Good to know before you send
How do you prepare your item correctly? Here you will find what you need to know before you send: customs declarations for international parcels, which items are prohibited, how to pack correctly and how to address items abroad.
Quick links:
Customs declaration for international items
Åland is outside the EU VAT area. That is why a customs declaration is needed on all letters and parcels sent outside Åland. This also applies to gifts, commercial samples and items sent under warranty.
Letters with a value under €300: Fill in and attach CN22.
Letters with a value over €300: Fill in and attach CN23.
Keep in mind:
- The information on the customs declaration must be written in a language the destination country understands, or in English.
- As the sender, you are responsible for making sure the information in the customs documents is correct.
- Åland Post cannot be held responsible for delays or problems that may arise during customs handling.
- Some customs authorities, such as Swedish Customs, do not accept contents declared with a value of 0.
- Do not forget to sign your customs declaration!
Customs declaration (CN22/CN23) and pro forma invoice:
CN22 for printing
Information on how to fill in your CN22
CN23 - instructions on page 2
Pro forma invoice for printing
Information on how to fill in the pro forma invoice
What can you send?
Items containing dangerous substances, objects or anything else that is dangerous or prohibited by nature generally cannot be sent as letters and postal parcels.
As the sender, you are responsible for your item and for making sure its contents are allowed to be sent. This responsibility also includes making sure that any dangerous substances and objects are classified, packed and labelled correctly, and that the required documents have been provided in accordance with the applicable regulations for transporting dangerous substances.
For safety reasons, airlines may set restrictions on the contents of items transported by air. All items sent abroad go through aviation security checks. If an item contains something prohibited, it is returned to the sender. So please follow these rules carefully!
Different countries may have specific rules and prohibitions
Do you want to know more about the rules for your destination country? You are always welcome to contact Åland Post's customer service.
Phone: 018-636 624
Email: kundtjanst@alandpost.com
In many cases, prohibited items and dangerous goods can be transported in other ways than as letters and postal parcels.
Contact our logistics department and they will tell you what options are available.
We help you find the right solution.
Dangerous goods
You are not allowed to send dangerous goods as letters or postal parcels. However, some substances can be sent if they are packed correctly and in limited quantities.
Examples of contents classed as dangerous goods:
Prohibited items
It is prohibited to send firearms, cartridges, gas pistols and devices designed to fire gas cartridges, or objects that look confusingly similar to them, in letters and parcels. Such objects include replica weapons and explosives, blank ammunition, deactivated firearms, air guns and airsoft guns that imitate firearms.
Prohibitions and restrictions on contents
The following contents are either completely prohibited or subject to transport restrictions, where the sender needs a separate agreement with Åland Post for transport.
You are also not allowed to send items as letters or postal parcels:
- with unprotected sharp edges or points.
- that leak or where the contents risk coming loose.
- whose contents or wrapping are contrary to good practice.
Read more in chapter 4 of our general terms and conditions:
Packing correctly
Packaging materials such as envelopes, padded bags and boxes can be bought at all post offices. Please note that the range may vary between post offices and areas.
Addressing items abroad
Most countries address mail in a similar way, but there are some important details to keep in mind:
- The name of the destination country must be written in capital letters in Swedish, English or French.
- For some countries, the country code must be written before the postal code, according to the ISO standard (International Organization for Standardization). A hyphen is placed between the letter code and the postal code.
- On letters to the USA: write the street number first, then the street name, followed by the city, the state abbreviation and finally the ZIP code.
- For the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland): write “United Kingdom” on the last line. The house number is written before the street name. On the next line, write the village, town or post town followed by the county, and the country below that. On letters to Ireland, however, write “Ireland”.
Country codes for Nordic countries and territories
- Within Åland and from Finland, the country code “AX” can be used, but it is not necessary.
- For mail to Finland from Åland, we recommend using the country code “FI”, especially when the place name is written in Swedish.
- Deutsche Post does not recommend using a country code on addresses to recipients in Germany.