How to Address a Letter to Canada

PDF download Download Article
Make sure your envelope gets to Canada on-time and in one piece
PDF download Download Article

Canada's main postal system is called the Canada Post or Postes Canada. This mail service uses similar conventions to both the United States and United Kingdom postal systems; however, there are some differences. This article will tell you how to address envelopes to Canada.

How to Send a Letter to Canada

  1. Write out the name of the receipt on the front of the envelope.
  2. Put the street address under their name.
  3. Put the city, province, and postal code under the address.
  4. Write out “Canada” under the last line.
Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Addressing Personal Envelopes

PDF download Download Article
  1. Write the name on the middle front portion of the envelope and be sure to leave plenty of space above and below this line. If applicable, include honorific titles like Mr., Mrs., Dr., or Esquire.
    • Postal services generally prefer for all addresses to be written in uppercase or block letters. [1]
  2. For example, you may want to print the hotel, business, or department name to ensure the letter reaches the right recipient.
    Advertisement
  3. Write the apartment or unit number, followed by a hyphen and then a street address. For example, 2-234 Pine St. N
    • Canadian addresses should not include punctuation. It is important to write addresses correctly, because many addresses are read by sorting machines. If it is addressed legibly according to Canada's postal conventions, it will arrive at the destination more quickly.
  4. Canadian addresses have specific postal and province codes for different parts of the country. Before writing out the address, you must find out what the specific codes, including the correct abbreviation of the provinces are. [2]
    • If the person you are writing to hasn’t already given you this information, you can find out by visiting USPS website [3] or the Canada Post website [4]
  5. Be sure to write them out in that exact order and place 2 spaces between the province and the postal code. [5]
  6. The country name should always be the last line of the address, unless you are already sending your mail from Canada, in which case this line is not necessary. [6]
    • The following is an address correctly written, with the line breaks separated by commas. Rachel Platt, PEARSON EDITORIAL INC., 2-234 Pine St. N, TORONTO ON M5V 1J2
  7. The return address is necessary so that the recipient knows where to address their response. Be sure to write the address legibly. [7]
    • Write your return address following the same format. The only difference is the placement, be sure to write it in the upper left hand corner of your envelope. You can also place it in the middle of the back flap of the envelope.
    • If you are writing an American address, do not use periods for abbreviations or commas. Use the 2 letter state symbol. Place the abbreviation USA underneath the last line that includes your city, state and zip code.
    • If you are writing an international address from a country other than the USA, write the full name of the country on the line below the line that includes the city and postal code. For example, you would address the envelope to the United Kingdom, rather than writing "UK."
    8. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Addressing Business Envelopes

PDF download Download Article
  1. Start the address line in the middle front of the envelope. It may be more business appropriate to add an honorific prefix, such as “Mr.” “Ms.” or "Dr." before the name of the person.
  2. List the person's title at their company, then the business name on the next line.
  3. This may include an apartment or unit number, followed by a hyphen and then a street address. [8]
  4. Canadian addresses have specific postal and province codes for different parts of the country. Before writing out the address, you must find out what the specific codes, including the correct abbreviation of the provinces. [9]
    • If the person or business you are writing to hasn’t already given you this information, you can find out by visiting USPS website [10] or the Canada Post website [11] .
  5. Place 1 space between the city and the province and 2 spaces between the province and the postal code. [12]
  6. The country name should always be the last line of the address, unless you are already sending your mail from Canada, in which case this line is not necessary. [13]
  7. In the upper left hand corner, write out your return address, following the same format as the recipient’s address.
  8. When writing or typing the address, be sure to leave 15 mm (0.6 inches) of space on each side of the envelope. There must be 40 mm (1.6 inches) of space from the top of the envelope and 19 mm (0.75 inches) of blank space from the bottom of the envelope.
    • Write all business addresses in uppercase letters. If possible, you may want to use a computer to simply type and print the address as this can decrease the processing time.
    • If you have a graphic or logo on your envelope, it must be placed to the left of the address. You must ensure you have the same amount of space left from the edge with the logo included.
    9. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    How many forever stamps do I need to mail a letter to Canada?
    Community Answer
    I have been told in the past that you need three forever stamps, but the post office should also have cheaper international stamps.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 5 Helpful 38
  • Question
    How do you know if it's a zero or the letter o?
    Community Answer
    If you're referring to the postal code, in Canada, the order is letter, number, letter, space, number, letter, number. So you know based on which spot in that sequence it's in.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 9 Helpful 15
  • Question
    How many US "forever" stamps do I need to put on a simple letter to Canada (Toronto)?
    Amiandra
    Community Answer
    You need 3 forever stamps to mail it to Canada, although the post office may have international stamps as well.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 4 Helpful 10
See more answers
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      • The number of stamps or cost of postage depends on a number of factors, including the size and weight of the envelope as well as where you are mailing it to and from. To calculate the postage price, you can use the Canada Post Rate Calculator. [14]
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      • If you are writing to a French address in Canada, do not translate it. Write it as it is listed in French. Canada's postal system is bi-lingual.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      • If you are mailing to a post office box, replace the street with the words "PO Box" and the number.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Show More Tips
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Address a Business Envelope Effectively
      How to
      Address Envelopes to Japan
      How to
      Put an Address on an Envelope (Great Britain)
      How to
      Address Envelopes With Attn
      How to
      Label an Envelope: A Complete Guide (with Examples)
      How to
      Address an Envelope to a Family
      How to
      Use Care of to Address Letters or Packages
      The Proper Way to Return Unwanted and Wrongly Delivered Mail
      How to
      Address Clasp Envelopes
      How to
      Address a Letter to France
      How to
      Write an Address with an Apartment Number
      How to
      Address a Letter to England
      How to
      Format a Return Address for Letters & Packages
      How to
      Address Christmas Card Envelopes
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/support/kb/sending/general-information/how-to-address-mail-and-parcels
      2. ↑ https://www.postgrid.co.uk/canada-address-format/
      3. ↑ http://pe.usps.gov/text/pub28/28apa_005.htm
      4. ↑ https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/support/articles/addressing-guidelines/postal-codes.page ?
      5. ↑ https://stallionexpress.ca/blog/how-do-you-write-a-canadian-address/
      6. ↑ https://pe.usps.com/text/pub28/28apa_005.htm
      7. ↑ https://www.postgrid.co.uk/canada-address-format/
      8. ↑ https://stallionexpress.ca/blog/how-do-you-write-a-canadian-address/
      9. ↑ https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/info/mc/personal/postalcode/fpc.jsf
      1. ↑ http://pe.usps.gov/text/pub28/28apa_005.htm
      2. ↑ https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/support/articles/addressing-guidelines/postal-codes.page ?
      3. ↑ https://stallionexpress.ca/blog/how-do-you-write-a-canadian-address/
      4. ↑ https://www.postgrid.co.uk/canada-address-format/
      5. ↑ https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/information/app/far/business/findARate?execution=e1s1

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To address an envelope to Canada, start by clearly printing the recipient’s name just above the center of the envelope. On the next line, write the number of the apartment if there is one, followed by a dash and then the street address. Below that, write the city, province, and postal code in that order with no punctuation. On the final line, write Canada if you are sending your letter from outside of the country. Be sure to include a return address in the top left corner if you’re expecting a response! For tips on addressing business envelopes to Canada, keep reading!

      Did this summary help you?
      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 677,489 times.

      Reader Success Stories

      • Marilyn Barry

        Nov 22, 2016

        "This was helpful because years ago I remember sending mail to Canada differently, and wanted to know the correct ..." more
      More reader stories Hide reader stories
      Share your story

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement