Sending letters or postcards

See our options for sending letters or postcards across Aotearoa and overseas.

Sending letters or postcards

See our options for sending letters or postcards across Aotearoa and overseas.

How long will it take?

The following delivery targets are a guide only and we do not guarantee your item will reach its destination within the targeted time.

Standard mail

Nationwide: 3 working days

Economy letters

Australia: 3-6 working days
Rest of the world: 6-10 working days

Faster delivery for documents sent within New Zealand is available by using our Courier service.
Faster delivery for documents sent internationally is available by using our Courier and Express services.
Delivery outside major towns and cities including to and from rural or remote areas may take longer.
 

How much will it cost to send Standard Mail within New Zealand?

Size Maximum size
(height x length x width)
Maximum weight incl. envelope Standard Mail required postage
Medium 
(e.g. E9, DLE, DLEE, MaxPop, Cheque Mailer)
130mm x 235mm x 6mm 500g  $2.30 (or 1 x KiwiStamp)
Large 
(e.g. C5) 
165mm x 235mm x 10mm 500g  $3.60 
Oversize 
(e.g. E35) 
260mm x 385mm x 20mm 1kg $4.90 

How much will it cost to send a letter overseas?

Size Maximum size
(height x length x width)
Max weight incl. envelope Australia and South Pacific Rest of the world

Aerogramme & Postcards

130mm x 235mm 10 g  $3.30 $3.30
Medium
(e.g. E9, DLE, DLEE, MaxPop, Cheque Mailer)
130mm x 235mm x 5mm 100 g  $3.60  $4.30 
Large 
(e.g. C5) 
165mm x 235mm x 10mm 200 g $4.30  $4.90
Oversized
(e.g. E35) 
260mm x 385 x 10mm 200 g $5.60 $7.20

Before you send a letter overseas:

  • Letters must contain paper based written or printed documents only
  • Check your letter weighs less than 200gms. If your letter weighs more, then it is a parcel
  • Check your letter fits within maximum dimensions of 260mm x 385mm x 10mm (height x length x thickness).
    If not, then it’s a parcel
  • Envelopes need an Economy, or Par Avion service sticker in the upper left-hand corner.

Sending guidelines

How to address mail

Check out our guidelines on how to address your items correctly so it reaches its destination on time, every time.

How postcodes work

Find out how postcodes work and view our Postcode Directory and maps.

Holidays that impact deliveries

See the public and regional holidays that can affect delivery times.

Frequently asked questions

Post your mail in the Standard Mail slot at an NZ Post store or posting box. Find your nearest posting box using the Find NZ Post tool and filtering by 'Post a letter'. 

KiwiStamps are non-denominated stamps, meaning they do not have a specific value (denomination) on them.  

A KiwiStamp will always be worth the required postage to send a medium letter on the day it is used/mailed (currently $2.30). KiwiStamps purchased now can continue to be used in the future even if the required postage changes.

Yes. The KiwiStamp has been designed for easy use on Medium, Large and Oversize letters too. If you're using KiwiStamps in this instance, it's likely you'll need to use a combination of KiwiStamps and denominated stamps to make up the total required postage for the item. 

Parcels

You can use Kiwistamps and other stamps to pay for self-wrapped items sent using the Economy service. Items must weigh less than 3kg and be less than 70mm in height. Tracking isn't available for items paid for with stamps.

Please note you cannot use stamps to pay for items sent via Courier Economy or Courier services (including Signature upgrades). 

Yes. Stamps are valid postage on most* international items.

If you want to use denominated stamps to send your international mail items, that’s not a problem. Just make sure you’ve got the right postage amount and that the stamps are firmly fixed to your item.

If you want to use KiwiStamps, that’s fine too - but it's likely that you'll need to use a combination of KiwiStamps and other denominated stamps to make up the exact value of the required postage (as KiwiStamps are worth exactly $2.30). Postage costs for sending items internationally are made up of various components such as weight, size and destination you're sending to. This is unlikely to equal the exact value of multiple KiwiStamps.

* There are some international items that you are unable to pay for using stamps. These include International Economy as well as the majority of our business services (which require the use of a PermitPost impression instead of a stamp). When paying for international parcel services with stamps, you are required to pay the GST on the component of postage that is paid for by stamps.