Forwarding Mail Abroad: Letters Travel, Packages Genuinely Don't
When you set up mail forwarding to an address outside Germany, ordinary letters genuinely can travel with you, provided the specific destination country supports this kind of forwarding, but packages and parcels are excluded from international forwarding by default, this isn't a minor edge case, it's the standard rule. Specifically excluded regardless of destination: DHL packages, DHL small packages, DHL parcels, Dialogpost schwer (heavy bulk advertising mail), heavy blind shipments, and express shipments. Also excluded from the international route specifically: ordinary Dialogpost, commercial shipments, reply shipments (Antwortsendungen), press mail, and letters with registered or value-added services (Einschreiben/Wert). What actually does travel is genuinely narrower than people expect: ordinary letters, and only if your specific destination country's postal system supports receiving forwarded mail this way. On top of the exclusions themselves, foreign postal companies handling the final leg may charge additional postage fees on arrival, and delivery times for anything forwarded internationally are worth planning around generously rather than assuming domestic-speed delivery.
The Official Rule
Setting up mail forwarding to an address outside Germany feels like it should work the same way as a domestic move, but the actual coverage is genuinely narrower, and understanding the specific exclusions before you rely on it prevents a real, avoidable surprise.
Ordinary letters genuinely can be forwarded internationally, but only when your specific destination country鈥檚 postal system supports it. caya.com鈥檚 helpcenter explainer confirms letters are the category that can travel abroad this way, but this isn鈥檛 universal across every country, whether it actually works depends on that country鈥檚 own postal infrastructure and agreements, not simply on your request.
Packages and parcels are excluded from international forwarding by default, and this is the standard rule, not a rare exception. Deutsche Post鈥檚 own FAQ is direct about this: DHL packages, DHL small packages, DHL parcels, Dialogpost schwer (heavy bulk advertising mail), heavy blind shipments, and express shipments are all excluded when forwarding abroad, this is a genuinely different rule from domestic forwarding, where DHL packages specifically are included.
| Category | Included internationally? |
|---|---|
| Ordinary letters | Yes, if the destination country's postal system supports it |
| DHL packages, small packages, parcels | No, excluded by default |
| Dialogpost (heavy or ordinary), blind shipments | No, excluded |
| Express shipments | No, excluded |
| Commercial shipments, reply shipments, press mail | No, excluded |
| Registered/value-added letters (Einschreiben/Wert) | No, excluded |
Beyond packages, several other specific mail categories are also excluded from the international route specifically. Deutsche Post鈥檚 guidance additionally lists ordinary Dialogpost, commercial shipments, reply shipments (Antwortsendungen), press mail, and letters carrying registered or value-added services (Einschreiben/Wert) as excluded when forwarding abroad, even though some of these categories are treated differently or included under domestic-only forwarding rules.
Two additional practical realities are worth planning around, beyond the exclusions themselves. Deutsche Post鈥檚 international mail handling guidance notes that foreign postal companies handling the final delivery leg may charge additional postage fees upon arrival in your destination country, and immowelt.de鈥檚 2026 guidance recommends factoring in genuinely longer delivery times for anything forwarded internationally, rather than assuming the same speed as domestic forwarding.
What Real People Say
Families moving abroad from Germany consistently describe genuine surprise at discovering packages simply aren鈥檛 part of international forwarding at all, several mention specifically assuming their Nachsendeauftrag would function the same way it had domestically, only to learn afterward that an expected package never left Germany because it fell entirely outside what the international route actually covers.
The recurring practical lesson people share is treating package deliveries as a completely separate problem from letter forwarding when planning a move abroad, several specifically recommend updating your address directly with any sender you鈥檙e expecting a package from before the move, rather than assuming any form of forwarding will catch it retroactively.
Step by Step
- Confirm with Deutsche Post whether your specific destination country鈥檚 postal system actually supports international letter forwarding, don鈥檛 assume it works simply because you鈥檙e moving within the EU or to a specific popular destination.
- Know that packages and parcels, DHL included, are excluded from international forwarding by default, update your address directly with any sender you鈥檙e expecting a package from, rather than relying on forwarding.
- Don鈥檛 expect a registered letter (Einschreiben) or value-added mail to be forwarded internationally, arrange alternative handling for anything sent this way.
- Budget for potential additional postage fees charged by the foreign postal service handling final delivery in your destination country.
- Plan for genuinely longer delivery times on anything forwarded internationally, rather than assuming domestic-speed delivery.
Compliance Note
This page explains general Deutsche Post practice around international mail forwarding, current as of mid-2026. It is not legal advice, and specific coverage, fees, and delivery times can vary by destination country and can change. Confirm current details directly with Deutsche Post for your specific destination before relying on international forwarding.
FAQ & Common Pitfalls
We're moving to another EU country. Does that mean international mail forwarding will definitely work smoothly?
Not necessarily, coverage genuinely isn't uniform across EU countries, whether letter forwarding actually works depends on whether that specific destination country's postal system supports receiving this kind of forwarded mail, not simply whether it's an EU member. Confirm directly with Deutsche Post whether your specific destination is supported before assuming EU membership alone guarantees it.
We're expecting a package to arrive after we move abroad. Will our international Nachsendeauftrag catch it?
No, packages and parcels are excluded from international forwarding by default, this includes DHL packages specifically, which are otherwise forwarded within Germany. For anything shipped as a package, you'll need to update your delivery address directly with the specific sender before you move, rather than relying on forwarding to catch it afterward.
Will we be charged extra for mail forwarded to us internationally?
Potentially, yes, this is worth budgeting for rather than assuming forwarding is entirely covered by your original Nachsendeauftrag fee. Foreign postal companies handling the final delivery leg in your destination country may charge additional postage fees on arrival, confirm this possibility with Deutsche Post and be prepared for it rather than being caught off guard by an unexpected charge abroad.
Can we forward a registered letter (Einschreiben) internationally?
No, this is specifically excluded from international forwarding, along with other special-service mail like value-added letters (Wert), press mail, commercial shipments, and reply shipments. If you're expecting something sent as an Einschreiben specifically, you'd need to arrange for it to be redirected or held through other means, your Nachsendeauftrag won't catch it internationally.