Instructions for sending letters
Do you have a question about sending or receiving a letter? Check our answers to the most frequently asked questions.
Packaging and marking a letter
Write the recipient’s name and address in the bottom right-hand corner. Enter the sender’s information in the top left-hand corner. You can find street addresses and postal codes in the postal code search.

Sending items abroad? Write the address according to the common practice in the destination country. However, write the country name in CAPITAL LETTERS. See the country-specific instructions. Select the recipient’s country in the menu below “Postal addressing systems in member countries and/or territories”.
Place the stamp on the top right-hand corner of the letter or postcard.

Place the stamp on the top right-hand corner of the letter or postcard and the Plus Sticker on the left of the stamp. The Plus Sticker can only be used in the Finnish mainland. If you’re using All-in-One envelopes or pre-paid postcards, place the Plus Sticker next to the payment indication.

Of course! Wrap the item in cardboard, bubble wrap or other suitable material for protection. Pack the item carefully so that the envelope and the content do not fall apart when dropped to the mailbox or during mechanical mail handling. Make sure that the content is not dangerous or harmful.
Always remember to also add the sender’s details to the envelope. This allows the letter to be returned to the sender if the recipient cannot be reached for some reason.
Check the maximum dimensions and weights for letters. For example, the maximum dimensions of a domestic letter are 25 x 35.3 x 3 cm and 2 kg.
Please note! If you want to send goods in a letter to outside the EU, register the content of the letter before sending. Specify the content also on the CN22 customs slip on the envelope.
Did you know that many ordinary products, such as nail polishes and perfumes, are easily flammable? Flammable items should not be sent by post.
Your item must not contain dangerous goods, objects or other prohibited substances.
If you want to send cash, securities, precious metals, jewels or other valuables, send them as an insured item. Insured items go through special security handling.
Check the country-specific bans and restrictions before sending items abroad.
Sending a letter
You can buy stamps almost anywhere. Stamps are sold in more than 3,000 locations in Finland. In addition to postal outlets, stamps are available, for instance, at kiosks, grocery stores, bookstores and service stations.
You can also order stamps directly from Posti.
Yes, you can! The old 1st and 2nd class no-value indicator stamps are still valid as such. They have the same value as the domestic no-value indicator stamp. You can even use Christmas no-value indicator stamps (the snowflake symbols) all year round. However, pay attention to their value and add the necessary extra stamps.
You can check the current value of no-value indicator stamps in the price list.
You can take domestic standard letters and Plus Sticker letters and international Priority and Economy letters to a mailbox. If your international Maxi Letter is too large for the mailbox, take it to a postal outlet.
Always take the following letters to a postal outlet:
Express letter (including Exprès)
Registered letter
Cash on Delivery letter
Letter with advice of delivery
Insured Letter or item
If you live in a sparsely populated area and the distance between your home and the nearest post town or mailbox is over three kilometres, then possibly yes. First check from our customer service if your home is covered by the pickup sign service.
If your mailbox is equipped with a pickup sign, you can send letters and parcels with the Helposti code from your own mailbox. We will take pre-paid letters, postcards and parcels paid for online for delivery when we deliver mail to the mailbox or the group of mailboxes. Make sure that the mailbox is not locked.
Letter on the way
Domestic letters
We deliver standard domestic letters and postcards usually within four weekdays. If the letter is equipped with a Plus Sticker, we will deliver it in two weekdays.
Other domestic letters:
Express letter, 1–2 weekdays
Registered letter, 2–3 weekdays
Cash on Delivery letter, 2–3 weekdays
International letters
Check the
Even under normal circumstances, the delivery times to other countries are estimates that are based on actual delivery times in the past. The time required by customs procedures is not included in the estimated delivery speed.
Estimated delivery times
Priority Letter, Registered Letter and Insured Item
Nordic countries and Central Europe 2–5 weekdays
other European countries 3–6 weekdays
other major cities 4–10 weekdays
Economy Letter
Nordic countries 7–14 weekdays
other European countries 8–16 weekdays
other major cities starting from 12 weekdays
International Exprès letter
Nordic countries 2–3 weekdays
other European countries 2–5 weekdays
other countries 3–8 weekdays
Are you the recipient?
If the letter is delayed, the best way is to contact the sender. The sender knows when the letter was sent, to what address and through which carrier. There are around twenty companies that deliver addressed letters in Finland.
Are you the sender?
We deliver standard domestic letters and postcards usually within four weekdays. Standard letters can’t be tracked, and if the letter has not unique tracking code, its detailed movements cannot be found out. If the letter is equipped with a Plus Sticker, we will deliver it in two weekdays. Item Tracking will show when the Plus Item has been delivered.
You can track the delivery trackable letters with the tracking in the Item Tracking. Check the delivery times of trackable letters in Posti’s delivery time inquiry.
At the moment, there are delays in the delivery of international mail due to limited transport capacity and quickly changing flight schedules. The item can also be delayed if it has to wait for further transportation. Mail delivery times have also become less frequent in several countries.
In the case of an Insured Letter, Posti pays compensation up to the insured value. Therefore, you should mail all items of value as an Insured Letter. Normally, it’s not possible to verify afterwards the movements or delivery of a standard letter. That’s why it’s not usually possible to receive compensation for them. You can use Item Tracking to check when an item equipped with a Plus Sticker is delivered to the recipient.
The precondition of compensation is that we can establish that the damage occurred while we were responsible for the item. The occurred damage is verified by receipts. More information on compensation criteria and maximum amounts.
Please note! At the moment, there are delays in the delivery of international mail due to limited transport capacity and quickly changing flight schedules. The item can also be delayed if it has to wait for further transportation. Mail delivery times have also become less frequent in several countries.
Sending items abroad
Report the content of the letter both with a CN22 customs slip attached on top of the letter and electronically, along with the sender’s and recipient’s information. Register the content of the letter before sending. Print out the CN22 customs slip and attach it on the letter.
Shipments will be returned from the United States if their content information is missing or not fully reported.
Report the content of the letter both with a CN22 customs slip attached on top of the letter and electronically, along with the sender’s and recipient’s information. Register the content of the letter before sending. Print out the CN22 customs slip and attach it on the letter.
Write the address according to the common practice in the destination country. However, always write the country name in CAPITAL LETTERS. Write the recipient’s name and address in the bottom right-hand corner. Write the sender’s information in the top left-hand corner. See the country-specific instructions. Select the recipient’s country in the menu below “Postal addressing systems in member countries and/or territories”.
Check the country-specific bans and restrictions before sending items abroad. Your item must not contain dangerous goods, objects or other harmful substances or prohibited substances.
At the moment, there are delays in delivery due to limited transport capacity and quickly changing flight schedules. The item can also be delayed if it has to wait for further transportation. Mail delivery times have also become less frequent in several countries.
Nordic countries and Central Europe 2–5 weekdays
other European countries 3–6 weekdays
other major cities 4–10 weekdays
Economy Letter
Nordic countries 7–14 weekdays
other European countries 8–16 weekdays
other major cities starting from 12 weekdays
International Exprès letter
Nordic countries 2–3 weekdays
other European countries 2–5 weekdays
other countries 3–8 weekdays
Items for the blind in Finland and abroad
We transport items containing Braille (embossed writing) free of charge to all countries if the sender is a visually impaired private individual. An item containing Braille must be submitted for transportation unsealed and it may weigh 7 kg at the most. You must attach the indication of the item for the blind on the address side of the item. In Finland, either the word Sokeainlähetys or Cécogramme can be marked in the upper right-hand corner on the address side of the item. You can also contact our customer service to request sticker indications. Print out a sheet of four indicators Print out a sheet of nine indicators