With the holiday season approaching, we are reminding friends and families to mail early to ensure delivery of their holiday cards and packages, especially to APO/FPO/DPO destination addresses, by December 25. Deadlines for mailing to specific APO/FPO/DPO ZIP Codes vary according to the specific classes of mail being sent to them. They are listed below.

We also remind mailers that all mail addressed to overseas military/diplomatic Post Offices is subject to certain conditions or restrictions regarding content, preparation and handling.

Those restrictions are listed by individual APO/FPO/DPO ZIP Code in each Postal Bulletin. To access this listing on the Internet, go to pe.usps.com, click Postal Bulletins in the blue navigation bar, and then select the Pull-Out Information section.

Domestic Mail Class/Product	Cut Off Date
First-Class Mail®	Dec. 20
Priority Mail®	Dec. 20
Priority Mail Express®*	Dec. 23
Standard Post™	Dec. 15
DNDC Drop Ship	Dec. 19
DDU Drop Ship	Dec. 22
International Mail**
Priority Mail Express Military™ APO/FPO/DPO**

* Priority Mail Express postage refund eligibility is adjusted for shipments mailed Dec. 22-25

Mail Addressed To	Priority Mail Express Military Service (PMEMS)1	First-Class Mail Letters and Cards	Priority Mail	Parcel Airlift Mail (PAL) 2	Space Available Mail (SAM) 3	Standard Post
APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 090-092	Dec. 17	Dec. 10	Dec. 10	Dec. 3	Nov. 26	Nov. 8
APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIP 093	N/A	Dec. 3	Dec. 3	Dec. 3	Nov. 26	Nov. 8
APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 094-098	Dec. 17	Dec. 10	Dec. 10	Dec. 3	Nov. 26	Nov. 8
APO/FPO/DPO AA ZIP 340	Dec. 17	Dec. 10	Dec. 10	Dec. 3	Nov. 26	Nov. 8
APO/FPO/DPO AP ZIPs 962-966	Dec. 17	Dec. 10	Dec. 10	Dec. 3	Nov. 26	Nov. 8

1 PMEMS: is available to selected military and diplomatic Post Offices. Check with your local Post Office to determine if this service is available to an APO/FPO/DPO address.

2 PAL: is a service that provides air transportation for parcels on a space-available basis. It is available for Standard Post items not exceeding 30 pounds in weight and 60 inches in length and girth combined. The applicable PAL fee must be paid in addition to the regular surface price of postage for each addressed piece sent by PAL service.

3 SAM: parcels are paid at Standard Post prices with maximum weight and size limits of 15 pounds and 60 inches in length and girth combined. SAM parcels are first transported domestically by surface and then to overseas destinations by air on a space-available basis.

 

International Mail Addressed To	Global Express Guaranteed® (GXG®)***	Priority Mail Express International™ (PMEI)	Priority Mail International® (PMI)	First-Class Package International Service™ (FCPIS®)
Africa	Dec. 18	Dec. 10	Dec. 2	Dec. 2
Asia/Pacific Rim	Dec. 17	Dec. 14	Dec. 9	Dec. 9
Australia/New Zealand	Dec. 17	Dec. 14	Dec. 9	Dec. 9
Canada	Dec. 19	Dec. 16	Dec. 12	Dec. 9
Caribbean	Dec. 18	Dec. 14	Dec. 12	Dec. 9
Central & South America	Dec. 18	Dec. 12	Dec. 2	Dec. 2
Mexico	Dec. 19	Dec. 14	Dec. 9	Dec. 9
Europe	Dec. 18	Dec. 14	Dec. 12	Dec. 9
Middle East	Dec. 17	Dec. 14	Dec. 12	Dec. 9

***GXG Notes 1) Cutoff date does not take into account time needed for customs clearance 2) Should allocate extra transit day(s) for delivery outside major cities.

2014 Holiday Season Import Dates (Provides mailing guidelines for foreign postal partners in order to achieve December 25 delivery in the U.S.)
Surface			Air				EMS
LC/AO		CP			LC/AO			CP
Dec. 9	Dec. 6			Dec. 15		Dec. 13			Dec. 18
December 6 Last day to send parcel post packages via surface transportation
December 9 Last day to send letters, flats, and small packages via surface transportation
December 13 Last day to send priority packages via air transportation
December 15 Last day to send letters, flats, and small packages via air transportation
December 18 Last day to send Express Mail Service items (any shape)
UPU Mail class by code
LC = Letters, aerogrammes (USPS no longer offers outbound aerogrammes), cards and letter packages
AO = Newspapers, magazines, matter for the blind, printed matter, small packages
CP = Packages – parcel post (surface), priority (air)

The Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) and DMM Advisories are available on Postal Explorer® (pe.usps.com