How To Post Items To Austria (And How To Format Austrian Addresses!)
Austria is a beautiful country located in Central Europe and is famous for its stunning scenery, historical wonders, and friendly people.
These factors, amongst a number of other advantages, have seen a huge number of people call Austria home, and so the chances are high that you may need to send an item to this wonderful region.
To help, we have put together all you need to know about posting items to Austria, including the significance of Austrian addresses, and why these need careful consideration when formatting!
The Austrian Postal Service: An Introduction
The Austrian postal service has a strong reputation, as well as a rich history – the service is one of the oldest in the world, and has remained a public entity for the vast majority of its history, with no private companies involved.
Emperor Charles VI transformed the postal service into a government-run agency in 1772 and became part of the federal administration in the 20th century, where it was known as the Postal and Telegraph Administration (PTV).
The service was then transformed into a public limited company in 1996 and was renamed the Post und Telekom (PTA), and then was split into two separate companies in 1999.
The two elements of this were the telecom side, known as Telecom Austria, and this was privatized in 2000 when it was listed on the Vienna Stock exchange.
The second element was the postal service, known as Osterreichisches Post AG, and this remains government property.
Austria’s Postal System Today
Today, the Austrian postal service operates from over 1,200 locations across the country and provides services to more than 10 million customers every day.
It is divided into a number of main sections, each of which is responsible for different aspects of the postal service. These include:
This section is the official mail division, which focuses on delivering letters and parcels to their destinations.
This includes both domestic and international deliveries, and also covers the delivery of registered mail, as well as some elements of the distribution of regional media and newspapers.
- Parcels And Logistics
As the name suggests, the parcel and logistics division focuses primarily on mailing and delivering express mail, as well as parcels.
They also focus on logistics for pharmaceutical, freight, and temperature-controlled industries.
- Corporate
The corporate section handles the distribution of the main commercial properties that are owned by IT support, administrative activities, and Austrian Post.
Post Offices In Austria
Post offices in Austria can be easily identified by bright blue and yellow symbols, and they are usually found at major intersections or near bus stops.
There are currently around 1,200 post offices in Austria, and most offer a wide range of services, including:
- Mailboxes
These are used to store your mail until it reaches its destination.
You will find them in front of the building, and there should be a sign outside showing the hours during which they are open.
- Postal Services
These provide a variety of services, such as sending telegrams, paying bills, receiving money orders and stamps, and also selling postage stamps.
- Postal Boxes
These are available for use by members of the general public and are located inside post offices, as well as being available on streets.
Austrian Address Formats
When writing an address in Austria, the following layout is the standard, accepted format:
Recipient
Street_Name House_Number/[Entrance]/ [Floor] / [Apartment]
Postal_Code Locality
Austria
In some cases, addresses in Austria will not contain specific sub-building information, and this can include omitting information such as the Floor or Apartment.
In addition, a forward slash mark will be used to separate the building and sub-building elements, making it easier to read and interpret.
An example may be Wiener Brauhausstraße 6/6/2 – here, Wiener Brauhausstraße is the name of the street, 6 is the number of the building, and the final 6 and 2 refer to sub-building details, such as the apartment block number, and the apartment or house number.
Postal Codes In Austria
Postal codes were first introduced to the Austrian postal service in 1966, and follow a relatively simple, four-number format.
The first number in the postcode refers to the Austrian state that the parcel or letter is being sent to, such as Vienna, Salzburg, Graz, etc., while the second number refers to the specific region within the state, the third number the routing allocation, and the fourth a reference to the local post office.
It is worth noting that Vienna offers slightly different postal codes, and all postcodes in this region start with a 1.
There are then a total of 23 Viennese districts which can make up the second number, and these are followed by the routing allocation and local post office as above.
For example, if you send a letter from Vienna to Linz, the postal code would be W1A 3100.
This means that the first number is 1, indicating that the letter is going to Vienna, the second number is 3100, meaning that the letter is going from Vienna to Linz via route 3100, and the last two numbers are 100, referring to the local post office.
There are also specific postcodes for specific places, such as 1300 for the airport, and 1136 for the Austrian National Broadcasting Service.
How Do I Post An Item To Austria?
Now that we have taken a closer look at the details of the Austrian postal system, you may be wondering just how you go about actually posting an item to Austria.
The easiest way to do so is through one of the many online shipping companies, that will take care of everything for you.
These companies have their own websites where they list all of the countries they ship to, and you simply need to enter your destination country into the search box, and you will find a list of all the countries that they ship to.
You can then choose the country you want to send your package to, and the company will handle the rest.
There are a number of elements to consider when choosing a shipping company to get your parcel to Austria, and these include:
- Cost
Cost is one of the most important considerations when choosing a shipping company, and there are several factors that affect cost.
These include the size and weight of the package, as well as the distance between the sender and recipient.
- Speed
Another factor to consider is speed. If you are sending something urgently, you should ensure that you use a shipping company that offers next-day delivery.
- Delivery Options
You should also consider what options you want to include with your shipment.
Some companies only allow you to select standard delivery, whereas others will let you add on additional services like insurance, tracking, signature confirmation, and more.
- Security
Finally, you should think about security. Many shipping companies will ask you to provide them with some form of identification before they process your order, and this can offer extra security.
Which Is Best For Sending My Package To Austria?
The best choice for sending your package to Austria will depend on a number of different factors, including how much you want to pay, whether you want to insure your item, and what other services you may require.
