International Signed For™

Size and weight limits

 You can send postcards, letters and small parcels weighing up to 2kg.

It's important to remember that International size dimensions are smaller than those for the UK.

Items in the form of a postcard, letter or parcel
Minimum: One surface at least 90mm x 140mm
No single side must be longer than 600mm.

Items in the form of a roll
Minimum: length plus 2 x diameter should be at least 170mm
No single side can be shorter than 100mm.

There is a weight limit of up to 2kg for Small Parcels and up to 5kg for Printed Papers.

Printed Papers

You can send books and pamphlets weighing up to 5kg. You can include a letter relating to the contents, but no other personalised correspondence. When using this service, please write ‘PRINTED PAPERS’ in the top left corner on the front.

Exceptions:

• no items over 2kg (including books and pamphlets) can be sent to Canada and Cambodia
• only books can be sent over 2kg to the Irish Republic.

When we deliver

We aim to deliver your mail to:

• Western Europe within three working days
• Eastern Europe within five working days
• major cities worldwide within five working days and other destinations within seven.

Addressing

Clearly addressing your item will help us deliver it faster. Get advice on international addressing. Don’t forget to write your return address on the back of your envelope or parcel.

Customs

• EU - In general if you’re posting to an EU country, you don’t need a Customs declaration, but there are a few exceptions. Find out more about paying your customs.
• Rest of the world - if you’re sending parcels to a country outside the EU, you need to sign and date a declaration and include your name and address. Customs forms are available at the Post Office® and online.
• Items worth up to £270 must carry customs declaration CN22. Find out about CN22.
• Items worth over £270 must carry customs declaration CN23 and the SP126 plastic envelope.. Find out about CN23.

Prohibited goods

We have a list of prohibited and restricted goods that you cannot send.

Countries overseas also have their own rules on what they will and will not allow to be sent by post. Please check that you are able to send your item. 

Compensation

You can only claim compensation in the event of loss or damage. International Signed For® is not a guaranteed product, so we don’t offer compensation in the event of delay or missing Track & Trace information. Parcelforce Worldwide offers a guaranteed service.

• Loss and damage compensation
  The maximum loss or damage compensation is £50 or the item’s value - whichever is less. You can also purchase additional compensation.
• Extra compensation
  You can purchase up to £500 of compensation - although for some destinations this is limited to £250. Consequential Loss is not available for International Signed For® items.
• Coins, banknotes or currency
  Extra compensation for items containing coins, banknotes or currency notes, securities or instruments payable to bearer (e.g. cheques; bankers drafts; travellers cheques) is limited to £100 per item.
• Mobile phones
  Extra compensation is not available for mobile telephones (including PDAs, iPhones and Blackberry mobiles). The maximum compensation payable for loss or damage to a mobile telephone is our standard compensation limit, £50. If you send a parcel containing a mobile telephone and other items, any addition compensation you purchase will only cover the other items.
• Other items
  Check to ensure your destination will accept the items you are sending and if there are any other requirements for sending valuables there. We won’t pay compensation on items that are prohibited or restricted in the country of destination
• When to claim
  We allow 20 working days for items to arrive at European destinations and 25 working days for the rest of the world, so cannot accept a claim until after that time. All claims must be submitted by the sender within six months of posting and you can make a claim by visiting Customer Services. Find out more about Customer Services. You can also complete the P58 form for lost or damaged mail available at Post Office® branches. A certificate of posting and proof of the item’s value is required.

International Signed For is a fixed charge that you add to your Airmail or Surface Mail postage price.

Prices are exempt from VAT

Online

You can buy International Signed For™ online.

Step 1: Use our Price Finder tool.

Step 2: Using your printer, print postage directly onto envelopes or labels.

Step 3: Take your item to the Post Office® so we can apply the barcode and your Track & Trace information. Find your nearest Post Office®.

Online Business Account (OBA)

One of the easiest ways for you to buy International Signed For™ is through an Online Business Account (OBA)

Need to set up an account?

If you don’t already have one, you can contact us on 08457 950 950.

Already have an account?

If you already have an account, call us on 08457 950 950. We’ll tell you how to add International Signed For™ to your account. It will speed things up if you can have your Royal Mail account number to hand when you ring us.

Franking machine

You can use your franking machine to send International Signed For™ items. Find out more about Franking.

Summary of mail supplies information for business users