How to Send a Letter in Germany: Address, Stamps, and Deutsche Post Rates

To send a letter in Germany, you need to address the envelope correctly, choose the appropriate mailing format, pay for a Deutsche Post stamp, and hand the letter in at a post office, DHL/Deutsche Post kiosk, or drop it into a yellow Briefkasten postbox. Below is a practical guide for ordinary letters, postcards, and registered mail (Einschreiben) with tracking.

Where to send a letter in Germany

Deutsche Post offers several familiar options for private senders:

take the letter to a Deutsche Post branch, DHL Shop, or partner kiosk bearing the Deutsche Post sign;
buy a stamp in advance and drop the envelope into a yellow Briefkasten postbox;
pay for postage online or through the Post & DHL App and use a mobile-stamp code, if this method is available for the selected item;
for valuable or legally important documents, arrange Einschreiben at a branch or online.

German kiosk with postal services

If there is no branch or postbox nearby, use Deutsche Post’s official search: it shows branch addresses, postboxes, opening hours, and the time of the next collection.

German Briefkasten postbox

It is best to take parcels and large items in person: an ordinary Briefkasten is intended for letters and small envelopes, not boxes.

How to address an envelope correctly

Write the recipient’s address in the lower-right part of the front of the envelope. The stamp goes in the upper-right corner, while the sender’s address is usually placed in the upper-left corner or on the back.

For machine sorting, the address must be legible: avoid decorative fonts and unnecessary lines between the name and address, and leave sufficient margins at the edges. If the envelope is non-standard, coloured, square, or the address is placed incorrectly, it may be processed manually or charged at a different rate.

Correct address placement

Incorrect address placement

For envelopes without a window, use this layout: sender at the top left, recipient at the bottom right, and stamp at the top right.

German address format

In Germany, the surname is often shown on the postbox, while the apartment number is usually not used. Therefore, the recipient’s first and last name should match the name on the postbox or be connected through c/o.

Private individual

Sandra Becker
Berliner Allee 30
62502 Frankfurt am Main

The lines follow this order: first and last name, street and house number, postal code and city.

Family

Familie Müller
Ratinger Straße 11
53175 Bonn

This format works if the letter is addressed to the whole family or if there is no specific name.

Two names on one postbox

Jen Palacios / Yvonne Koppen
Ratinger Straße 11
53175 Bonn

Use this format if both names or surnames appear on the postbox.

Address via c/o

If the recipient’s name is not shown on the postbox, add a c/o line with the name of the person whose surname is on it.

Christina Lopez
c/o Alejandra Ramirez
Stresemannweg 3
99084 Erfurt

This is common in sublets, temporary accommodation, or when forwarding letters to friends.

Letter to a company

If a letter needs to reach a specific employee or department, you can use z. H. — an abbreviation of zu Händen, meaning “for the attention of”.

Smile GmbH
Marketing / z. H. Frau Schmidt
Vogelsangstraße 13
40875 Ratingen

For official company letters, check the legal name, branch address, and department in advance.

How to write an international address from Germany

For a letter abroad, keep the destination country’s address format. On the last line, write the destination country in capital letters in German or English.

Miranda Bailey
1/2 Main St SE
MONTREAL, QC H3Z 2Y7
CANADA

The city and country should be legible. If the address in the destination country uses the Latin alphabet, it is better not to translate street names and administrative elements into Russian.

How much does it cost to send a letter within Germany?

In 2026, Deutsche Post lists these basic rates for private letters within Germany:

Type of item	Weight and format	Price
Standardbrief	up to 20 g	€0.95
Kompaktbrief	up to 50 g	€1.10
Großbrief	up to 500 g	€1.80
Maxibrief	up to 1 kg	€2.90
Postkarte	postcard	€0.95

The rate depends not only on weight, but also on the envelope’s size, thickness, and shape. If you are unsure, use Deutsche Post’s official Porto-Rechner or ask at a branch before sending.

How long does a letter take within Germany?

Ordinary Deutsche Post letters within Germany are generally delivered on the second working day after posting. This is not a guarantee for every envelope: delays can occur because of public holidays, an incorrect address, late collection from a postbox, or manual sorting.

If the letter is time-sensitive, send it early and take the last collection time from the Briefkasten into account. For documents requiring proof of receipt, choose Einschreiben.

How to send a letter with tracking

Tracked letters in Germany are called Einschreiben. They are used for important documents, notices, contracts, and situations where you need to prove posting or delivery.

Main options:

Einschreiben Einwurf — the postal worker records that the letter was placed in the recipient’s postbox.
Einschreiben Übergabe — the letter is handed to the recipient or an authorised person against confirmation.
Einschreiben Rückschein — the sender receives separate proof of delivery.
Einschreiben Eigenhändig — the letter is handed only to the addressee or a specifically authorised person.

For legally significant letters, check in advance which type of proof you need in your particular situation. Sometimes Einwurf is sufficient, while in other cases the recipient’s signature is required.

Checklist before sending

Before dropping the envelope into a postbox or handing it in at a branch, check that:

the recipient’s name matches the surname on the postbox or c/o has been added;
the postal code, city, street, and house number are correct;
the stamp matches the weight and format;
the address is placed in the correct area of the envelope;
the appropriate type of Einschreiben has been chosen for urgent and important documents;
the envelope has no old address labels, extra barcodes, or outdated markings.

Common mistakes

The most common reasons for delivery problems are an incomplete address, an incorrect postal code, a surname that is not on the postbox, and insufficient postage. Another common mistake is sending an important document as an ordinary letter when proof of delivery is needed.

If the letter is returned, check the Deutsche Post label or marking: it usually gives the reason, such as an unknown recipient, insufficient postage, or delivery not possible at the address.