Shipping carriers (like USPS or FedEx) require specific address formats for packages going to United States territories (like Puerto Rico). You’ll need customs declarations in many cases, even though these can be considered domestic shipments.
Topics
- List of U.S. Possessions, Territories, and Freely Associated States considered domestic
- Address format via USPS
- Address format via non-USPS carriers
List of U.S. Possessions, Territories, and Freely Associated States that are considered domestic
From this USPS support article.
American Samoa (AS)
- Manua Island
- Swain’s Island
- Tutuila Island
Guam (GU)
Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (MP)
- Rota Island
- Saipan Island
- Tinian Island
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (PR)
U.S. Virgin Islands (VI)
- Saint Croix Island
- Saint John Island
- Saint Thomas Island
Wake Island Atoll
- Wake Island
Address format via USPS
USPS requires a two-character abbreviation for the state/region and US for the country.
Here’s an example of how a Puerto Rican address should appear when shipping via USPS:
When creating the shipping label, be sure to select the domestic method (e.g., Ground Advantage) vs. an international method (e.g., First Class Package International).
Address format via non-USPS carriers
Other carriers (like FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc.) require a two-character abbreviation for the state/region and the territory’s state code for the country. See the state codes above.
Here’s an example of how a Puerto Rican address should appear when shipping.
