 30 days, then delivery or pickup within 10 days |
| Away longer, and someone can receive mail at a US address | Temporary change of address, or Premium Forwarding Service Residential | 15 to 185 days on a first order, up to 364 days in total. Premium Forwarding runs 2 weeks to 1 year, between US addresses only. |
| Moving around the US with no fixed address | General Delivery | 30 days per piece, collected at the counter |
| Abroad for months, with no US address to point mail to | A permanent change of address filed before you leave, or a mailbox address | Forwarding moves only some letters and postcards. A mailbox operator remails items with new postage. |
A checklist before you leave the US
The order of these steps matters, because some of them need you in the US.
- Open a mailbox address if you need one. Every US mailbox service needs a signed PS Form 1583 before it can receive mail for you. Signing from abroad has its own identity and witness questions, covered in what Form 1583 asks of a non-resident.
- File your change of address while you are still in the US. You can point it at the new mailbox address. The choices that come with that step are in USPS change of address to a virtual mailbox.
- Tell each sender yourself. Banks and government agencies may block forwarding of sensitive documents. Give them the new address directly.
- Check the destination country. Before you ask anyone to mail you items, check what that country refuses to accept. A letter with paper documents is the simplest item to send.
If you are comparing mailbox providers for life abroad, our grading of the biggest virtual mailbox services is sorted by reader type.
How an Auteur address fits
We sell virtual mailboxes, so this is the seller's view. Auteur is in pre-launch, and your exact street address is assigned the day your city opens.
Our fair use policy sets the price rule for forwarding: "Forwarding costs the actual carrier postage and nothing else." The policy does not list destination countries. If you live outside the US, ask us about your country before you rely on physical forwarding.
You do not have to forward most mail to read it. Both plans photograph the envelope of every piece as it arrives. We open and scan only when you ask, for one flat fee per piece. Henry, our AI assistant, explains each letter you ask us to open. Mail is stored for 30 days after it arrives, and we email you before anything is shredded or discarded.
The Virtual Mailing Address is for personal mail, in individual names only. The Virtual Business Address receives mail in a business or trade name, for a company that needs a mailing address. USPS Form 1583 is required before any provider can receive mail for you. Pricing comes by email with the next steps.
If you are moving abroad and need a US address for personal mail, choose the Virtual Mailing Address. If you run a US company from abroad, choose the Virtual Business Address. Ordering is free, there's no card, and nothing is charged today.
FAQ
Can USPS mail be forwarded internationally?
Yes, for some mail. Under DMM 507.1.5.1, First-Class Mail and Priority Mail postcards and unregistered letters can be forwarded to an international address. The piece must not appear to contain merchandise. Periodicals, Marketing Mail, Package Services and Priority Mail Express are forwarded only to domestic addresses.
What kind of mail cannot be forwarded overseas?
Magazines, advertising mail, packages and Priority Mail Express cannot be forwarded to a foreign address. Mail sent with Certified, insured, Registered Mail, USPS Tracking or signature service is forwarded to a domestic address only. Banks and government agencies may also block forwarding of sensitive documents.
Can I forward my mail while I am traveling?
If you have a US address to receive it, a temporary change of address or Premium Forwarding Service Residential can forward it for you. Premium Forwarding Service Residential works only between US addresses. For a trip of 30 days or less, Hold Mail keeps your mail at the Post Office for free.
How do you handle mail when traveling for months?
If your trip runs longer than 30 days, Hold Mail no longer fits. A temporary change of address to a US address can run up to 364 days. If you have no US address to use, a mailbox address lets you see your envelopes online and ask for specific items to be remailed.
Can I file a change of address after I have already left the US?
USPS says that if you are outside the US, you cannot verify your identity in person and won't be able to submit a change of address. For an international move, USPS asks you to file in person at a Post Office before you leave.
Bottom line
If you file a change of address at a Post Office before you move abroad, USPS forwards some First-Class Mail and Priority Mail letters and postcards to your new country. Magazines, advertising mail, packages and mail with extra services are returned or forwarded only inside the US. For short trips, Hold Mail covers up to 30 days. For a long stay abroad with no US address, a mailbox operator can remail items to you with new postage, under the same international and customs rules as any other mailing.
