Mail Forwarding (the why, how and what in 2026)

Moving abroad- whether for work, retirement or other reasons- can be equally exhilarating and nerve-racking. There are mixed emotions of sadness at leaving behind family and friends and the thrill of starting a new adventure.

One question that expats often miss in the hustle bustle of moving, is what will happen to the paper mail that they get at home. Even if you have moved your banking online and get most bills via email, there are still many pieces of mail for example from the IRS, tax notices, new credit cards, renewed Drivers License, and other paperwork that comes only via mail. (Our guide on what to do with mail when moving overseas has a checklist of who to notify before you leave.)

USPS forwarding won’t get your mail overseas. Its Premium Forwarding Service only ships to US addresses, and it costs $26.40 to enroll online ($28.70 at the Post Office) plus $29.70 for each week of service. That’s about $118.80 every four weeks, and your mail still ends up in the US. Ouch!

Depending on what country you move to, getting mail can be difficult.  And keeping a US address even when you are overseas is important if you bank in the US or expect to deposit any checks in the US. Many companies, not to mention government services, require one, even if it is not your official residence.
Which begs the question:

How do I forward mail to another address overseas?

The easiest way is a virtual mailbox from US Global Mail, which gives you a permanent US street address and ships your mail to you anywhere in the world.

USPS won’t forward mail to a foreign address, so you need someone or something in the US to receive it first. Other options include:

(1) Ask a family member or a reliable friend to pick up your mail daily

(2) Forward your mail to a family member’s or friend’s home address

(3) Use a professional mail forwarding service

Let’s start by looking at how you go about getting a PO Box, and then we will move on to the other options we just mentioned.

How to Get a PO Box with The United States Postal Service

To make this as easy as possible to understand, we are going to go through each step in detail, so you can decide whether this is the right option for you. Just make sure you don’t make any set-in-stone choices yet since we still have to tell you about the best way to go about your expat mail forwarding.

Step One: Choose a PO Box Size

The United States Postal Service offers 5 different PO box sizes. Namely extra small, small, medium, large, and extra large. Thankfully, they also tell you what each of these can hold! We will have a closer look at them now:

• Extra small (3 inches x 5.5 inches) — this one can hold around 10 to 15 letters or 2 magazines (rolled up). The depth is around 14.75 inches which is a universal size throughout all PO boxes.
• Small (5 inches x 5.5 inches) — this option can hold around 10 to 15 letters or 5 magazines (rolled up).
• Medium (5.5 inches x 11 inches) — this one can hold large envelopes and magazines that are stacked flat.
• Large (11 inches x 11 inches) — if you receive larger packages, you will want to go with this one. It can hold around 2 shoeboxes and 10 to 15 letters at the same time.
• Extra large (12 inches x 22.5 inches) — this one can hold a number of flat rate boxes and parcels, along with letters too of course.

Step Two: Reserve Your PO Box

Once you know which size will suit you best, you need to search for the post office that is nearest to your home. Then, just click “reserve a new PO box”.

Step Three: Pick Your Payment Period

There are multiple payment periods that you can select. It is up to you and your financial needs as to which one will fit you best.

Step Four: Enter Your Contact and Billing Information

You will be asked to supply the obvious information like your first name, last name, address, card number, security code, expiry date, and a few other bits. After you have hit “submit”, you are able to move onto the final step.

Step Five: Validate Your ID and Pick Up Your PO Box Keys

By law, you have to validate your identity in person. So, you need to go down to your PO box location with two forms of government-approved ID. The primary form needs to be a federal, state, or tribal photo card. You can choose from the following:

• State driver’s license
• Non-driver’s ID card
• US Armed Forces card
• Uniformed Service ID card
• US passport
• US passport card
• US university identification
• Corporate identification
• Any card issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
• US naturalization certificate
• US citizenship certificate
• Tribal identification card

The secondary form of ID can be one of these:

• Lease agreement
• Deed of trust
• Mortgage agreement
• Voter registration card
• Vehicle registration card
• Home insurance policy
• Form I-94
• Vehicle insurance policy
• Utility bill

After they have been approved by the person at the post office desk, your keys will be handed over to you. Then you can do a little celebration dance because the PO box is yours!

Ask someone to pick up your mail daily

Works short-term. Long term though… not really. If your close friend or brother asks you to pick their mail for a week, that’s fine. You can help out! But picking up their mail daily for a month or a year sounds crazy. Plus, are you comfortable when your friend or sibling looks through your bank statements or W4 form?

Forward your mail to a friend’s home

Are you comfortable with your friend or sibling looking at your tax documents or W4’s? Even if you can compromise your mail privacy and confidentiality, you still have the issue of getting it to yourself. Are they going to go to the Post office and mail your stuff every week?

Use a mail forwarding service

A mail forwarding company receives your mail, gives you near real time access to it so you can view it, read the contents and have it bundled and forwarded to your new home or office or any place in the world.

CMRA address vs residential address: which do you need?

Most expats need a CMRA address, like the one US Global Mail provides, because it receives your mail for you while you live abroad.

A CMRA (Commercial Mail Receiving Agency) is a business registered with USPS to receive mail for its customers. Your CMRA address is a real street address with your private mailbox number (PMB) added, for example “1234 Main St, PMB 5678”. A residential address is a place where someone actually lives.

	CMRA address	Residential address
Who receives your mail	Mailroom staff, every business day	You, or whoever lives there
Works while you live abroad	Yes. You see scans of your mail online	Only if someone collects and sends it
Packages from any carrier	Yes, USPS, UPS, FedEx and DHL	Yes, if someone is home
Privacy	Your home address stays private	Your home address is on every envelope
Paperwork	USPS Form 1583, notarized	None

If you still own a US home that someone lives in, a residential address can work. If you sold your home or rent it out, a CMRA address is the practical choice. Some banks also ask for a residential address on file, which we cover below.

How to sign USPS Form 1583 from abroad

You can sign USPS Form 1583 from anywhere through US Global Mail’s online notary, on a live video call, using your passport as ID.

Every CMRA customer needs a notarized Form 1583 on file, but you don’t have to fly back to sign it. Here’s how it works:

1. Sign up and choose your US address.
2. Upload your ID documents. If you live outside the US, use your passport as your photo ID.
3. Review the Form 1583 we prepare for you and check every field.
4. Open your signing link, complete the device check, and take a photo of your ID and a selfie.
5. A licensed notary joins a live video call, verifies your identity and witnesses your signature. No appointment is needed, and your card is only charged once the notarization is completed.

If you’d rather sign in person, US embassies and consulates offer notary services by appointment.

For field-by-field instructions and the list of accepted IDs, see our USPS Form 1583 guide.

Using the address with banks and the IRS

You can use your US Global Mail address for IRS letters and bank mail, but check whether your bank also needs a residential address on file.

The IRS

The IRS sends notices by mail, often with response deadlines, so a missed letter can turn into penalties. Use your US Global Mail address as the mailing address on your tax return, or file IRS Form 8822 to change your address with the IRS. When a notice arrives, you can have it scanned the same day and read it from anywhere.

Banks

Statements, new cards and checks can all come to your US Global Mail address. Banks are required to verify your identity, and some ask for a residential address in addition to a mailing address. Before you move, ask your bank whether it will keep your CMRA address as your mailing address. Some accounts get frozen or closed when the only address on file is overseas.

When a check arrives, US Global Mail can deposit it into your US bank account, free on every plan.

Always write your address exactly as it appears in your account, including your PMB or box number. For a full list of who to notify before you leave, see What To Do With Mail When Moving Overseas.

Top Reasons Expats Need Mail Forwarding

Shop Any US Website

Whenever you are overseas, that can make getting items from your favorite US companies in the mail, a problem or a difficult attempt. Many companies do not ship overseas or if they do ship, then you can expect to pay some very high shipping fees. With a US address, you are able to receive all those items at your US location, and from there we can ship them to you at up to 80% off the typical cost you would.

Direct Access To Mail

When getting a virtual mailbox, you are able to stay on top of mail 24/7, with your own login credentials. It’s a bit similar to e-mail, only for mail & packages. Log into your account, request a mail scan or have some item shipped; all with the click of a button.

Keeps online record

When you get mail, all items are scanned and uploaded into your virtual mailbox. You can receive an unlimited number of mail items to your address with unlimited storage. You can also store your items up until 180 days, free of charge. And even if you do need to store items for a longer period of time, it only costs a few additional cents for your item. Saving files online, makes accessing files more reliable and a cheaper option for your mail.

Privacy

When you have mail clerks at the company you work at, handle your mail and ship to you, then you probably have a series of people that get to your mail before you do. With a virtual mailbox, you are the first one to access all important documents from your phone or computer, without a bunch of intermediaries. Communication with customer service can be done within the app as well; so any request you need, can be completed within just a few clicks.

It’s More Reliable. The alternative to having a professional company handling your mail, is having some relative or friend picking up mail on your behalf, heading over to the post office and shipping them out. As you can realize, over the course of several weeks and months, this can turn into a part time job for your friend. And even if you did have someone so committed to just deal with your mail, they probably would have to work it into their schedule to get it shipped to you in time (making up for several delays, or mistakes in forwarding on your items.) When you have a professional mail forwarding company handling this on your behalf (and especially a company like US Global Mail that has been around for 25+ years,) you are assured to get your mail on time.

Is a Smart Mailbox Going to be Your New Best Friend?

Yes. With US Global Mail you keep one permanent US address and can read your mail online from anywhere.

The likely answer is, yes! Virtual mailboxes are a fantastic way to make sure all your important documents reach you, no matter where you are in the world (which expats benefit greatly from, of course). But to give you a better idea, let’s go through all the advantages you will gain by opening a smart mailbox.

1. Mail Security and Privacy

Identity and package theft is a growing concern throughout most countries these days (sadly). It just isn’t safe to have your parcels and letters left in a previous neighbors’ box or outside their door anymore, especially if you have moved overseas.

With a virtual mailbox, this won’t be a concern anymore.

You get access to your mail online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Not to mention that your delivery is guaranteed. There won’t be any missed or stolen packages anymore. You can cross that off your “things to stress about” list!

By now, you are probably wondering how all of that is possible. Don’t worry, we will tell you how it works.

Firstly, the apps use industry-leading security that will always work. Yep, we’re talking bank-grade encryption here — your mail security is not a joke to us! Any information that travels through our warehouses and servers is protected against hackers and thieves.

Secondly, all the staff members are aware of the privacy policies, compliances, and controls they must abide by in order to give you the best service imaginable. So, no matter where you are in the world, your US mail will be kept safe from your old neighbors, nosy family members, and the government. Basically, privacy is our middle name.

Thirdly, 2-step verification is enabled on all accounts to ensure it is really you trying to look at your incoming mail. It isn’t just your username and password you need, but also a secondary bit of information to ensure complete security, all the time.

Finally, you can always change how you handle your mail data. Whether you want to back it up, download it, or delete it entirely, it’s up to you.

2. Check Your Mail Any Time

Since you are an expat, you probably aren’t going to be in your old home country all that often, right? Not to worry, with a virtual mailbox you can access all your mail, no matter where you are in the world.

Missing important bills or documents is a thing of the past!

3. Never Have to Enlist People’s Help with Your Mail Again

Asking a previous neighbor or your old colleagues to take care of your mail until the next time you fly over to sort it can be incredibly stressful. You are likely to receive important documents such as tax notices, IRS letters, passport renewals, credit cards, insurance paperwork, bills, and checks that you won’t want people snooping through. Makes sense!

In this case, a smart mailbox is definitely the right way to go. You can have your super-important letters scanned immediately so you can sort them out on the day they’re delivered. And, you can make sure everything is bundled up and shipped to your new overseas address insanely quickly.

4. You Can Still Shop In the USA

Depending on where you live now, they might not support the importation of American goods. As an expat, you are bound to be fairly frustrated by this — hence another reason to set up a virtual mailbox. You can shop online in the United States of America, have it shipped to that address, and then tell the expert mail handlers that you want it sent to your current address. It’s as easy as a, b, c!

5. You Will Be Saving the Planet

You know as much as we do how annoying spam mail is — supermarket coupons, pizza deliveries, gym brochures — and you won’t even be in the US to be able to use them, so why bother getting them forwarded by the USPS?

With a smart mailbox, the professional handlers will discard anything that is clearly spam before they upload your mail every day. You won’t even have to see the annoying stuff. The best part is, these pizza deliveries advertisements won’t just be going to the landfill. Instead, they are recycled to ensure we do our bit to save the trees.

6. You Can Have the Same Mailing Address for the Rest of Your Life

Yup, you read that right; we thought we would leave the best till last!

We are going to assume that you’ve moved a lot in your life. Correct? We thought so. And with each move comes all the boring paperwork — including changing your address with the USPS, your driver’s license, passport, and everything else. It’s hard work.

But that all changes with a virtual mailbox. Regardless of where you move, your mailing address can stay the same. Perfect, isn’t it?

The Bottom Line

Here at US Global Mail, we have helped over 100,000 expats find freedom with their mail thanks to our awesome smart mailbox. We can’t wait to start making your snail mail dreams come true! If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to get in touch. We are always happy to help.