Effective December 25, 2025, the Postal Service™ is revising the International Country Listing for Germany in Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM®) to remind mailers that the use of acronyms and general names in the addressee field of the customs declaration form is prohibited.
This revision is based on a formal request that Deutsche Post (the designated postal operator of Germany) made through the Universal Postal Union via International Bureau Circular 184, dated November 17, 2025.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM)
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Individual Country Listings
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Germany
Country Conditions for Mailing
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Observations
[Add new item 10. to read as follows:]
10. Customs declaration forms must include the addressee’s full name, (i.e., complete forename(s) and surname), spelled out in full. The use of acronyms or general terms (such as “XY Family”) or (“Grandma XY”) will not be accepted and may be deemed inadmissible by the customs authority, and result in them being returned to the sender.
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Although effective December 25, 2025, the Postal Service will incorporate this revision into the January 18, 2026, edition of the online IMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification,
Product Solutions, 12-25-25
