Forwarding Mail

Hello,

My wife and I arrived in the UK last week.  Before we left, we filled out the form at the USPS to forward our mail.  How long before we start receiving our mail?  Also, is there an additional cost from the Royal Mail?   

Did I read right that the USPS will forward mail for a year?


Thanks for your help.


Dave and Jenni

Also, is there an additional cost from the Royal Mail?   

I'm not sure on the other points, but there should be no additional charges by Royal Mail at this end for receiving and delivering (unless you're receiving forwarded packages which attract customs charges etc.).

Yes, USPS will definitely forward mail to the UK.  We've been receiving stuff for 9 months, so far.  It's mostly non-essential stuff, but there have been a few things that were't on the radar that showed up (albeit a month later) that were good to get.  Things started turning up a few weeks after we arrived in London.

I'm on the USPS website --- there is an option for 'premium mail forwarding service' which has a fee:  Enrollment fee is just $15.00 and weekly reshipment fees are $13.95.

Or should I just do a 'change your address online' to get my mail sent to me when I head to the UK? 

Or is there a different option I should choose? 

I'm on the USPS website --- there is an option for 'premium mail forwarding service' which has a fee:  Enrollment fee is just $15.00 and weekly reshipment fees are $13.95.

Or should I just do a 'change your address online' to get my mail sent to me when I head to the UK? 

Or is there a different option I should choose? 

When we moved last November, we were unable to set up int'l mail forwarding via the USPS website (not sure if that has changed), BUT we went into a branch and filled out the change of address form, it went through just fine AND free.   

Thanks Ophinky, looks like I'll be heading to my nearest post office to fill out a change of address form just to be on the safe side.  Thank you!

Yes, definitely do it at the post office, we have been receiving mail here for the past 8 months, although I suspect that some of it is probably lost.

So I have an interesting question. I can set up mail forwarding before I go, BUT we're going to be looking for and moving into a bigger place about a month after I get there. How do I update that with USPS? Or will the forwarded mail just get forwarded again?

Most things I don't care about, but I'm not going to be able to get my new social security card before I leave, and it may well not be sent until after I've moved AGAIN.

Any thoughts?

So I have an interesting question. I can set up mail forwarding before I go, BUT we're going to be looking for and moving into a bigger place about a month after I get there. How do I update that with USPS? Or will the forwarded mail just get forwarded again?

Most things I don't care about, but I'm not going to be able to get my new social security card before I leave, and it may well not be sent until after I've moved AGAIN.

Any thoughts?

I don't know about changing to a different international forwarding address, but I can tell you what we just did. We put a hold on our mail for the maximum 30 days before we left. Then we found an apartment when we moved to the UK in less than 2 weeks and mailed the USPS change of address form to our previous local branch in the US with a letter explaining the situation. The change of address overrides the hold.

But for international mail forwarding it does still have to be done at your local branch (in person or by mail) and not online. Since it sounds like you are still in the States, it may be useful to just go to your current post office and explain your situation. You may need to talk to a "carrier supervisor" (we needed to -- the first person at the counter wasn't even aware that mail could be forwarded overseas).

Here's the official USPS site with an obnoxiously long URL (sorry!). Information under "How do I file a Change of Address for an International address?" about halfway down:
http://faq.usps.com/eCustomer/iq/usps/request.do?session={b2d01330-a239-11de-6f4d-000000000000}&event=1&view()=c{15c2a670-8d03-11de-622f-000000000000}&objectId=&eksObjectId=&objectType=Case&isJumpEnabled=false&isContentJumpEnabled=false&vendorKey=&objTitle=&versionId=2461&searchProperties=type:natural&naturalAdvance=false&allStr=&phraseStr=&anyStr=&noneStr=&keywordStr=&tTitle=Change%20of%20Address&topicFromSub=Receiving%20Mail&topicsORSubUrl=&report(0000)=p{40f82530-6974-11dd-e6c4-000000000000}&bcobjectId={409592d0-6974-11dd-e6c4-000000000000}&search=&topicAndSubtopic=Sending%20Mail$ALL [nofollow]

Hope this helps!

Was there a special international change-of-address form? The one I got, which was in the standard (domestic) package, doesn't look as though it will accommodate a UK address... (e.g., only 5 spaces for zip code)

I agree with everyone else. I am getting my mail forwarded from USPS.

As for filing in the Boxes... I just wrote ENGLAND or GREAT BRITAIN in big letters after the post code. The yellow forwarding strip is on them, and I've been getting my mail.

If you are moving a bit afterwards, I would just grab a couple extra forms and bring them to the UK with you. When you know your new address, just send them off to the US Post Office, and I bet you'll get your new mail forwarded too. And there isn't a charge.

Of course, Royal Mail also forwards your mail when you move house, so you should probably fill out one of those forms when you get your new place too.

Lisa