Can you find a link for this, please. (If you mean it should be like that in the card/letter).
I only find this: "However, the name of the country (P.R. CHINA)
must be written in an internationally known language. "
from here:
A member from China, I think, once wrote in the old forum, that the two versions of same address might confuse, and asked to use one or the other, not both. And if you used Latin alphabet, there should be room for translation. I found this information too then, and the room for translation was rather big, like 1 inch in bottom of the address and 2 inch next to it.
Previously I printed both addressed, but now I write the address in Chinese, only āChinaā in Englsih.
(Same to Russia.) (Edit. and they arrive normally, but if it would be better to have it differently, I happily do so.)
Itās recommended not to translate words into English. Just transscribe them into Latin characters. That means using āul.ā or āulitsaā instead of āstreetā for instance if youāre in Russia.
Translating words or abreviations into English can confuse postal workers and/or postal sorting machines.
These are from the UPU. The second link should contain the actual text of the general international addressing standards. Note the part on ācharactersā. And as you have already found, there are the country specific pages in other links. Of course the real world practice can vary. The US Postal Service does seem to enforce the UPU rule so I have no choice but to use the official format. Other users may have different rules from their posts. And if a native suggests a certain way, then I am sure they know best.
If the links do not work: go to upu.int
look for āPostal Solutionsā then āProgrammes and Servicesā and then āAddressing Solutionsā
Scroll far down until you find āAddress Elements, formatting an international address and position of the address on the envelopeā for the text
Thank you!
This kind of page I was looking for, but found only the ones for each country.
I try to link it for others to read:
And yes, it even has a picture with both style addresses, but the addresses are next to each others,
(I used to print them, and never thought to cut them like that! I used to have the address in one column. It looks much clearer in two columns, but how to fit this into a card, hmmm.)
Of course, mail travels well with poor written addresses, but I like to follow the UPU rule . I still put the āFIā in front of our postal code, because itās there.
What ever makes it a little but easier
Edit. Or, then I should follow the rules from Finland, but now my brain is too melted to look for it
Thanks for fixing the link! Iāve been scrolling through the UPU website and thereās even a rule on the use of the country codes like FI, DE, etc. I think Finland requires it but Germany frowns upon it, and so on with different parts of the world. My brain melted too!
Somewhere I have read that the UPU is the best example of international cooperation
From the U.S.A to China I usually see about a month or so traveling time. Generally before 45 days have passed. They arrive in fair condition usually too.
(Re: UPU rules) Iāve sent many pieces of mail from the US to Russia and China with the address only in the destination language, country name in English.
Chances are it will be fine, but some nitpicky P&DCās (processing centre) are enforcing the UPU rules and it has been documented in the philatelic press that they will return mail with a yellow sticker that says the whole address must be Romanized or in English. USPS rules used to state only the country need be written in English. It was that way for as long as I can remember, but since has been nullified about 10 years ago.
What you normally do seems to be the best way to do it because it helps the postcard get delivered to the correct country and then delivered correctly within the country. I think it is also recommended in the FAQs somewhere.
Of course the rules may have since changed and the UPU has yet to be notified?
I was trying to find the Finnish post website and the sample address leaves out the āFIā. Postcrossing still uses the UPU standard. I just copy it exactly as itās given to me by whomever. I figure they know better. I give up.
where it says āFinland requests to add the ISO alpha-2 country code āFIā before the postcode.ā
This is from 2013.
@kotona, can you link where you get the newer information, please?
(I find it odd that some Postcrossers leave it out from my address. I always write the address how itās given.)
But, the other topic, there is no way I can fit Russian address in both ways, side by side, in a postcard, but I made a swap in an envelope, and wrote the adress in both ways, next to each others, like two columns, divided by a line (not in one column like I used to do), and my swap travelled only a week! That can be coinsidence, of course.
For example here, āHow I should write the addressā¦ā
Yes, there is a link ahead to the old page and āFI-00100 HELSINKIā type but it is not in common use any more. Anyway - ALL mail (or at least the most of all mail) will arrive to Finland and the right recipient, sooner or longer.
Do you mean the āfrom Finland to Finlandā letter example? There itās not needed, but sending from another country to Finland yes, as far as I know, and this is what I was thinking about.
There used to be an example letter sending to overseas, but I canāt find it anymore.
So, I believe the old (or āoldā) UPU info is still up to date, if there was no need to change it.
(But I agree, mail normally arrives with addresses not written how theyāre supposed to, with very faulty addresses, over 10 years old address, with very unclear writing, etc, which is good.)
. I still put the āFIā in front of our postal code, because itās there.
