Royal Mail has issued reminders and clear formatting guidelines to anyone writing addresses by hand to ensure automated sorting machines and posties can process hand-written letters and parcels without delay.
Key Placement and Alignment Rules
The recipient's address must be placed on the bottom-left corner of the envelope or parcel, with postage in the top-right corner. All lines must be left-aligned; senders should not centre the address or write it in "stepped" diagonal lines.
Handwritten addresses should contain no commas or full stops anywhere. Clear, high-contrast ink is required, with black ink on white envelopes or labels described as ideal. Pale pens or dark envelopes where text blends into the paper should be avoided. A generous, clean margin should be left around the entire address block.
Line-by-Line Structure
The recipient's full name or organisation name should be listed on the top line. The second line should contain the house number and street. The third line, for the local area or village, is optional. The fourth line should show the town or city written in all capitals. The final line should be the postcode in all caps with a space in the middle.
Including the county name is not necessary, as Royal Mail's sorting systems rely on the postcode instead.
Return Address Guidance
If a return address is included, senders should write "Return address" followed by their details on the back of the envelope or parcel. It should never be placed near the front address block to avoid confusing machine readers.
Many people turn to sites such as Reddit to ask others about postage dilemmas after seeing their post fail to send properly. Getting the correct information ensures post is sent to the right place with no issues.
