Service alerts

International service disruptions

International Mail Service Suspensions

Updated: May 13, 2022

The Postal Service™ is temporarily suspending international mail acceptance for certain destinations due to impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic and other unrelated service disruptions. Customers: please refrain from mailing items addressed to the countries listed here, until further notice.

Suspensions

Afghanistan

China***

New Zealand**

South Sudan

Australia*

Cuba

Papua New Guinea

Syria

Bhutan

Laos

Russia

Timor-Leste

Brunei

Libya

Samoa

Turkmenistan

Chad

Mongolia

Solomon Islands

Yemen

These service disruptions affect Priority Mail Express International® (PMEI), Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Mail International® (FCMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®), International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®), and M-Bag® items.

*Australia’s service disruption affects Priority Mail International® (PMI), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®) M-Bags, , International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®) M-Bags, and Airmail M-Bags.

**New Zealand’s service disruption affects Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), Commercial ePacket® (CeP®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®) packets, International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®) packets, International Priority Airmail® (IPA®) M-Bags, International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®) M-Bags, and Airmail M-Bags.

***China’s service disruption affects Priority Mail International® (PMI), First-Class Package International Service® (FCPIS®), International Priority Airmail® (IPA®) packets, and International Surface Air Lift® (ISAL®) packets

Unless otherwise noted, service suspensions to a particular country do not affect delivery of military and diplomatic mail.

For already deposited items, other than GXG:

Postal Service employees endorse them “Mail Service Suspended — Return to Sender” and then place them in the mail stream for return.

For any returned item bearing a customs form:

The Postal Service will, upon request, refund postage and fees on mail returned due to the suspension of service.

For all other returned items not bearing a customs declarations form:

Either:

  • The Postal Service will, upon request, refund postage and fees on mail returned due to the suspension of service, or
  • The sender may remail them with the existing postage once service has been restored. When remailing under this option, customers must cross out the markings “Mail Service Suspended — Return to Sender.”

Global Express Guaranteed® Service Suspensions and Disruptions

Effective February 26, 2022, the GXG® Money Back Guarantee is temporarily suspended for destinations in Europe.

Effective March 8, 2022, the Postal Service is temporarily suspending international mail acceptance of Global Express Guaranteed® (GXG®) to the following destinations:

Suspension of Global Express Guaranteed® Service

Belarus

Russia

Ukraine

Unless otherwise noted, service suspensions to a particular country do not affect delivery of military and diplomatic mail.

Customer: please refrain from mailing items addressed to the country listed here, until further notice.

Priority Mail Express International®

Effective October 25, 2021, due to airline travel restrictions and cancellations, the U.S. Postal Service has temporarily suspended the guarantee on Priority Mail Express International® to the following destinations:

Suspension of Priority Mail Express International Guarantee

Australia

Great Britain

Korea

Sweden

Canada

Hong Kong

New Zealand

Switzerland

China

Israel

Singapore

Thailand

France

Japan

Spain

These suspensions will be in effect until further notice. The Postal Service is taking all reasonable measures to minimize impact to our customers.