How do I Handle U.S. Mail When I Move Overseas?

Craig S. Says:

We’re about to move overseas. How do we handle our U.S. mail after we move? The Postal Service won’t forward it overseas and we don’t want to burden friends or family back home.

 

IL Latin America Correspondent Jason Holland Says:

Hi Craig,

Congratulations on the move!

Mail is certainly a concern when you move abroad. And using a family member or friend’s address is not ideal. While many may offer, you’ll find people quickly tire of being your personal mail service. That’s when it pays to use a professional.

Many expats use a virtual mailbox service, which provides you with an address in the United States. The service will receive your mail, scan the outside, and upload the image to your account. If necessary, you can ask them to open and scan the contents as well. On request, they’ll also forward the item to your overseas address.

There are many services like this out there providing virtual mailboxes. Just do a search for “virtual mailbox” or “expat mail.” Earth Class Mail has been around for quite a while, and I know of several expats who use it.

Other options include PostScanMail and US Global Mail.

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