How to address an envelope

DISCLAIMER: We celebrate the international scope of LetterMo. That said, a majority of our members are from the United States, including the author of this how-to-guide. The information in the post is primarily from the US Postal Service, and reflects sending letters from the US. Other countries may have different requirements, or resources available.

US Domestic

To address an envelope correctly, write the recipient’s address in the center, your return address in the top left corner, and place the postage stamp in the top right corner. You can review the official USPS Letters and Postcards Guide for more details.

Layout:

• Top Left: Return address
• Top Right: Postage stamp
• Center: Recipient address

Recipient Address Format:

• Line 1: Full name or business name
• Line 2: Street address or P.O. box (including apt. or suite number)
• Line 3: City, state abbreviation, and 5-digit ZIP code

Return Address Format:

• Line 1: Full name or company name
• Line 2: Street address or P.O. box
• Line 3: City, state, and ZIP code

Quick Tips:

• Keep the envelope flat, clean, and legible.
• For official guidelines, check the USPS Letters and Postcards Guide.

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US International Mail

Layout:

• Top Left: Your U.S. return address + “USA” on the final line
• Top Right: Global Forever Stamp
• Center/Bottom: Recipient address + destination country name in English on the last line
• Lower Left: “AIRMAIL/PAR AVION” (required for First-Class Mail International)

Recipient Address Format:

• Line 1: Recipient’s full name or company name
• Line 2: Full street address
• Line 3: City, subdivision (province, state, or county), and postal code
• Line 4: Destination country

International Formatting Rules:

• Print clearly in capital letters using a pen or permanent marker (no commas or periods).
• Write the address in English; if using a local script (e.g., Arabic, Greek, Japanese, or Cyrillic), add an English translation beneath each line.
• Check country-specific formats via the Universal Postal Union (Postal Addressing Systems) or the USPS International Mail Manual.
• Special Mail: Send U.S. territories, military bases, and embassies (APO/FPO/DPO) using domestic rules.

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Additional Resources

Many countries use different address formats (for example, the Postal Code might go before the city). Get specific information about other countries’ postal addresses by going to the Universal Postal Union and clicking “Postal Addressing Systems (PAS)”.

See more on addresses in the International Mail Manual.

Wikipedia – Address format by country and area en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Address_format_by_country_and_area