Addressing Postcards From Austria: The Complete Guide

Sending postcards is a great way to connect with friends and family while travelling. If you're in Austria and want to send a postcard, you can buy stamps from a Trafik (newsagent) or a Die Post (post office). The post office will also provide free priority stickers if you've chosen that tariff for your stamps. When addressing your postcard in Austrian format, the recipient address should be at least 40mm from the top of the postcard, and the bottom 16mm should be left blank for postal barcodes. The postal code is written before the name of the city, and the country name can be in English or German.

Leave 16mm blank at the bottom of the postcard

When addressing a postcard from Austria, it is important to leave a blank space of 16mm at the bottom of the postcard. This space is necessary for the postal service's reading and sorting machines to print bar codes on your mail. The requirement is similar for envelopes, where the bottom 15mm should be left blank for the same reason.

The Austrian postal service, Die Post, can help you send your postcard. You can find their post offices all over the country, identified by their bold yellow signs and displays. Typically, they are open from 8 am to 6 pm, Monday to Friday, but larger offices and those at railway stations may have different hours and may be open on Saturdays.

Alternatively, you can send your postcard through Trafik, which is equivalent to a tobacconist or newsagent. These stores are also found everywhere and typically sell a few stamps, but they do not offer many other postal services.

When writing the address on your postcard, you can use English for the country name, or you can use German: Österreich. It is recommended to write the country name in the native language of the land of letter origin, as the sorting machines are optimized for understanding the native language. However, using English will likely still work.

Herrn Erich Müller

Goethestr. 13

22767 Hamburg

ÖSTERREICH

Write the address in German

When addressing a postcard from Austria in German, there is a specific format to follow. Firstly, the address of the recipient goes in the middle of the postcard. If you are writing to a person, include their name, followed by the street address or PO Box (which is "Postfach" in German). If you are writing to a company, include the company name on the first line, followed by the recipient's name or department.

Next, write the five-digit postal code, followed by the town or city. If you are sending mail to a rural area, include the name of the village or settlement, followed by the nearest larger town, and then the postal code and country. Finally, write "Deutschland" or "Germany" in capital letters for international mail.

Herr Hans Müller

Hauptstrasse 10

10115

Berlin

Deutschland

And here is an example of how to address a postcard to a company:

ABC GmbH

Z. Hd. Frau Monika Schneider

Hauptstrasse 10

10115

Berlin

Germany

Where to buy stamps in Austria

When addressing a postcard from Austria, leave at least the bottom 16 millimetres (or 5/8 of an inch) blank on both the front and back. This space is used by the postal service's reading and sorting machines to print bar codes.

Now, onto where to buy stamps in Austria. You can purchase stamps in Austria from the Trafik (newsagents) and the Post (post offices). Trafik is equivalent to a tobacconist or newsagent and typically sells stamps and little else in the way of postal services. You can find these stores everywhere. The Austrian postal service, Die Post, is the obvious option for buying stamps. You can find post offices all over the place, clearly identifiable by the bold yellow colour on their signs and displays. Opening times vary, but are typically from 8 am to 6 pm, Monday to Friday. Larger post offices and those at railway stations may open later and on Saturdays.

Positioning the address

When addressing a postcard from Austria, it is important to follow the correct format to ensure your postcard reaches its destination. Here are some detailed instructions on positioning the address:

• Leave Space at the Bottom: It is recommended to leave at least the bottom 16 millimetres (5/8 inch) blank on both the front and back of the postcard. This space is necessary as postal services may need it to print bar codes.
• Country Name: When addressing a postcard internationally, it is customary to include the destination country's name in the address. You can use either English or the local language of the destination country. For example, "Austria" in English or "Österreich" in German.
• Recipient's Address: The recipient's address should be written clearly and legibly. Include the name of the recipient, street address or PO box, postal code, and city. For example: "Herrn Erich Müller, Goethestr. 13, 22767 Hamburg". It is worth noting that including titles such as "Frau" or "Herr" is becoming less common in German-speaking countries, but if used, ensure they are in the accusative case (e.g., "Herrn," not "Herr").
• Postal Code and City: In Austria, the postal code is written before the name of the city. For example, "1010 Wien, Austria". This is because postal codes in Austria are unique across the whole country, so the specific city name is not required for delivery within Austria.
• Capitalisation: When addressing mail to certain countries, such as France, it is customary to write the recipient's surname in capital letters. However, this is not a general rule for all countries.
• Return Address: If you are sending a postcard from Austria, the return address should be written on the back of the postcard. The return address should not extend more than 40 millimetres from the top of the postcard and should remain within 74 millimetres of the right edge.

Country name in English or French

When addressing a postcard from Austria, it is recommended that you write the country name in the native language of the country the postcard is being sent to. This is because the sorting machines are optimized for understanding the native language, and non-native languages may require extra lookups, thus delaying the process.

For example, if you are sending a postcard to the United Kingdom, you can write the country name in English as 'UK' or 'GROSSBRITANNIEN' in German. For the United States, simply write 'USA' in English or German.

However, if you are sending a postcard to a non-English-speaking country, it is advisable to use French as it is the official lingua franca of international mail. For instance, if your postcard is addressed to France, write the recipient's surname in capital letters followed by 'FRANCE' at the end.

Remember to leave at least the bottom 16 millimeters (5/8 inch) blank on both the front and back of the postcard. This space is required by the postal service for reading and sorting and may be used to print bar codes.

Frequently asked questions