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Correos, The Spanish Postal service
Sending letters, registered mail & Parcels from Spain. Receiving mail & Aviso de Llegada notes. The Spanish customs trap & liberating your package from Aduanas
About the Correos Spanish Postal Service
Pretty much everywhere in the world the national postal service functions the same. However, there are some subtle differences that are worth knowing about as well as the local language and essential vocabulary. This article will give you the tools and information to use and understand the Spanish postal service called Correos.
- The Spanish postal service, Correos, provides the following Services for individuals (not companies)
- Letters & Postcards: International & National envelopes up to A4 size
- Recorded or Registered Mail: International & National tracked delivery or receipt of important documents
- Small packets: International & National for Padded / cushioned mailer/ jiffy bag up to A4 size
- Large packets: International & National Boxes and parcels
- Customs Clearance: for Non-EU recipient or paying of import duties of packets sent to Spain from outside of EU
- Stamp collecting: including a service to turn your favourite images into an exclusive stamp just for you
- Utility Bills: Electricity, water, gas, phone/internet can be paid via Correos using the barcode on the bill if the utility company is on the Correos list
- DGT (Dirección General de Tráfico): order a duplicate driving license, vehicle change of ownership and other simple DGT procedures
- Sending Money: via Giro International, Giro national, Western Union see the Correos Rates
I will also cover some alternative private international courier and delivery companies that you may find are a better solution for your particular needs.
Sending Letters and Postcards
- places to buy:
- correos - Post Offices
- Papelerías - Stationary Stores
- estancos or tabacs - Tobacco Shops
- Where to buy:
- Postage Stamps (sellos) - at post offices, stationary stores, or tobacco shops
- Envelopes (sobres) - at post offices, stationary stores, or tobacco shops
- Postcards (postales) - at stationary stores, or tobacco shops
- Individual stamp prices:
- Tariff A - 0.82€ - National letter up to 20 grams
- Tariff A2 - 0.92€ - National letter from 20 to 50 grams
- Tariff B - 1.70€ - International letter to Europe up to 20 grams
- Tariff C - 1.75€ - International letter to rest of the world (excluding EU, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand & Russia) up to 20 grams
- Tariff D - 2.10€ - International (to EU, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand & Russia) up to 20 grams
TIP: The service at tobacco or stationery shops is faster than in a Spanish post office (queues) so I recommended only using Correos where the stamp does not meet the weight criteria.
NOTE: Spain does not have a first and second class post. The price of the stamp is based on the destination and weight of the letter or postcard. Stamps can be bought individually or as a sheet of multiple stamps.
POSTBOXES: Are the yellow coloured circular pill boxes that can be found on the streets. Square yellow post boxes can be found in the walls of buildings and in post offices. Obviously a letter must have a valid stamp for the destination to be delivered. The blue pill box is a locker for posties to store letter trolleys and bags when delivering (Reparto), not a post box.
Receiving Post in Spain
- Normal letters and postcards: Will be delivered to the address and put in the post box (buzon)
- Oversized envelopes: Not delivered
- Recorded or Registered: Not delivered
- packets, jiffy bags, padded envelopes: Not delivered
- Some fines, legal letters (Denuncias): Not delivered
- Parcels: Not delivered
- Items held at customs (Aduanas): Not delivered
Recorded or registered letters, some fines or legal letters require a signature which has to be done at the post office and require you to take photographic ID (passport or DNI/TIE card). Correos should ring your bell and get you to sign for these but they they never do.
Items that are too bulky to fit in the post box will also not be delivered and will need to be picked up from the post office, again with photographic ID.
For items held at customs (Aduanas) see the customs section.
Aviso de llegada
In cases where Correos can not deliver to your address, they will leave an Aviso de llegada note in your mail box with details:
- Recipiente: Name and address of recipient
- Remitente: Sender location code, name and time that the postie tried to deliver
- Situación del envío: state of the delivery if it should be retuned or picked up from a post office and possibly indications of where to pick it up
- Modalidad: modality i.e ordinary mail, urgent mail, a fee to pay (customs)
- Producto: Type of delivery i.e Letter, packet, telegram, timeframe (plazo) which you have to pick it up
In the case of receiving an Aviso de llegada you will be able to pick up the item the next working day from your local post office which should be indicated on the yellow note. However, a posties handwriting is almost always illegible or using some kind of shorthand so it is worth finding your local post office on the Correos website. The letter may also include a tracking reference code in the sender section which can sometimes be used on the Correos website to find out where you can pick up the item.
Picking up a delivery from the Post office
- Take the Adviso de llegada to the post office indicated the following day along with valid government issued photographic ID
- DNI or TIE identity card
- passport
- Driving license photo ID
- Any government issued ID document with your name and photo on it
Picking up a delivery from the Post office on behalf of someone else
If you want to send someone on your behalf to pick up an item you can do so with a simple authorisation letter, Carta de autorización. The letter should contain a photocopy or digital image of the recipients ID as well as details about who you are sending on your behalf such as name and ID. The letter should also be signed by the recipient. make sure the signature matches that on the recipients ID.
I have included a simple PDF document authorisation template letter in Spanish in the documents section of this page that you can download and copy the text to a word document modifying accordingly.
The person collecting the item on your behalf should take the Aviso de llegada, Carta de autorización and thier ID.
Sending Registered or Recorded Mail
For sending important documents that MUST arrive at their destination, registered mail is the best option and I use this service to renew my passport (sending the old one), sending certain legal documents (i.e. deeds to a property) or other important mail that you want a guarantee of timely arrival. Correos offers Carta Certificada and Burofax Premium for these occasions.
Carta Certificada
- Maximum trust and protection for your most important shipments
- Security: each shipment is individually identified and registered
- Guarantee: delivery is only made with the recipient's signature
- Peace of mind: check the tracking and control of your shipment
- Flexible: shipments up to 2 kg with delivery between 1 and 4 days
- Unlimited: national and international shipments, from our Post Offices or online
With the Correos Carta Certificada you may receive compensation in case of a lost package up to a maximum compensation of 3,000€ depending on the insured amount and if the destination country permits compensation. Add the recipient name and address in the middle of the front of the envelope and the sender name and address on the back of the envelope at the top. Ensure the envelope is well sealed tape (820 adhesive tape or similar)
From 4.87€ See the list of countries that accept Carta Certificada on the Correos website.
Burofax Premium
- The most secure deliveries for your most urgent shipments
- Security: delivery with a signature that is legally valid before third parties
- Simplicity: faster, uncomplicated shipments through our website
- Fast: same-day deliveries for national destinations
- Flexible: both national and international
With Correos Burofax service, the content of your message sent by burofax is certified, which serves as legal proof in relation to third parties. This can be requested up to five years after the item has been accepted. Correos provides you with written confirmation that your telegraphic document has been delivered, so you have a record of the person who received it and the date and time it was collected.
From 11.98€ See the list of countries that accept Burofax on the Correos website.
Sending Registered Mail From a Post Office
For both Carta Certificada and Burofax Premium services I recommend going to the post office in person with valid photographic ID and your phone number (to record sender info) where your package will be weighed and the price calculated based on weight and destination country. When you get to the post office press the button on the queue machine that corresponds to Enviar. This service is available in any `post office but I recommend the Central Post Office in Port vell of Barcelona for its magnificent customer service hall.
You will be handed a receipt that contains a tracking reference number that you can use on the Correos website to track the delivery. note from the example M11I form above for international Carta certificada, it has a 16-character barcode, where the first four digits will be “M11I”, the next two correspond to the last two digits of the current year, the next 9 are sequential and the last is a letter that functions as a digit of control and ensures the overall validity of the code. This bar code number is the tracking number and your receipt will have a sticker on it with this code.
Sending Packets or Parcels
Sending packets, parcels and boxes is the same process as recorded or registered mail. Yo go to the Correos post office with the item you want to send and select Enviar on the queue management ticket machine then wait your turn.
Parcels and bulkier items are calculated on weight, size and destination with a complete list of prices on the Correos Rates Page where you can download a 40 page PDF of all the prices. Chapter 2 starting on page 14 of this document details Servicios de paquetería for international destinations.
- Some example costs are:
- Europe: 57.05€ for up to 2Kg with 5.15&euro for every additional kilo
- America: 74.80€ for up to 2Kg with 11.00&euro for every additional kilo
- Asia & Oceania: 83.95€ for up to 2Kg with 11.95&euro for every additional kilo
- :Africa: 86.15€ for up to 2Kg with 11.95&euro for every additional kilo
Spanish Customs (Aduana)
If you are expecting an international shipment sent from outside the EU to Spain (i.e. the United Kingdom, United States, Latin America etc), even those purchased online, may be subject to restrictions, as well as the payment of customs and handling fees by Correos depending on their content, value and other criteria that Customs applies to shipments. The recipient is liable for paying the customs fees.
- Customs import charges, according to current legislation, could include:
- Customs duties: (European Union tax) depending on the content of the shipment
- Spanish taxes (IVA): or local taxes (IGIC, AIEM, IPSI) as appropriate
- Special taxes: tobacco, alcohol, etc
- Correos charges for handling and processing shipments may include:
- Processing of the Documento Único Administrativo (DUA) for Import tarrif paid to Customs (for shipments under 150€ of value)
- Customs handling fee (for shipments of value greater than 150€ that do not come by IOSS)
- Expenses derived from border security controls, depending on the nature of the shipment (health, pharmacy, veterinary, etc.)
- Any other expenses derived from the necessary steps for the customs management of the shipment
Basically, imports under a value of 45€ are classified as gifts and theoretically exempt from tax. A value of 45€ to 150€ are classified as special simplified import and subject to IVA tax at 21% of the value. Imports that have a value over 150€ are subject to IVA tax and additional taxes. (assuming that the package is not subject to special controls such as health, pharmacy, veterinary, tobacco, alcohol etc.)
The government customs department (Aduanas) will tax anything they deem valuable, and reserve the right to open any package for screening before sending it onto its destination. Or, if what you've sent is in fact valuable, they will hold it and charge the addressee a fee which can get very pricey as well as adding a delay to the delivery.
How to liberate your parcel from customs (Aduanas)
You will receive a letter or a yellow Aviso de llegada note saying that your package has been retained at customs. The letter or Aviso de Llegada will contain a barcode reference number. You can use this reference number to track your parcel or register/login to the Correos Aduana Portal formerly known as ADT Postales.
Once logged in, you can view the status of your packet. Typically, it will be retained and you can fill in a tedious online form and upload evidence of the value of the purchase such as the invoice from the online seller. Once the form is submitted it will be evaluated by Aduanas and a Presupuesto will be generated online or emailed to you with an attached PDF called "presupuesto_referenceNo" of the amount to pay as well as an account where you can make the payment.
I once made the mistake of ordering online from outside of the EU for goods with a value of 170€ and was hit with a 97.03€ fee to release it from customs because I was charged shipping fees, insurance, customs declarations fees, handling fees, import duties, VAT tax and at each step I was then taxed on the tax. The Spanish Aduana is a complete money grab and I can only describe it as state sanctioned robbery. See the breakdown of my actual Presupesto.
Anyway, Once you have paid the extortionate customs fees, there will be a wait of a few days while the bank transfer clears into the customs account. The item will then be dispatched to your local post office within a few days. Once the parcel has arrived at your local post office you will get another aviso de llegada to go and pick up the package from the next working day.
In general, if an item enters Spanish customs then I would say that you need to allow and additional 7 to 10 working days before you have the item in your hands and you will pay inflated taxes that outweigh any sentimental or economical motive for having an item delivered to Spain from outside the EU.
Lets say that you make an online purchase for an item worth less than 45€ or a gift sent from a family member. If the package is retained in customs, first of all you will have to demonstrate that the item is worth less than this value with an invoice or letter describing the item(s). The customs agents may reject this claim and value your item at a higher value in which case it will be subject to tax. From personal experience, I ordered goods that had a value of less than 45€ and the item disappeared. I never received an Aviso de llegada for it.
Summing up Spanish Customs (Aduanas)
- Before having an item shipped to you from outside the EU consider:
- Could you find the product online in Spain, or on a European seller like Amazon? If so, it would be much cheaper to purchase from within the EU rather than have products sent to you from outside the EU.
- Packages specifically marked as gifts with a value under 45€ are exempt from customs fees assuming customs agents accept the declared value if the package is retained for scrutiny.
- If the package is insured or tracked, it is assumed valuable, and will be held and taxed at customs.
- Keep your item descriptions vague. Use toiletries as opposed to makeup or food or specific brand names. Always use the words gift, used, or old personal belongings to help prevent taxes.
- Remove all price tags and plastic packaging before sending new items, just in case customs does open your package.
- Do not send vitamins or medicine. They always get taxed or rejected.
- Use UPS or DHL for shipments because they operate in Spain and will handle any customs fees inhouse and efficiently without the delays that occur via Correos.
- Avoid FedEx and other international parcel carriers without a presence in Spain because they will hand off to the Correos and you will enter the slow costly Aduanas process detailed above.
Documents for Correos, The Spanish Postal service
Click on any one of the 1 PDFs to view in full screen and download.