How Poste Restante works
- Choose a Post Office branch to collect your mail from. This can be almost anywhere in the UK and in most larger towns abroad. Check if there’s Post Restante where you’re going.
- Any mail posted in the UK is kept for you in your chosen Post Office for up to two weeks. Anything posted from overseas is kept for one month.
How to set up Poste Restante
1. Go into the branch
- If you're resident in the UK or already travelling in the UK, just pop into the branch you'd like your post sent to. (Please note that the service may not be available everywhere).
- For people who are travelling to the UK but have not yet arrived, you can find out if a branch offers the service by contacting us at the email address: customercare@postoffice.co.uk . You can also write to us at:
FREEPOST,
POST OFFICE,
CUSTOMER CARE
Please allow 5 working days for a response.
You can also find the address details for Post Office branches in our Branch Finder.
2. Share the address
Let your friends, family and business contacts know the Post Office address you’ll be picking up your mail from. This is how it should be written:
Your name
POST RESTANTE
Post Office name
Full address of the Post Office
Postcode of the Post Office
Country (if applicable)
Your Poste Restante address will be active straight away.
Don’t forget to ask them to include a return address on the back of the envelope.
3. Pick up your post
Just go to your designated Post Office branch to pick up your post.
If you’re visiting the UK from abroad, bring your passport as a form of identification.
If you live in the UK, you'll also need to show proof of your address as well as your passport.
- Choose a Post Office branch to collect your mail from. This can be almost anywhere in the UK and in most larger towns abroad. Check if there’s Post Restante where you’re going.
- Any mail posted in the UK is kept for you in your chosen Post Office for up to two weeks. Anything posted from overseas is kept for one month.