Iceland has a reliable and efficient postal service that is operated by the government. In this article, we will cover the details of the postal service in Iceland, including major service providers, speed and reliability, additional services offered at post offices, delivery to every home, how to write someone’s address, and where to look up postcodes.
Major Service Providers
Icelandic Post (Pósturinn) is the main postal service provider in Iceland, which is owned and operated by the government. The company provides a range of postal and logistics services including letter and parcel delivery, express delivery, and international mail services.
There are also several private courier companies in Iceland that offer similar services such as DHL, TNT, and UPS. However, Icelandic Post remains the most popular choice for sending and receiving mail and parcels in Iceland.
Speed and Reliability
The speed and reliability of the postal service in Iceland are generally considered to be very good. Postal deliveries are made six days a week, Monday to Saturday. The delivery times vary depending on the type of service used, but in general, domestic mail is delivered within 1-2 business days.
International mail delivery times vary depending on the destination country and the type of service used. For example, priority mail to Europe is usually delivered within 2-5 business days, while standard mail can take up to 10 business days.
In terms of reliability, Icelandic Post has a high success rate in delivering mail and parcels on time. The company also offers a tracking service for parcels and express delivery services, which allows customers to track the progress of their deliveries online.
Additional Services
In addition to mail and parcel delivery services, Icelandic Post also provides a range of additional services at its post offices. These include:
- Payment of bills and taxes
- Purchase of stamps and postal stationery
- Money transfers
- Travel insurance and foreign currency exchange
- Postal and courier packing materials
Delivery to Every Home
The postal service in Iceland delivers to almost every home and business in the country. However, there are some remote areas where deliveries are not possible due to difficult terrain or harsh weather conditions. In such cases, residents in these areas are usually required to collect their mail and parcels from the nearest post office.
Writing Someone’s Address
When sending mail to Iceland, it is important to write the address correctly to ensure that it reaches its destination. The format for writing an Icelandic address is as follows:
Recipient Name
Street Address
Postal Code City
For example:
Jón Jónsson
Laugavegur 1
101 Reykjavík
Looking up Postcodes
Postcodes in Iceland are known as “Póstnœmer” and are a combination of three digits. The first digit represents one of eight regions in Iceland, while the remaining two digits represent the specific postal area within that region.
Postcodes can be looked up online through the website of Icelandic Post or by visiting any post office in Iceland. Additionally, most online retailers and shipping companies also provide the option to look up postcodes during the checkout process when shipping to Iceland.
The postal service in Iceland is operated by the government and is considered to be reliable and efficient. Icelandic Post is the main service provider, but there are also private courier companies that operate in the country. Additional services such as bill payments, money transfers, and travel insurance are available at post offices. The postal service delivers to almost every home and business in Iceland, and postcodes can be easily looked up online or at any post office.