Sending a postcard abroad: what you need to know
Published on 13 July 2026 · 3 min read
Your cousin has moved to Montreal, your best friend is finishing his Erasmus year in Lisbon, and your grandparents spend the winter in Portugal. Good news: a postcard crosses borders as easily as oceans. There are just a couple of things worth knowing so it arrives quickly and safely.
The address: the one rule that really matters
The principle is simple: write the address the way it is written in the destination country, then add the country name alone on the last line, in capital letters. That is the line the postal service reads before handing your card over to the local network. In Germany, the postcode comes before the city (10115 Berlin). In the UK, the postcode gets its own line, after the town. If in doubt, copy the address exactly as your recipient gave it to you — they know their country's format better than anyone.
Delivery times: a matter of patience
Within Europe, allow three to seven working days. To North America, Asia or Oceania, the range widens: one to three weeks depending on the destination and the season. In December, everything slows down. For a birthday, post your card ten days ahead if it is travelling far. And if it lands a little late, no harm done: getting real mail a week after your birthday just makes the celebration last longer.
The stamp: the part everyone forgets
A card going abroad needs international postage, which costs more than the domestic rate — the detail that trips you up when you are on holiday with no post office in sight. With UnCoucou, the question never comes up: you send your photo from your phone, the card is printed and mailed from France with the right postage, from €2.49 all inclusive, whether your recipient lives in Brussels or Sydney. The only thing left to do is find the words. And nobody can do that for you.