On this page we explain how to correctly format a United States military post address (APO/FPO), which state and city options to use, which delivery services are suitable, and why delivery times are longer.
Who this guide is for
- Sellers whose customers are US military personnel or who work on military bases.
- Users who change the delivery address to APO/FPO manually or via the ‘External Item’ feature.
- New Western Bid customers who are sending parcels to US military addresses for the first time.
- Sellers who want to avoid returns and delays caused by incorrectly formatted military addresses.
How to send a package to a U.S. military base?
A large number of customers are US military personnel or civilians who work on US military facilities. The Western Bid system is configured so that US military base addresses are always provided in the correct format if you create a shipment from a transaction in your Personal Account.
This guide is written for those who want to change the delivery address to a US military base address or ship a package to a US military base address, using the External item function.
So, the standard recipient address located at a US military base looks like this:
John Doe PSC 91 Box 6548 APO, AE 09464 United States
where
Name and surname of the recipient (name): John Doe
Recipient’s address (address): PSC 91 Box 6548
City (city): APO
State (state): AE
ZIP code (zip code): 09464
Country (country): United States
The state may be “AA” (Armed Forces Americas), “AE” (Armed Forces Europe) or “AP” (Armed Forces Pacific).
City may be “APO” (Army Post Office) or “FPO” (Fleet Post Office).
Everything in the address that does not pertain to the name, the postal code, the state, and the city must be written on the address lines.
Delivery times to military posts will be twice as long as regular shipments.
Reminder: shipments to a US military address can only be sent via the national postal service or Plus Consolidation and Direct.
Note on packaging rules for Plus Consolidations, Direct, FedEx, UPS, and DPD shipments.
Аби ваші посилки швидше сканувалися і не вимагали ручної обробки співробітниками пошти (а значить, швидше доходили до ваших покупців і не вимагали доплати за їх обробку), будь ласка, дотримуйтесь нескладних вимог поштової служби до упакування:
- Do not wrap parcels with film, stretch wrap, kraft paper (you may wrap the protective film only around the item inside the parcel). Cardboard boxes and/or courier bags are allowed for shipment.
- Do not tape the parcel completely.
- Replace tubes with square or triangular packaging.
- Do not pack in wooden, plastic, metal boxes or boxes made of plywood and particleboard, and do not wrap with kraft paper or bubble wrap.
The postal service rules allow:
– send a courier package and seal it with tape in several places (but not completely!);
– seal the corners of the box to keep the package shape;
– wrap the contents inside the cardboard box with film or a bag;
– place cardboard boxes into a courier bag for shipments up to 2 kg actual or volumetric weight;
– courier bags are allowed for shipments up to 2 kg actual or volumetric weight.
Labels for packages to US military bases and American territories outside the United States
USPS labels that you print for PLUS and DIRECT consolidation shipments may differ from regular labels in cases where the package is directed to a US military base or US territory (for example, Guam) outside the United States.
The UPS label for PLUS and DIRECT consolidation will be generated by the Western Bid system in the Personal Cabinet. Example of the label:
The delivery time for such shipments from the Western Bid center in Miami is 2-3 weeks.
How to correctly fill out the address of a US military unit (APO/FPO)
Objective: to correctly allocate the elements of a military address into the form fields so that the parcel is delivered without delays.
- Specify the recipient’s first and last name
In the “Name” field enter the buyer’s first and last name, for example: John Doe.
- Enter the address in the Address field
In the “Address” field enter the service address, for example: PSC 91 Box 6548. Everything that does not relate to the city, state, ZIP code and country should be specified here.
- Specify the city as APO or FPO
In the “City” field enter APO (Army Post Office) or FPO (Fleet Post Office) depending on the buyer’s address.
- Choose the correct state
In the “State” field select one of the special options: AA (Armed Forces Americas), AE (Armed Forces Europe) or AP (Armed Forces Pacific) depending on the address.
- Enter the ZIP code
In the “ZIP Code” field enter the military address ZIP code, for example: 09464.
- Choose the country United States
In the “Country” field specify the country United States, even if the military base is physically located outside the US.
Designations for U.S. military addresses
| Field | Possible values | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| City | APO | Army Post Office — a postal address for the United States Army. |
| City | FPO | Fleet Post Office — a postal address for the United States Navy. |
| State | AA | Armed Forces Americas — military addresses in the Americas region (excluding the United States). |
| State | AE | Armed Forces Europe — military addresses in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. |
| State | AP | Armed Forces Pacific — military addresses in the Asia-Pacific region. |
Everything in the address that does not pertain to the name, ZIP code, state, and city must be written on the address lines (address).
Delivery times to military units will be twice as long as to regular ones.
Please note that shipments to a U.S. military unit address can only be sent by the national post or PLUS and DIRECT consolidation.
What services can be used for APO/FPO addresses
- The United States Postal Service (USPS) through eligible shipments from Ukraine.
- Plus Consolidation for packages that meet declared value and packaging requirements.
- Direct Consolidation for shipments to military addresses, if they meet the service rules.
Private courier services (for example, UPS/FedEx only without USPS involvement) typically do not deliver directly to APO/FPO addresses, so using the postal service or consolidation is required.
Please note: shipments to APO/FPO addresses undergo additional processing steps, so their delivery is slower. For such shipments use only the United States Postal Service or PLUS and DIRECT consolidations.
Frequently Asked Questions about shipping to APO/FPO addresses
How does an APO/FPO address differ from a regular US address?
How does an APO/FPO address differ from a regular US address?
APO/FPO addresses are special military addresses. Their city is listed as APO or FPO, the state as AA, AE or AP, and the country is always United States, even if the base is located in another country.
What are the delivery times to US military addresses?
What are the delivery times to US military addresses?
Delivery times to military units are usually about twice as long as standard. For example, parcels from the Western Bid center in Miami may take 2–3 weeks or more, depending on the destination.
Which delivery services can be used for APO/FPO?
Which delivery services can be used for APO/FPO?
To military addresses in the United States, shipments can be sent only by the national post or through Plus and Direct consolidations, which operate in conjunction with USPS.
How to fill out the address lines for APO/FPO?
How to fill out the address lines for APO/FPO?
All service designations (PSC, Unit, Box, Battalion, etc.) should be entered in the Address field. In the City field there must always be APO or FPO, in the State field — one of the options AA/AE/AP, in the Country field — United States.
Do the same packing rules apply for packages to APO/FPO?
Do the same packing rules apply for packages to APO/FPO?
Yes, for military addresses the same packaging rules apply as for other PLUS and DIRECT consolidations: no plastic wrap around the entire shipment, no tubes, no wooden/metal boxes, with correctly affixed labels.