It’s the time of the season when families and friends of military service members serving overseas are thinking about mailing their holiday gifts. The Postal Service is here to help.
Mail sent overseas to APO/FPO addresses is charged only domestic mail prices. In addition, the Postal Service is offering a $2 price savings on our largest Flat-Rate Priority Mail Box when sent to APO/FPO addresses. The domestic mail price for the largest Flat-Rate Priority Mail Box is $12.95, but for packages to APO/FPO addresses the price is reduced to only $10.95. Flat-Rate Boxes are free at any Post Office, or can be ordered online at USPS.COM. Postage, labels, and Customs forms can be printed online using Click-N-Ship service for most APO/FPO addresses at www.usps.com/clicknship.
The Postal Service also shows its support by offering free Military Care Kits, designed specifically for military families sending packages overseas. The Military Care Kits can be ordered by phone by calling 800-610-8734 and asking for the Military Care Kit. Each kit includes two Priority Mail boxes, six Priority Mail Flat-Rate Boxes, eight Priority Mail labels, one roll of Priority Mail tape, and eight Customs forms with envelopes.
Most importantly, we want your holiday gifts to arrive on time. To ensure delivery of holiday cards and packages by December 25 to military APO/FPO addresses overseas, the Postal Service recommends that mail for service members be entered no later than the mailing dates listed in the following table.
Mail addressed to military post offices overseas is subject to certain conditions or restrictions regarding content, preparation, and handling. APO/FPO addresses generally require Customs forms. To see a table of active APO and FPO addresses and mailing restrictions by individual APO/FPO ZIP Codes, go to http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/bulletin/pb.htm. Select the current issue, and look for the heading “Overseas Military Mail.”
