How to send a package from USA abroad? | International parcels

If you’d like to send a parcel from US to any country in the world (to Philippines, India, Japan, Canada, Mexico, UK or any others), you can use postal services that are provided by USPS, FedEx, UPS and other companies. They will deliver your parcel to the desired destination, while you only need to prepare the package for shipment.

For those who want to ship domestic package, we’ve prepared a guide “How to send a parcel within USA?”

How to send international parcel?

To send a package abroad from US, you need to prepare the box, pack the shipment and address the parcel to the recipient in the same way as in the case of domestic shipments. However, there are a few differences that we want to point out.

#1. International parcel content.

When sending a parcel by country, you also need to take into account the restrictions regarding the contents of the parcels. However, in the case of international shipments, the list of limits can be much longer and more specific depending on the country of destination.

The list of international shipping restrictions and prohibitions as well as detailed instructions about specificity, sizes and quantity of sent goods can be found on the official websites of those companies where you will order delivery services. For example, you can search for it there:

• On the USPS website;
• On the UPS website;
• On the FedEx website.

Follow the link and enter the name of destination country to get information about global shipping restrictions and prohibited items.

#2. Optimal sizes of international parcels

When you are sure that the contents of the package are acceptable for sending abroad, you must also check if it complies with the size and weight restrictions. By the way, the choice of a particular mail service will also depend on this. In other words, it is necessary to take into account not only individual country weight and size limits, but maximum weight limits of international package services as well.

#3. Packing of the parcel

How to pack international parcel? In fact, international parcels are packed in the same way as domestic ones. The only difference is that you need to write down each item, how much it weighs, and how much it’s worth in your customs form. That’s why at this stage you need to make a list of all items in the parcel. It is recommended that you provide such information as:

• The purposes of products use: sale, resale or manufacture;
• The materials what the product is made of and where it was made;
• The value of the shipment.

For more information about packing follow the link “How to send packages in USA?” and search for paragraph “How to pack a package?”.

#4. International packages addressing

To address the parcel correctly it is necessary:

1. To take into account different for each country international address formats.
2. To write the delivery address in English or to add the English translation after each line in case you’ve written it in another language.
3. To print addresses in capital letters.

Also, don’t forget the standard guidelines: to print both the return address and delivery address on the same side of the box, so that you your address was in the top-left corner while recipient address was in the center of the label or package (below and in the right side of the return address, if it’s possible).

For package safety postal companies also recommend to put inside your parcel a piece of paper, on which you wrote the recipient’s full name and address.

#5. Customs forms

One more difference between sending international parcels from domestic parcels is that the sender must fill out a customs form. It is not necessary for nonnegotiable documents (like letters or other papers with no cash value), but in all other case USPS requires it.

All customs forms must be computer-generated, but you don’t have to do this on your own. Fill out special in the post office and give it to consultant so he can create and print the customs form for you.

The list of postal services for international shipments