In this article, we will explore the German postal system in more detail giving you all the information needed to get your letters to where they need to go!
Where Can You Buy Stamps?
As with many other European countries, you can buy stamps in a local postal office or a local corner shop.
A great way to spot if a shop sells stamps before you enter is to look out for a Deutsche Post or DHL sticker in the window.
Stamps can also be purchased directly from the Deutsche Post website in sheets of 10 or more depending on your needs.
#PORTO
Franking and sending letters with your mobile has never been easier.
If you don’t have a stamp to hand or any cash in your pockets, you can use your mobile phone to pay for a stamp via the DHL app.
Once you’ve paid a code will be sent to your phone which consists of #PORTO and an 8-digit string of numbers and letters.
This code is written in place of where a stamp would be using a dark pen or felt tip.
This must be written as two lines and legible in order to send your letter. Once this is done, simply put the letter in a postbox to be sent as usual.
Does Germany Have A First Class Option?
Domestic Mail
There actually isn’t a first-class postage option in Germany. Postage costs vary depending on the letter type and how heavy it is.
Therefore a standard letter weighing up to 20g will cost €0,85, whereas a compact letter weighing up to 50g will cost €1,00.
Although there isn’t a first-class option, it doesn’t seem to matter as around 95% of all national letters sent in the country will be delivered by the Deutsche Post service on the following business day if it’s placed in a letter box in time for the last pick-up.
An impressive 99% of letters will be delivered within two days.
This also can take longer due to the differences in foreign post offices and their mail systems.
Standard envelopes weighing up to 20g will cost €1,10 and a compact envelope weighing up to 50g will cost €1,70.
Typically, it will take around 3-4 days for the airmail to arrive at your destination, when dealing with slower carriers it may take up to two weeks.
As you can see, sending mail internationally is quite affordable.
Certain destinations may vary in price, but you can use an online postage calculator if you want to be sure you’re paying the right price.
This may also give you an estimate for a delivery window.
Addressing Someone Correctly On An Envelope In Germany
Contrary to what you might think, there is a correct way to address a letter in Germany and the rules are actually pretty strict.
As the addresses are read by machines, they encourage you to write in capital letters. Here is a little guide on how to do this to ensure your letters arrive safely and on time:
The recipient and address should go on the bottom right-hand side on the front of the envelope, leaving around 15 millimetres of space to the bottom and right edges
Write the address left-aligned with the same font and size with no spacing between the name or address lines
The sender’s address should be written in the upper left corner of the envelope
Place the stamp in the top right corner of the envelope
The address should always be in the same format with the street name and house number followed by the postal code and city on the following line.
It’s important to make sure there’s no other print on the envelope that may be confused with labels or prints.
Sending Parcels
Domestic
Parcels that are sent within Germany are usually handled by DHL, which is a German-owned company.
To send a parcel you can either go to a post office or a DHL Paketshop from which you can buy the necessary materials to wrap up your items.
The cost of sending the package will depend on size and weight, as with any postal service. Examples of the costs can be found on the DHL website.
Sending a small parcel that weighs up to 2kg may cost €3,99 compared to a 10kg parcel that might cost €9,49.
Parcel postage labels can be purchased online and attached at home, which means you just have to drop the parcel off at a designated location.
This can sometimes be a cost-effective method of sending parcels compared to going into a postal office.
Options of express shipping, tracking, and weekend delivery are also available from DHL at an extra cost.
DHL should deliver your parcels within 1-2 business days with express shipping.
The cost of sending a 0.5kg parcel by the end of the day could cost €11,00 which includes shipment tracking.
International
All EU countries have the same parcel prices, the size and weight of the package will determine the price.
A small package of up to 2kg will cost €5,99 to send to any EU country using DHL’s standard shipping methods.
Sending a parcel using DHL’s express shipping is a bit of a jump in price. A package weighing up to 0.5kg and being shipped to any EU country will cost €44,79.
These prices increase with the size and weight of the parcel. Be sure to look up the correct shipping ‘zone’ before you purchase a postage label online.
Finding A Post Box
Finding a post box in Germany isn’t difficult, if you’ve lived there a while you’ve probably seen them as they are bright yellow.
The post boxes have a Deutsche Post logo on them making them extra easy to find.
If you want to find the nearest one to your house, you can use the Deutsche Post location finder.
This is a great tool as they also tell you when the boxes are emptied.
You might find it strange that German post boxes have two slots; one is for local mail and the other is for anything further away.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are various methods of getting your parcels and letters sent from and within Germany.
Although the country doesn’t have a first-class postage stamp, you can expect your mail to arrive at the intended recipient in an efficient time.
We hope you found this article interesting and useful, learning how to send mail quickly in Germany.
Hi, my name is Andy Demar and I have been working in the postal industry for almost 15 years. I have seen and heard about it all - big packages, small parcels, suspicious boxes, difficulties with getting them from A to B.
I mainly work for German and Austrian shipping companies, so I know most about these and how they work. Every country in the world has a different method of shipping parcels, so it’s important to know which you’re working with.
This website is for just that - so that you can feel more prepared the next time you need to send a parcel. It’s difficult to keep connected with loved ones across the world, but knowing how to post things to them makes it just a little easier.
