Addresses: International addresses

On this page

• Background information on international addresses
• Elements of an international address
• Mail going to the United States (U.S.)
  • Street, municipality and state
  • Zip code
  • Country (USA)
  • Examples of U.S. mailing addresses
• Mail going to countries other than Canada and the U.S.
  • Street and municipality
  • Country
  • Examples of mailing addresses for countries other than Canada and the U.S.
• Additional information

Background information on international addresses

The precise format for mailing addresses varies from country to country. For that reason, this article provides general guidelines only.

For specific information on correct address format for countries belonging to the Universal Postal Union (UPU), see the section “Postal addressing systems in member countries and/or territories” on the UPU web page “Addressing Solutions” (opens in new tab).

Elements of an international address

The receiver’s address on an envelope or parcel or on the first page of a letter (the inside address) should be no longer than six lines and should contain at least the following elements:

• the receiver’s name
• the building number and street name
• the name of the municipality and of the state or province (where applicable), together with the postal code or zip code
• the name of the country

Mail going to the United States (U.S.)

The guidelines below explain how to format an address on mail going to the U.S.

Street, municipality and state

Write the name of the street and the municipality in full, entirely in English, so that the information can be understood by U.S. postal workers. The municipality name, followed by the two-letter postal abbreviation for the state (written in capitals), should appear on the second-last line of the address. In an address within a letter or other document, the municipality and state are separated by a comma. On an envelope or parcel, however, the comma is omitted, and only a space separates the municipality and state.

For a complete list of the state abbreviations, see the section “U.S. state, territory, and possession abbreviations” in Canada Post’s addressing guidelines (opens in new tab) (on the “Symbols and abbreviations” page).

Zip code

The zip code, which may consist of either five or nine digits, is the U.S. equivalent of a Canadian postal code. Place the zip code two spaces after the abbreviation for the state. In the case of a nine-digit code, use a hyphen to separate the first five digits from the last four. Don’t put any punctuation between the state and the zip code.

Country (USA)

Put the country name by itself in capitals on the last line of the address. In Canada, you may write the country name in either English or French (since a country name needs to be understood by those sorting the mail at the point of dispatch).

When written in English in a mailing address, the name of the United States is abbreviated as USA.

Examples of U.S. mailing addresses

The table below shows examples of addresses on mail going to the U.S.

Examples of addresses on mail going to the U.S.

Address in a letter or other document	Address on an envelope or parcel
Vonnie Brown 1432 Maple Road Baton Rouge, LA  70808 USA	VONNIE BROWN 1432 MAPLE ROAD BATON ROUGE LA  70808 USA
[Company Name] 204 2nd Avenue South, Suite 220 St. Petersburg, FL  33701-4313 USA	[COMPANY NAME] 204 2ND AVE SOUTH SUITE 220 ST. PETERSBURG FL  33701-4313 USA

For more detailed information on the format for U.S. addresses on envelopes and parcels, see the page “U.S. addresses” in Canada Post’s addressing guidelines (opens in new tab).

You can also consult the page “Postal Addressing Standards” on the United States Postal Service website (opens in new tab).

Mail going to countries other than Canada and the U.S.

For mail going to countries other than Canada and the U.S., most elements of the receiver’s address should be in the language spoken in the destination country.

Street and municipality

Write the names of the street and the municipality in the language of the destination country, so that the information can be understood by postal workers in that country.

Country

Put the name of the country by itself on the last line of the address. Write the name in full, entirely in capitals, in English or French, so that it can be understood by those sorting the mail at the point of dispatch.

Examples of mailing addresses for countries other than Canada and the U.S.

The table below shows examples of mailing addresses for countries other than Canada and the U.S.

Examples of addresses on mail going to other countries

Address in a letter or other document	Address on an envelope or parcel
Susanna Paola Viale Albini 13 24100 Bergamo ITALY	SUSANNA PAOLA VIALE ALBINI 13 24100 BERGAMO ITALY
Hotel Irgendwas Muhlgasse 30 A-2320 Wien-Schwechat AUSTRIA	HOTEL IRGENDWAS MUHLGASSE 30 A-2320 WIEN-SCHWECHAT AUSTRIA

For more detailed information on the format for foreign addresses on envelopes and parcels, see the page “International addresses” in Canada Post’s addressing guidelines (opens in new tab).

Additional information

• Correspondence and addresses – Guidelines and resources
• Addresses: Addresses in letters or other documents
• Addresses: Addresses on envelopes and parcels

Other resources

• Addressing Solutions (opens in new tab) (Universal Postal Union)
• Addressing guidelines (opens in new tab) (Canada Post)
• Postal Addressing Standards (opens in new tab) (United States Postal Service)