Key Takeaways
- A UK address runs: recipient name, building number and street, locality (if needed), POST TOWN in capitals, and the postcode on its own line.
- The county is optional — the post town and postcode are what Royal Mail sorts on.
- Write the postcode clearly in capitals with a space in the middle, e.g. SW1A 1AA.
- Put the return address on the back of the envelope or top-left on the front.
- PostPal formats every address correctly for you, so there's nothing to get wrong.
Introduction
A correctly addressed envelope is the single biggest thing you can do to make sure your letter arrives — and arrives on time. Royal Mail's sorting machines read addresses automatically, and a clear, well-formatted address gets processed faster and more reliably than a cramped or incomplete one.
Here's how to lay out a UK address the way Royal Mail recommends.
The Correct UK Address Format
Write the delivery address in the lower-right half of the envelope, one element per line:
| Recipient name | Ms J Smith |
| Building number + street | 12 Acacia Avenue |
| Locality (only if needed) | Didsbury |
| Post town (CAPITALS) | MANCHESTER |
| Postcode (own line, capitals) | M20 6XY |
Royal Mail asks for the post town in capital letters and the postcode on a separate final line. You usually don't need the county at all — which is why, at PostPal, the county field is optional for UK letters.
Getting the Postcode Right
The postcode is the most important part of a UK address. A few rules:
- Always write it in capital letters.
- Leave a single space between the two parts (the outward code and the inward code): EC1A 1BB, not EC1A1BB.
- Put it on its own line, as the last line of the address.
- Double-check it against the recipient's details — one wrong character can send a letter to the wrong sorting office.
If you're unsure of a postcode, Royal Mail's free Postcode Finder will confirm it from the street address.
Where to Put the Return Address
A return address lets Royal Mail send the letter back if it can't be delivered. Put it either:
- On the back of the envelope (the traditional UK convention), or
- In the top-left corner of the front, well clear of the delivery address.
A return address is optional — you can send anonymously — but it's worth including for anything important.
Let PostPal Handle the Formatting
When you send with PostPal, you just fill in the fields — name, street, post town, postcode — and we lay the address out correctly on the envelope, in the right case and on the right lines. There's no guesswork and nothing to smudge.
Skip the ruler and the retries: send a properly addressed letter in a couple of minutes.