Address Envelopes to Canada

Canada's main postal system is called the Canada Post or Postes Canada. This mail service uses similar conventions to both the United States and United Kingdom postal systems; however, there are some differences. This article will tell you how to address envelopes to Canada.

Steps

Addressing Personal Envelopes

  1. Print the name of the recipient. Write the name on the middle front portion of the envelope and be sure to leave plenty of space above and below this line. You can include honorific titles like Mr. or Mrs., but it is not required.
    • Postal services generally prefer for all addresses to be written in uppercase or block letters.[1]
  2. Print any other additional address lines below. For example, you may want to print the hotel, business, or department name to ensure the letter reaches the right recipient.
  3. Write the apartment number and street address on the next line. Write the apartment or unit number, followed by a hyphen and then a street address. For example, 2-234 Pine St. N
    • Canadian addresses should not include punctuation. It is important to write addresses correctly, because many addresses are read by sorting machines. If it is addressed legibly according to Canada's postal conventions, it will arrive at the destination more quickly.
  4. Find the correct postal and province code. Canadian addresses have specific postal and province codes for different parts of the country. Before writing out the address, you must find out what the specific codes, including the correct abbreviation of the provinces, are.
    • If the person you are writing to hasn’t already given you this information, you can find out by visiting USPS website[2] or the Canada Post website[3]
  5. Write the city, province and postal code on the next line. Be sure to write them out in that exact order and place 2 spaces between the province and the postal code.
  6. Write Canada in the last line. The country name should always be the last line of the address, unless you are already sending your mail from Canada, in which case this line is not necessary.
    • The following is an address correctly written, with the line breaks separated by commas. Rachel Platt, PEARSON EDITORIAL INC., 2-234 Pine St. N, TORONTO ON M5V 1J2
  7. Write your return address. The return address is necessary so that the recipient knows where to address their response. Be sure to write the address legibly.
    • Write your return address following the same format. The only difference is the placement, be sure to write it in the upper left hand corner of your envelope. You can also place it in the middle of the back flap of the envelope.
    • If you are writing an American address, do not use periods for abbreviations or commas. Use the 2 letter state symbol. Place the abbreviation USA underneath the last line that includes your city, state and zip code.
    • If you are writing an international address from a country other than the USA, write the full name of the country on the line below the line that includes the city and postal code. For example, you would address the envelope to the United Kingdom, rather than writing "UK."

Addressing Business Envelopes

  1. Write the name of the person on the top line. Start the address line in the middle front of the envelope. It may be more business appropriate to add an honorific prefix, such as “Mr.” or “Ms.” before the name of the person.
  2. Write the business or department name. You should write this directly below the name of the person.
  3. Fill in additional address information. This may include an apartment or unit number, followed by a hyphen and then a street address.
  4. Find the correct postal and province code. Canadian addresses have specific postal and province codes for different parts of the country. Before writing out the address, you must find out what the specific codes, including the correct abbreviation of the provinces, are.
    • If the person or business you are writing to hasn’t already given you this information, you can find out by visiting USPS website[2] or the Canada Post website[3]
  5. Write the city, province and postal code on the next line. Place 1 space between the city and the province and 2 spaces between the province and the postal code.
  6. Write Canada in the last line. The country name should always be the last line of the address, unless you are already sending your mail from Canada, in which case this line is not necessary.
  7. Write the return address. In the upper left hand corner, write out your return address, following the same format as the recipient’s address.
  8. Be mindful of spacing. When writing or typing the address, be sure to leave 15 mm (0.6 inches) of space on each side of the envelope. There must be 40 mm (1.6 inches) of space from the top of the envelope and 19 mm (0.75 inches) of blank space from the bottom of the envelope.
    • Write all business addresses in uppercase letters. If possible, you may want to use a computer to simply type and print the address as this can decrease the processing time.
    • If you have a graphic or logo on your envelope, it must be placed to the left of the address. You must ensure you have the same amount of space left from the edge with the logo included.

Tips

  • If you are writing to a French address in Canada, do not translate it. Write it as it is listed in French. Canada's postal system is bi-lingual.
  • If you are mailing to a post office box, replace the street with the words "PO Box" and the number.
  • First-class mail, letters, and large envelopes must be marked “AIRMAIL/PAR AVION.” If you are not sure if your letter needs this, inquire in person at the post office.
  • If including other directives, such as “personal,” “confidential,” or “urgent,” write this in at the very top, above the address line.
  • The number of stamps or cost of postage depends on a number of factors, including the size and weight of the envelope as well as where you are mailing it to and from. To calculate the postage price, you can use the Canada Post Rate Calculator.[4]

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ https://www.canadapost.ca/web/en/kb/details.page?article=how_to_address_mail_&cattype=kb&cat=sending&subcat=generalinformation
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://pe.usps.gov/text/pub28/28apa_005.htm
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://www.canadapost.ca/tools/pg/manual/PGaddress-e.asp?ecid=murl10006450
  4. ↑ https://www.canadapost.ca/cpotools/apps/far/business/findARate?execution=e2s1
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