Country Conditions for Mailing — Great Britain and
Northern Ireland

(Includes England, Scotland, Wales,
Northern Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey,
Alderney, Sark, and the Isle of Man)

 

Prohibitions (130)

 

Any postal item containing enclosures addressed to different persons at different addresses.

Arms and parts of arms, except as noted under Observation #5 below.

Articles, goods infringing British trademarks or copyright laws.

Cards decorated with mica or ground glass or similar materials unless they are placed in envelopes.

Citizens Band Radios, walkie-talkies, microbugs, and radio microphones that are capable of transmitting on any frequency between 26.1 and 29.7 megacycles per second and 88 to 108 Mhz per second.

Goods made in foreign prisons, except those imported for a non-commercial purpose or of a kind not manufactured in the UK.

Horror comics and matrices.

Obscene articles, prints, paintings, cards, films, videotapes, etc.

Perishable infectious biological substances.

Seal skins except those from an accepted source.

Switchblade knives.

Restrictions  

Coins; banknotes; currency notes (paper money); securities payable to bearer; traveler’s checks; manufactured and unmanufactured platinum, gold, silver; precious stones; jewelry; and other valuable articles, may only be sent in registered First-Class Mail International shipments or insured Priority Mail International parcels.

Foods or beverages to which any preservative or other substance has been added must comply with the British regulations for importation.

Live bees.

Live queen bees must be accompanied by an import license issued by a UK Government Agricultural Department and a health certificate issued by the appropriate Government Department of the country of origin stating that the bees are free of disease.

Meat, meat products, and animal products including dry sausage and dried milk require import license issued by appropriate UK Agricultural Department.

Plants and parts of plants require import permit issued by the appropriate Agricultural Department in UK.

Observations  

1. The following is a list of the names of the counties and city names in Northern Ireland. The County names are in capital letters. The geographic identifiers should be used in addressing mail to Northern Ireland:

 

 

ANTRIM:	DOWN:	LONDONDERRY:
Antrim	Banbridge	Coleraine
Ballymena	Bangor	Kilrea
Belfast	Downpatrick	Limavady
Carrickfergus	Kilkeel	Londonderry
Larne	Newcastle	Magherafelt
Lisburn	Newry	Portstewart
Portrush	Newtownards	TYRONE:
Toomebridge	FERMANAGH:	Cookstown
Whitehead	Enniskillen	Dugannon
ARMAGH:		Moy
Armagh		Omagh
Lurgan		Strabane
Portsdown

2. Many types of merchandise, unless sent as unsolicited gifts, require import licenses that the addressees must obtain from the British Board of Trade. Before mailing commercial shipments, senders should be assured that the addressees can obtain licenses if needed.
3. All goods sent to the UK are liable to customs duty and Value Added Tax on importation whether or not the package is marked as a “gift.” Packages are admitted free of customs charges, however, if they meet the following conditions:
1. Gift packages of small value provided they do not contain any tobacco goods, spirits or wine;
2. Gift packages containing only well-worn clothing (excluding garments of high value), limited quantities of foodstuffs (other than caviar), soap or consumable medical supplies.
4. Postal packages without a customs declaration that contain goods liable to customs duty or control may be seized by the customs authorities.
5. Firearms that are intended for sporting purposes are mailable to Great Britain, provided the prospective addressee has obtained the required import license.
6. Great Britain limits the weight of M-bags to 20 kg. (44 lbs.).

 

Customs Forms Required (123)

First-Class Mail International items and Priority Mail International flat-rate envelopes:
PS Form 2976 or 2976-A (see 123.61)

Priority Mail International parcels:
PS Form 2976-A inside 2976-E (envelope)

 

 

Global Express Guaranteed (210)

 

Weight not over (lbs.)	Rate	Weight not over (lbs.)	Rate	Weight not over (lbs.)	Rate
0.5	$37.00	24	$172.20	48	$275.40
1	49.00	25	176.50	49	279.70
2	56.00	26	180.80	50	284.00
3	63.00	27	185.10	51	288.30
4	70.00	28	189.40	52	292.60
5	77.00	29	193.70	53	296.90
6	84.00	30	198.00	54	301.20
7	91.00	31	202.30	55	305.50
8	98.00	32	206.60	56	309.80
9	105.00	33	210.90	57	314.10
10	112.00	34	215.20	58	318.40
11	116.30	35	219.50	59	322.70
12	120.60	36	223.80	60	327.00
13	124.90	37	228.10	61	331.30
14	129.20	38	232.40	62	335.60
15	133.50	39	236.70	63	339.90
16	137.80	40	241.00	64	344.20
17	142.10	41	245.30	65	348.50
18	146.40	42	249.60	66	352.80
19	150.70	43	253.90	67	357.10
20	155.00	44	258.20	68	361.40
21	159.30	45	262.50	69	365.70
22	163.60	46	266.80	70	370.00
23	167.90	47	271.10
Weight Limit: 70 lbs.

 

Insurance (215.5)

 

Insured Amount not over	Fee	Insured Amount not over	Fee
$100	No Fee	For document reconstruction insurance or non-document insurance coverage above $800, add $0.75 per $100 or fraction thereof, up to a maximum of $2,499 per shipment.
200	$0.75
300	1.50
400	2.25
500	3.00
600	3.75
700	4.50
800	5.25	$2,499 max.	$18.00

 

Size Limits (216.4)

An item must be large enough to hold on its face the postage
and the plastic pouch that carries the Global Express
Guaranteed Air Waybill/Shipping Invoice (shipping label).
The shipping label is approximately 5.5 inches high and
9.5 inches long, and the plastic pouch that carries it is
approximately 7 inches high and 12 inches long.

Maximum length: 46 inches
Maximum width: 35 inches
Maximum height: 46 inches
Maximum length and girth combined: 108 inches

General Conditions for Mailing  

See Publication 141, Global Express Guaranteed Service Guide, for information about areas served in the destination country, allowable contents, packaging and labeling requirements, tracking and tracing, service standards, and other conditions for mailing.

 

 

 

Express Mail International (220)

 

Weight not over (lbs.)	Rate	Weight not over (lbs.)	Rate	Weight not over (lbs.)	Rate
0.5	$25.00	24	$118.75	48	$208.75
1	30.50	25	122.50	49	212.50
2	34.75	26	126.25	50	216.25
3	39.00	27	130.00	51	220.00
4	43.25	28	133.75	52	223.75
5	47.50	29	137.50	53	227.50
6	51.25	30	141.25	54	231.25
7	55.00	31	145.00	55	235.00
8	58.75	32	148.75	56	238.75
9	62.50	33	152.50	57	242.50
10	66.25	34	156.25	58	246.25
11	70.00	35	160.00	59	250.00
12	73.75	36	163.75	60	253.75
13	77.50	37	167.50	61	257.50
14	81.25	38	171.25	62	261.25
15	85.00	39	175.00	63	265.00
16	88.75	40	178.75	64	268.75
17	92.50	41	182.50	65	272.50
18	96.25	42	186.25	66	276.25
19	100.00	43	190.00
20	103.75	44	193.75
21	107.50	45	197.50
22	111.25	46	201.25
23	115.00	47	205.00
Weight Limit: 66 lbs.

 

Express Mail International — Flat Rate

Flat-Rate Envelope (9.5" x 12.5"):

$25.00

 

Insurance (221.3)

Available for Express Mail International merchandise shipments only

 

Insured Amount not over	Fee
$100	No Fee
200	$0.75
500	2.10
650 max.	3.45

 

Articles Admitted	Required Customs Form/Endorsement
Business correspondence, commercial papers, and documents.	No form required. Endorse item clearly next to mailing label as BUSINESS PAPERS.
Merchandise samples without commercial value.	PS Form 2976, Customs — CN 22 (Old C 1) and Sender’s Declaration (green label).
Merchandise and all articles subject to customs duty.	PS Form 2976-A, Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note CP 72, inside a PS Form 2976-E, Customs Declaration Envelope CP 91.

 

Size Limits (223.2)

Maximum length: 36 inches

Maximum length and girth combined: 79 inches

 

Return Receipt Service (221.4):

NOT Available

 

Note:  

Coins; banknotes; currency notes, including paper money; securities of any kind payable to bearer; traveler’s checks; platinum, gold, and silver; precious stones; jewelry; watches; and other valuable articles are prohibited in Express Mail International shipments to Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Reciprocal Service Name: Datapost

Country Code: GB

Areas Served:  

All points in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and the Isle of Man.

 

Priority Mail International  

 

Weight not over (lbs.)	Rate	Weight not over (lbs.)	Rate	Weight not over (lbs.)	Rate
1	$20.00	23	$95.40	45	$168.00
2	24.00	24	98.70	46	171.30
3	28.00	25	102.00	47	174.60
4	32.00	26	105.30	48	177.90
5	36.00	27	108.60	49	181.20
6	39.30	28	111.90	50	184.50
7	42.60	29	115.20	51	187.80
8	45.90	30	118.50	52	191.10
9	49.20	31	121.80	53	194.40
10	52.50	32	125.10	54	197.70
11	55.80	33	128.40	55	201.00
12	59.10	34	131.70	56	204.30
13	62.40	35	135.00	57	207.60
14	65.70	36	138.30	58	210.90
15	69.00	37	141.60	59	214.20
16	72.30	38	144.90	60	217.50
17	75.60	39	148.20	61	220.80
18	78.90	40	151.50	62	224.10
19	82.20	41	154.80	63	227.40
20	85.50	42	158.10	64	230.70
21	88.80	43	161.40	65	234.00
22	92.10	44	164.70	66	237.30
Weight Limit: 66 lbs.

 

Notes:  

1 Merchandise is permitted, but written communications having the nature of current and personal correspondence are not permitted.

2 Ordinary Priority Mail International includes indemnity at no cost based on weight. (See 230.)

 

Priority Mail International — Flat Rate

Flat-Rate Envelope (9.5" x 12.5"): $11.00

 

May contain items that may be sent as First-Class Mail International. The maximum weight is 4 lbs.

Flat-Rate Box: $37.00

Merchandise is permitted, but written communications having the nature of current and personal correspondence are not permitted. The maximum weight is 20 lbs. or the limit set by the individual country.

 

Size Limits  

See 235.2

 

 

First-Class Mail International  

 

Weight not over (ozs.)	Rate	Weight not over (ozs.)	Rate	Weight not over (ozs.)	Rate
1	$0.90	12	$8.80	44	$21.60
2	1.80	16	10.40	48	23.20
3	2.70	20	12.00	52	24.80
4	3.60	24	13.60	56	26.40
5	4.50	28	15.20	60	28.00
6	5.40	32	16.80	64	29.60
7	6.30	36	18.40
8	7.20	40	20.00
Weight Limit: 64 ounces (4 lbs.)

 

Size Limits  

See 243.2

 

Postcards and Postal Cards (250)

$0.90

 

Direct Sack to One Addressee — M-Bags (260)

 

Weight not over 11 lbs. Each additional pound or fraction of a pound	$31.35 2.85
Weight Limit: 44 pounds

 

Matter for the Blind (270)

Free when sent as First-Class Mail International.

Weight limit: 15 lbs.

 

Extra Services  

 

Certificate of Mailing  

See 313 for fees

 

COD and Certified  

NOT for International Mail

 

Insurance (320)

Available for Priority Mail International parcels only (see 324.3 for markings)

 

 

Insured Amount not over	Fee
$50	$2.40
100	3.30
200	4.20
300	5.10
400	6.00
500	6.90
600	7.80
650 max.	8.70

 

International Business Reply Service (373)

Fee: Envelopes up to 2 ounces $1.40; Cards $0.90

 

International Postal Money Order (371)

NOT Available

 

International Reply Coupons (372)

Fee: $2.00

 

Registered Mail (330)

Fee: $10.15

Maximum Indemnity: $43.73

Available for First-Class Mail International,
including postcards and postal cards, and
matter for the blind or other physically
handicapped persons. Not applicable to M-bags.

 

Restricted Delivery (350)

NOT Available

 

Return Receipt (340)

Fee: $2.15

Available for registered mail and insured
Priority Mail International parcels only.