![\"international-address-perfect\"](\"https:\/\/shippingeasy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/international-address-perfect.png\")
<\/p>\nInternational shipping is a bit of an enigma in that it\u2019s very simple and easy to do, yet with so many strict rules, things can go wrong — which can cause headaches. In this post, we\u2019re going to go over five tips for properly formatting the address on an international label to make sure every international shipment arrives at its final destination quickly with no delays\u00a0or errors.<\/p>\n
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The international address is made up of 4 sections: name, street address, city\/province\/postal code, and country. Each of these 4 sections has specific rules and requirements that if not met can invalidate your label and even prevent delivery.<\/p>\n
Surprise! The 4 sections make up the remaining 4 tips.<\/p>\n
While not always required to have first\/middle\/last, getting the full name of the recipient that follows what is on their government issued ID for the country they live in will greatly increase the likelihood of them receiving their package. Sending and even receiving internationally shipped orders to a name that sounds fake or has no relation to the destination address can cause suspicion at that country\u2019s customs office or post office.<\/p>\n
Your customer may have to pick up the shipment from the customs office. Making sure the name matches their ID, simplifies pick-up!<\/p>\n
One thing to note as well: if the address also contains a company name, it may be added to the recipient\u2019s name on the label. There are character limits per address line and in order to meet those requirements, some information may be combined.<\/p>\n
The second section of an international label is for the street address of the recipient. If the recipient\u2019s address has an apartment or suite number for Address Line 2, your label will go from 4 lines to 5 lines.<\/p>\n
Different carriers, countries, and shipping apps have their own rules for address length so the entire address fits on the label. For example, in ShippingEasy, there is a 27 character limit for USPS International shipments on these two lines. So, if your recipient\u2019s address is long, try shortening things like West to W and Street to St.<\/p>\n
This part is important, as many people leave off the Province for the country they\u2019re sending a package to. While not required by all countries, it helps that country\u2019s local post office make the final delivery. One more way to shorten delivery time!<\/p>\n
Countries that definitely require a province on the address: USA (states), Canada, Australia (states), Brazil, Japan. There is a great chance your package won\u2019t make it if you don\u2019t include the province for these countries.<\/p>\n
Bonus tip: if this address line is too long, recognize that the province may have an abbreviation. For example, \u201cNew South Wales\u201d in Australia should be entered as \u201cNSW\u201d and \u201cNova Scotia\u201d in Canada should be entered as \u201cNS\u201d.<\/p>\n
Similarly, not all countries have postal codes \u2013 but most carriers require them anyway. When you come across an address that doesn\u2019t have a postal code, but your shipping app is asking for one, just enter zeros.<\/p>\n
Just putting the country seems simple enough; unfortunately, there\u2019s room for errors, but your shipping app should abide by these rules so you don\u2019t have to remember them.<\/p>\n
Listed out, make sure that:<\/p>\n
Getting any one of these wrong can actually invalidate the address.<\/p>\n
While this might seem too simple for some, missing even one piece of the international address puzzle can invalidate a package and cause a timely shipment to be greatly delayed, resulting in lower customer satisfaction. Get your label right the first time and you\u2019ll feel like international shipping is just as easy as domestic.<\/p>\n
A quick reference cheat sheet list:<\/p>\n
International shipping is a bit of an enigma in that it\u2019s very simple and easy to do, yet with so many strict rules, things can go wrong — which can […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":12548,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[75,12,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-international-shipping","category-shipping"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n