How To Post Items To And From Germany, And Which Option Is Best For You?

When it comes to international postage, Germany has a reputation for being one of the best.

Perhaps that’s not too surprising, given that they were also one of the first countries to pioneer sending mail across the world!

Of course, the postal system in Germany has come a long way since it was delivering mail on horseback.

And with a postal system that has access to pretty much the entire rest of the world, it is almost as easy to send a parcel or package to Germany as it is to send a package from Germany to anywhere else.

While this system may seem a little new and bewilder some people at first, especially for those who have very little experience shipping internationally.

However, it is an incredibly simple system to use once you wrap your head around it.

And we’re going to help you do just that!

In this article, we are going to show you a rundown of how the postal system works, as well as how you can post items to Germany yourself.

We’re also going to show you which postage options are available to send from the United States, to help determine which option might be best for you.

The Postal System In Germany

But before we go any further into this topic, we should first lay the groundwork of explaining what exactly the postal system is like in Germany right now, international postage included.

Currently, the German system is a network of individual private companies, that have devolved from what was previously the state-run Deutsche Bundespost.

One of the main companies that are responsible for the letter and postal delivery in Germany is Deutsche Post AG. 

We would probably know them better abroad hoover as DHL, one of the largest postal companies in the world.

With branches in most countries, including most of Europe and the United States, DHL is one of the most important postal companies internationally.

However, the German postal system does include a variety of other international postal companies that operate within Germany, including many US-based courier companies, such as UPS and FedEx.

How It Works

So, now that we have a little bit of the framework when it comes to how this postal system.

But how exactly does it operate?

Well, most of the major postal companies operating in Germany have many drop-off or collection points dotted in every city and town across Germany

Larger companies such as DHL and Deutsche Post also operate post offices up and down the country, for customers to have easy access to their services.

A post box in Germany will usually be colored a bright yellow, and have s symbol of a horn on its side (a reference to the old practice of postal workers blowing a horn to alert a town that they have arrived).

For posting a letter in Germany, the process is as simple as getting the appropriate stamp, putting it in the top right corner of the letter, writing the address, and sending it into the post box. 

For packages, the process is also quite simple. In these cases, you would simply bring the parcel to a post office to pay for postage, or pay online for the postage fee, before then bringing it to the post office.

However, when it comes to international posting, things work a little differently. 

International Postage To Germany

In this case, for the most efficient way of sending a post to Germany, you should probably find a company that operates in both the country you are sending it from and the country you are sending it to.

This does not mean that using a US-exclusive postal company would stop you from sending your mail or parcel to Germany, far from it.

However, if you want your delivery to be as efficient and straightforward as possible, using one delivery company for both would cut down on hand-off time, and allow your courier to better track the parcel as it goes through customs.

On that note, virtually all parcels (and some letters) will be traveling through customs, to make sure that the contents of whatever you are sending are allowed within Germany.

If you are sending a parcel, you will likely also have to fill out a customs form as well, to inform the customs office in Germany of what kind of item is being brought into the country.

Failing to fill out as much of the form as possible could result in your parcel being held up at customs for longer than you would like, or worse, being completely rejected and sent back to the country of origin.

Postal Companies That Operate In Germany

So, now that we have covered what happens to your post when sending it internationally to Germany, we can discuss the options that are available when it comes to postal couriers in Germany, and which one may be best for you.

As we have already mentioned, several private companies are operating as part of the German postal system. Some of which you may already be familiar with

DHL

As we have already mentioned extensively in this guide, DHL is currently the largest operating postal system in Europe, and one of the largest in the world, under the title DHL Express Worldwide.

With many branches operating in the United States, this will often be one of your best options for sending posts and items from the United States to Germany.

With relatively low delivery fees and delivery in as little as 1 to 4 days, this is an excellent service that you can choose.

Plus, it is possible to have DHL collect your package for you, so you have options even if you aren’t immediately near a DHL collection point.

This is just as well, considering that DHL, in the US at least, is not as established as the other companies here.

UPS

A delivery company that many people based in the United States will be familiar with, UPS has a variety of options for you to use when sending parcels to Germany.

Generally speaking, UPS does have cheaper options than many other US-based couriers when it comes to sending parcels abroad.

However, they are also a slower option, so keep that in mind when considering delivery options.

It is possible to send them quicker, but the prices will quickly escalate.

USPS

USPS is in a very similar position to UPS, as it is one of the cheapest options available to US parcel senders.

At the same time, however, it is also generally considered the slowest, with an official delivery time that can go into the double digits for their premium option.

Unless you have a letter or a very small parcel, maybe consider other options.

FedEx

FedEx has some of the faster options when it comes to delivery, but that also means that it is one of the more expensive US couriers you can use. If you’re prepared to foot the bill, this could be a decent option for you.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, you have found this guide to your options helpful!