Domestic and international mail

• Address block aligned left
• No empty line in the address block
• Do not underline anything
• No indented postal codes
• No dash between postal code and destination
• No country code before the postal code
• For items sent abroad, please print the country of destination in the last address line

For additional information, please see our "Addressing: getting it right" brochure.

When your item is at a distribution center, it means that

• it is already in transit and in Austria (in the case of international items).
• it has been handled at the distribution centre and forwarded to the correct delivery station.
• this is an important first step for our delivery staff to eventually bring the item to your doorstep.

• Pension payments/family allowances/unemployment benefits can be paid out at our Österreichische Post service locations and by our delivery staff.
• Transfers can be made as before at the Österreichische Post counter and at our self-service kiosks, if available.
• Cash withdrawals can be made at the Österreichische Post counter and in the self-service area.
• From 1 April, international money transfer via Western Union will no longer be available at Österreichische Post postal branches.
  This service will still be available at selected Österreichische Post Partners.
  From late April, our new money transfer service RIA will be available for all international transfers.

• With stamps: We will be more than happy to take care of that for you: franking service
• ”Postage paid” items
• Franking machines

• In the section "Domestic parcel rates“
• In the section "Domestic Post Express“
• International parcels: Country-specific information.
• In the section "International Post Express rates"“

We have many additional services to fit your shipping needs.
Additional information is available here:

• Domestic parcels / International parcels
• Domestic Post Express / International Post Express

The following applies for delivery in Austria and abroad:

• Address block aligned left
• For items sent abroad, please print the country of the destination in the last address line
• No empty line in the address information
• Do not underline anything
• No indented postal codes
• No dash between postal code and destination
• No country code before the postal code

Please note that the following fees and duties will apply as a result of the customs declaration for your item and we will charge these to you when we deliver the item to you:

• 20% import turnover tax
• Customs duties for a merchandise value of EUR 150 and up
• Import duty depending on the merchandise value and product between EUR 5 and 36 (Customs service rates letter mail, Customs service rates international parcels)
  For further information, please also refer to our customs services rates in the General Terms and Conditions.
• Any excise duties. These apply to all goods subject to excise duties such as tobacco and tobacco products, parfums and eau de toilette, alcohol products as well as roasted coffee, soluble coffee and other goods that include caffeine.
• Handling and storage fee if the recipient has to be contacted, EUR 24

Personal gifts up to a value of EUR 45 are exempt from these duties.

For items with a value over EUR 150, additional customs duties apply. The exact amount will strongly depend on the nature of the merchandise and will therefore vary.

A private gift parcel is merchandise sent from one private person from a non-EU country to another private person in the EU, provided that

• such items are sent infrequently
• such items include only merchandise for personal use and the amount and volume does not lead to believe that a commercial purpose exists and
• the recipient receives the merchandise without having to make a payment.

Private gift parcels are exempt from taxes and duties up to a merchandise value of EUR 45. If a business client/company is involved as a sender, the item cannot be processed exempt from taxes or duties.

The item's content and merchandise value have to be proven via a proof of value that needs to be affixed to the outside of the item and has to be clearly visible. Please note that we cannot accept documents written in Chinese, Cyrillic or other script.

 If not all documents required for customs processing are available, Österreichische Post will get in touch with the recipient. This might lead to additional costs.

In the customs declaration that accompanies the item, please make sure to provide the following information if you would like to declare the item as a gift:

1. Type of item: gift
2. Value (in EUR or another currency)

Unless all these formalities are met, we cannot process the item without charging taxes and duties.

In the latter case, Österreichische Post will charge an import fee to cover the effort required for recording and providing electronic data. This fee is EUR 5 for gift parcels. 

Additional costs may apply to items that do not meet all the criteria listed above. 

When you placed your order, you paid for the merchandise, but import duties apply as well. All postal items need to be reviewed for customs and tax purposes at the time of import.

Exception IOSS items: if, at the time of the purchase, the Austrian VAT was charged by the online store, it is safe to assume that the retailer has an import-one-stop-shop (IOSS) number and that they pay this tax to the authorities. In this case, no import turnover tax or import fee will be charged at the time of import.

Effective 1 July 2021, the duty and tax-free allowance for merchandise from non-EU countries under EUR 22 no longer exists. This means that all merchandise imported into the EU will be subject to import turnover tax, independently of the merchandise value. For every import item, a customs declaration with duty assessment is required.

In order to prepare the customs declaration for your item, we need a purchase order as well as proof of payment. 

On the purchase order, the following information needs to be clearly visible:

• the item you ordered
• the volume you ordered
• invididual values for articles ordered and
• shipping fees paid

If you are unsure which articles are included in the item subject to customs duties, compare the item number you received from us via letter mail or e-mail with the number provided by the online shop you ordered from. 

As proof of payment, we need an excerpt from the posting line. This can be, for instance, a PayPal invoice, credit card statement or transfer confirmation. Please note that we do not accept documents in other scripts (Chinese, Cyrillic) or pro forma invoices.

There are a few reasons for a customs impediment. Below please find a list. Detailed information is available underneath.

• Missing proof of value
  
• Implausible merchandise value
  
• Missing import permit pursuant to Foreign Trade Act
  
• Missing return certificate
  
• Missing import permit for medicaments
  
• Missing import privileges declaration
  
• Missing import permit for species protection
  
• Missing business licence for tobacco products

Impediment as indicated on complement to customs declaration

If none of the reasons above applies, you will find the reason on the supplement to the customs declaration.

For additional information, please visit the web site of the Austrian customs authorities.

To complete the customs declaration for medicaments, the corresponding import permit pursuant to the 2010 Medicament Import Act as amended is required. The import permit pursuant to the 2010 Medicament Import Act as amended is required unless an exception pursuant to the 2010 Medicament Import Act applies.

Private individuals are not eligible to apply for an import permit. You can find more information at the following link.

Please use the contact form to get in touch with our customer support service. To be able to send you the notice, we will need the CRN number and a valid e-mail address.

• the CRN number of your shipment or details to uniquely identify your shipment (e.g. consignment number)
• a valid e-mail address to which the notice can be sent

The EORI number is needed for business clients. It is used to identify entrepreneurs and other persons in their relations with customs authorities. For additional information, please visit the website of the Austrian Ministry of Finance.