Carnegie Mellon University

The following guidelines are established by the United States Postal Service (USPS) for addressing international mail. These guidelines should be observed for all USPS international mail, including campus mail sent through CMU's Postal Services.

Please note that shipments sent outside the U.S. can be considered an export and may require a CMU export review and/or authorization. Visit the Office of Research Integrity and Compliance international shipping webpage for more details and guidance.

Postal customers may send items by air (airmail) to ensure the fastest mode of transportation and expeditious handling and dispatch. Travel time varies by service and by country. Typically First-Class parcels take 10-14 business days, Priority parcels take 6-10 business days, Priority Express parcels take 3-5 business days and Global Express Guaranteed parcels take 1-4 business days. Please note that surface mail is no longer available for international shipments.

Any mail/parcels that contain anything liquid, fragile, perishable or potentially hazardous (such as lithium batteries, perfume or mercury) that you wish to send through USPS from Postal Services must be given to a Postal Services cashier at our front counter in our Cohon University Center location.

While most items are mailable to foreign countries, there are some restrictions. Departments must contact Postal Services when sending international mail to determine the proper classification and documentation required for customs declarations. If customs regulations are not followed and documentation is not exact, the item will be impounded by customs until the addressee makes arrangements for clearance and the payment of whatever duties are required for the release of the item. A customs form must be completed online. Please be sure to bring each form with you when sending the package. Due to the time required to send international packages, we cannot accept any items requiring a customs form after 2:45 p.m. All customs forms must be completed and ready for processing by 2:30 p.m.

When preparing international mail for internal metering, do not combine it with other mail. It must be submitted to Postal Services with a separate Universal Requisition Form [pdf]. Please be sure to indicate that the requisition contains items for international destinations at the top of the form. International deliveries vary by country of destination. If you are sending an item that requires a customs form, you must be present to sign the label after the item is processed. Only the person listed as the sender may sign the completed form and label.