How to write an address
Choose the country and fill in the address to see it in the right order: the lines, where the postal code goes and what is written in capitals. Copy it or print it on an envelope.
Address formatter
The address in this format
Recipient nameStreet addressWASHINGTON MI 48094UNITED STATES
What you type stays in your browser: it is not sent to our server.
The rules for any address
Start with the recipient: the name of the person, then the company, if any, on the next line.
Then the street and the house number, with the apartment, floor or building. In most of Europe the number comes after the street (Hauptstraße 5); in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia it comes before it (5 Main Street).
Then the town with the postal code, in the order of the country. Add the region only where the country uses it, such as the state in the United States, Australia and India or the province in Canada.
For mail from abroad, the last line is the country name in capital letters.
Address examples by country
United States
Recipient nameStreet addressWASHINGTON MI 48094UNITED STATES
United Kingdom
Recipient nameStreet addressLONDONEC1Y 8SYUNITED KINGDOM
Canada
Recipient nameStreet addressOTTAWA ON K1A 0B1CANADA
Australia
Recipient nameStreet addressCANBERRA ACT 2600AUSTRALIA
Germany
Recipient nameStreet address10026 BERLINGERMANY
France
Recipient nameStreet address75000 PARISFRANCE
India
Recipient nameStreet addressNEW DELHI 110001DelhiINDIA
Japan
Recipient nameStreet addressChiyoda, TOKYO100-0001JAPAN
Questions
What is the correct order of an address?
Name, company, street and number, then the town with the postal code, and for mail from abroad the country. Where the postal code goes on the town line depends on the country: before the town in most of Europe, after the state in the United States.
Where do I put the postal code in an address?
On the same line as the town in most countries: before it (1000 Sofia) or after it (New York NY 10001). In the United Kingdom, Japan and some other countries it has its own line. Choose the country above to see where.
How do I write an address to another country?
Write it in the format of the destination country and add the country name in capital letters as the last line. See also how to address an envelope.
Should the town be in capital letters?
Many countries write the town, and in the United States also the state, in capitals: the formatter does this for you. It is a recommendation for machine reading, not a strict rule.
Where does the apartment number go?
On the street line after the house number, or on its own line above the street when it does not fit, for example Apt 4B or Flat 2.
What if the country has no postal codes?
Leave the postal code out: the formatter shows no postal code field for these countries. 56 countries and territories do not use postal codes.