APO/FPO Shipping Guide: How to send care packages overseas

The basics: APO, FPO, DPO

Military mail uses special destination codes that the USPS treats as domestic — which keeps your shipping cost low:

• APO — Army Post Office (Army & Air Force).
• FPO — Fleet Post Office (Navy & Marines, including ships).
• DPO — Diplomatic Post Office (State Department personnel).

Because these are domestic rates, a USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate box is almost always the best value: one flat price no matter how heavy you pack it (up to the box limit).

How to format the address

Use the service member's details — never a country name:

RANK FIRST LAST NAME
UNIT / PSC / BOX NUMBER
APO AE 09001-1234

"AE" = Europe/Africa/Middle East, "AP" = Pacific, "AA" = Americas. Use these instead of a city and country.

Customs forms

Every overseas military package needs a customs declaration (PS Form 2976 or 2976-A). List contents honestly and generally ("snacks, toiletries, books"). You can fill these out ahead of time online with USPS Click-N-Ship to save time at the counter.

Restricted & prohibited items

Restrictions change by destination and over time. Always verify current rules with USPS and the receiving unit before you mail.

Shipping timelines

Plan for 2–3 weeks of transit to most APO/FPO destinations. Around the holidays, USPS publishes recommended mail-by dates in the fall — ship well before them, as military mail deadlines come earlier than domestic ones. See our military holiday shipping deadlines page for the dates.