Postal code: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

A postal code is a series of letters and digits appended to a postal address for the purpose of sorting mail. Every postal service (usually having their service area defined by national borders) has a different format and placement for the postal code. In most English-speaking countries, the postal code goes after the name of the city or town, whereas in most European countries it goes before it and is often prefixed with a country code. This country code is similar to the one used on car license plates.

Although postal codes are usually assigned to geographical areas, sometimes this is not the case: special codes may be assigned to institutions with large volumes of post, such as government agencies and large commercial companies. One example is the French Cedex system.

Before postal codes as described here were used, large cities were often divided into postal zones, usually numbered from 1 up within each city. Postal code systems often incorporate the old zone numbers, as in London, for example.

Most postal codes, in the countries that have them, are numeric. The few using alphanumeric postal code systems (with letters and digits) are: Argentina, Bermuda, Brunei, Canada, Malta, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Venezuela.

Formats

Key

• 9: Digits.
• A: Letters.
• *: Postal code placed to the right of the city, suburb or town.

• Algeria: 99999
• Andorra: (A9-)999 [1]
• Argentina: A9999AAA
• Armenia: 999999 Retained system inherited from former Soviet Union.
• Australia: known as the "post code": 9999*. In general, the first digit identifies the state or territory. See List of postal codes in Australia
• Austria: 9999 (the first digit denotes almost one of the nine provinces -- called Bundesländer -- , the last the nearest post office in the area)
• Azerbaijan: 999999 Retained system inherited from former Soviet Union.
• Bangladesh: 9999*
• Belarus: 999999 Retained system inherited from former Soviet Union.
• Belgium: 9999 (in general, the first digit gives the province) List of postal codes in Belgium
• Bermuda: AA 99* for street addresses, AA AA* for PO Box addresses. The second half of the postcode identifies the street delivery walk (eg: Hamilton HM 12) or the PO Box number range (eg: Hamilton HM BX).
• Bosnia Hercegovina: 99999
• Brazil: 99999-999 (previously 99999)
• Brunei: AA9999*

• Cambodia: 99999*
• Canada: A9A 9A9* Usually prefixed by a two-letter abbreviation for the province or territory. List of postal codes in Canada
• Cape Verde: 9999
• Chile: 9999999 May only be required for bulk mail.
• China, People's Republic of (Mainland): 999999*. A postal code or youbian (邮编) in a subordinate division will have the same first two digits as its governing one (see Political divisions of China#Levels and Postal Code).
• The postal services in Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions remain separate from Mainland China. Plans for separate post code systems in Hong Kong and Macau are currently under development. See UPU documents on Hong Kong and Macau
• China, Republic of (based on Taiwan): 99999*, known as youdi chyuhao (郵遞區號). Postal codes are also assigned to Sekaku Islands, though Japanese-governed, the Pratas Islands and the Spratly Islands.
• Costa Rica: 9999
• Croatia: 99999
• Cuba: 99999* Prefixed by "CP" - may only be required for bulk mail.
• Cyprus: 9999 - post code system covers whole island, but not used in Northern Cyprus where 'Mersin 10, Turkey' is used instead.
• Czech Republic: 99999 Retained system inherited from Czechoslovakia.

• Denmark: 9999 also used by Greenland, eg: DK-3900 Nuuk
• Dominican Republic: 99999-9999 Currently only used in Santo Domingo.
• Egypt 99999*
• El Salvador: 9999 - Prefixed by "CP".
• Estonia: 99999
• Ethiopia: 9999
• Faroe Islands: 999 Prefixed with "FO", eg: FO-110 Tórshavn
• Finland: 99999. A lower first digit indicates a place in south (for example 00100 Helsinki, a higher indicates a place in far the north (99800 in Ivalo). The last digit is always 0, except for postal codes for PO Box number ranges, in which case it is 1. In the Åland Islands, the postal code is prefixed with "AX", not "FIN".
• Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: 9999
• France: 99999, the first two digits give the département number, while in Paris, Lyon and Marseille, the last two digits of the postal code indicates the arrondissement. Also used by French overseas departments and territories and Monaco (prefixed "MC"). See List of French postal codes.

• Gabon: 99 [city name] 99 Two digit postal zone goes after city name.
• Georgia: 9999
• Germany: 99999 since 1993. See List of postal codes in Germany
• Guatemala: 99999
• Guinea Bissau: 9999
• Honduras: 99999
• Hungary: 9999
• Iceland: 999
• India: 999999* Known as a "PIN" (Postal Index Number)
• Indonesia: 99999* Included East Timor (ranges 88xxx and 89xxx) until 1999, no longer used.
• Iran: 99999 99999
• Israel: 99999*
• Italy: 99999 (also used by San Marino and Vatican City First two digits identify province.
• Japan: 999-9999* See also Japanese addressing system.
• Jordan: 99999* Deliveries to PO Boxes only
• Kazakhstan: 999999 Retained system inherited from former Soviet Union.
• Kenya: 99999 Deliveries to PO Boxes only
• Korea, South: 999-999*
• Kyrgyzstan: 999999 Retained system inherited from former Soviet Union.

• Latvia: 9999 Prefix "LV" is used.
• Laos: 99999
• Lebanon: 9999* in rural areas, 9999 9999 in urban areas.
• Lesotho: 999*
• Liberia: 9999 Two digit postal zone after city name.
• Lithuania: 9999
• Luxembourg: 9999
• Madagascar: 999
• Maldives: 99-99
• Malaysia: 99999
• Malta: AAA 99*
• Mexico: 99999. The first two digits identify the state (or a part thereof), except for Nos. 00 to 16, which indicate delegaciones (boroughs) of the Federal District (Mexico City).
• Moldova: 9999
• Mongolia: 999999
• Morocco: 99999
• Mozambique: 99999
• Myanmar: 99999*

• Nepal: 99999*
• Netherlands: 9999 AA. The letters 'F', 'I', 'O', 'Q', 'U' and 'Y' are not used, nor are the letter combinations 'SA', 'SD' and 'SS'.
• New Zealand: 9999*. Postcodes in New Zealand are intended for bulk mailing and are not needed for addressing individual items. See also New Zealand postal addresses
• Nicaragua: 999-999-9
• Niger: 9999
• Nigeria: 999999*
• Norway: 9999 See also List of postal codes in Norway
• Oman: 999* Deliveries to PO Boxes only
• Pakistan: 99999*
• Papua New Guinea: 999*
• Paraguay: 9999
• Peru: 9999* in Lima and Callao only; plans to extend postal codes nationwide using format AA 9999*.
• Philippines: 9999*
• Poland: 99-999 See also List of postal codes in Poland
• Portugal: 9999-999 (previously 9999)

• Romania: 999999 since 2003. Previously 99999 in Bucharest and 9999 in rest of country.
• Russia: 999999
• Saudi Arabia: 99999* Deliveries to PO Boxes only
• Serbia and Montenegro: 99999
• Singapore: 999999* Each building has its own unique postcode.
• South Africa: 9999* List of postal codes in South Africa
• Slovakia: 99999* Retained system inherited from Czechoslovakia.
• Slovenia: 9999 Prefix "SI" must be used.
• Spain: 99999 See List of postal codes in Spain
• Sri Lanka: 99999* Incorporates Colombo postal districts, eg: Colombo 1 is "00100".
• Sudan: 9999
• Swaziland: A999* Letter identifies one of the country's four districts.
• Sweden: 999 99
• Switzerland: 9999 (also used by Liechtenstein). In Geneva, there may be a digit after the name of the city, eg: 1211 Geneva 2
• Tajikistan: 999999 Retained system inherited from former Soviet Union.
• Thailand: 99999*
• Tunisia: 9999
• Turkey: 99999
• Turkmenistan: 999999 Retained system inherited from former Soviet Union.

• Ukraine: 99999*
• United Kingdom: known as the postcode: A9 9AA, AA9 9AA, A99 9AA,* or AA99 9AA* but other variants are also used. In general the first letter(s) indicate the town, or area, or part of London. See London postal districts for more.
• United States of America: known as the ZIP Code with five digits 99999* or the ZIP+4 Code with nine digits 99999-9999* (while the minimum requirement is the first five digits, the U.S. Postal Service encourages everyone to use all nine). Also used by the former US Pacific Territories: Federated States of Micronesia; Palau; and the Marshall Islands.
• Uzbekistan: 999999 Retained system inherited from former Soviet Union.
• Venezuela: 9999*. 9999 A may also be used.
• Vietnam: 99999*
• Zambia: 99999