General FAQ's
If you are going away, An Post can keep your mail safe for you until you return.
MailMinder is a hassle-free service that will look after your post while you are away, whether you’re in Ireland or abroad. It simply suspends delivery of mail to your home for up to 12 weeks.
Simply complete your MailMinder application online or download an application form (PDF, 507KB) and pay for the service at your local post office.
To arrange for your post to be redirected to a new address, please visit our Redirection Service information page where you can apply for or renew a Redirection Service . You can also pick up a Redirection Service form and submit your completed application form with your payment at any of our Post Offices nationwide.
International mail posted before individual countries began to impose COVID-19 restrictions was prepared as normal, and is still waiting to be sent abroad.
We are trying to have all international mail items dispatched and delivered as soon as reasonably possible, but these services may be subject to some restrictions or delays due to the pandemic.
To try to avoid this type of situation, our post offices are currently not accepting mail to countries which cannot receive it due to the current restrictions.
No, this message is a scam attempt and it is not from An Post. A fresh wave of scams, aimed at tricking members of the public into giving away sensitive financial details, has been hitting a wide range of businesses including us.
The scammers use a number of methods, the latest, like these ones, involve a text message telling customers they have a mail item that is being held because of an overdue payment. The customer is asked to click on a link to have the mail item released. The scams have hit customers, including An Post colleagues, as well as taking up valuable time and resources as we respond to enquiries and tackle the scammers. The texts often carry an An Post logo and are designed to look like a genuine customer contact.
An Post are asking customers to be Scam Aware if they receive these kinds of messages. In many cases the layout or language used in the messages are an indication they are not genuine.
The sources of the scams and the methods used by the scammers change all the time. We have been successful in the past in getting some of the scams closed down. That work continues but it is fair to say that such scam attempts are becoming a feature of all our lives and constant vigilance is required.
You can find more information in our Security Hub.
If there is no return address on a domestic item which could not be delivered, the item will be sent to the National Returned Letter Centre
The National Returned Letter Centre will open the item and return it if the name and address of the sender is inside, as long as it is not a newspaper, magazine or advertising.
If there is no return address inside the item, and the contents appear to be of sentimental, legal or financial value, we will hold it at the National Returned Letter Centre for three calendar months, after which time we will dispose of it.
Items from abroad are returned to postal services in the country of origin.
At An Post we encourage our customers to use an Eircode on all addresses whenever possible. You do not necessarily need to have an Eircode when sending an item, but including one on the address ensures that your post person can pinpoint the exact location. In either case, it is always necessary to include the full physical address on every item. Search for an Eircode or check that you have the correct postal address.
AddressPal is a service from An Post that allows customers to avail of a UK and USA address that can be used as a postal address for the delivery of UK and USA online orders.
With a UK AddressPal address, just add your name and unique AP number, and you can have items delivered to your nominated post office or tracked and delivered to your home address. With the USA AddressPal address, just add your name and unique AP number, and you can have your items tracked to your home address.
If you do not receive your AddressPal item, please contact our dedicated support team at addresspal.support@anpost.ie.
Opening Times
Monday – Friday: 09:00am – 5:30pm
If you are receiving mail for an address other than your own, please note this on the outer packaging and place it back into the postal system using any post box.
You can report delivery problems by calling +353 (1) 705 7600.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the number of countries we can send mail to is changing daily. Check our list of what countries you can post to regularly for updated information on our Post and Parcels services.
Although we are still accepting and processing as much mail as possible, you should expect some delays. We apologise if your desired destination is not available at the moment, but keep checking our list, as it is updated whenever we can resume mail services to any country.
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If you buy goods from outside the EU you may have to pay customs charges (Customs Duty, Excise Duty, VAT) to Irish Revenue.
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An Post collect these customs charges from you and pay them to Irish Revenue on your behalf.
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It is mandatory for An Post to collect customs charges, An Post cannot deliver your items until these charges have been paid.
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A team of Irish Revenue’s Customs officials are based at An Post’s Mail Centre and oversee the customs clearance of imported goods.
If you have ordered from a retailer who uses An Post as their delivery provider, we will attempt to send you an SMS and/or email address using the details provided by the retailer. These details will only be used to update you on your delivery. An Post will never send a link requesting payment for a parcel via email or SMS.
We will send you a Post Alert to tell you that your parcel is on the way and to:
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Allow you to track your parcel
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Allow you to make a change to the delivery arrangements
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Tell you your parcel has been delivered
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Tell you your parcel could not be delivered and advise you where it can be collected
You will also get SMS messages from us if you are an AddressPal customer. You provide us with your mobile number so that we can contact you to tell you:
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Your parcel is ready for collection at your nominated post office/collection point.
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Your parcel is being returned to the sender if it has not been collected.
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If the post office/collection point you have chosen is not available.
