How to Address Mail to the United States from Another Country

Address basics  |  April 7, 2026  |  2 min read

If you ship to the United States from another country, format the address the way US mail carriers expect, then add the country name for your local post.

The format

• RECIPIENT NAME
• STREET ADDRESS AND UNIT
• CITY STATE ZIP
• UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Key points

• The country name goes alone on the last line, in capital letters.
• Keep the city, two-letter state code and ZIP code together on one line.
• Do not translate the city or street names.
• Use the ZIP code exactly as given, including any leading zero.

Phone numbers

Customs forms and couriers often ask for a phone number. US numbers have ten digits: a three-digit area code, a three-digit exchange and four digits. Written internationally, they start with +1.

Customs forms

Packages need a customs declaration describing contents and value. The address on the form must match the label exactly.

Test your international checkout

If your store serves international customers who ship to the US, test that your forms accept the US format properly, keep the ZIP as text and do not force a province or postcode format from another country.