What is the cost to post abroad?

Obviously, it is impossible to give an exact postage cost figure here, so what I have tried to do is give you postal charges by weight of item. These costs are for AIR MAIL, which is significantly faster then surface mail, but is slightly more costly.

What that means is that you have to weigh your envelope/letter/photo/SASE combination when you are ready to mail it, and then refer here for the price by weight.

I have divided this post into several parts. (Currently UK, Australia, USA, Canada & Norway)

I would like to add to this section in due course to include mailing costs from other countries, but hey you've got to start somewhere!!!!

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[au] Australia
To mail WITHIN Australia

- Small Letters (up to 130mm x 240mm - DL, less than 5mm thick)
$0.55 - 250g

- Large Letters (up to 260mm x 360mm - B4, less than 20mm thick)
$1.10 - 125g
$1.65 - 250g
$2.75 - 500g

To mail FROM Australia TO Asia/Pacific Region

- Letters (up to 260mm x 360mm)
$1.40 - 50g
$2.80 - 125g
$4.20 - 250g
$8.20 - 500g

To mail FROM Australia TO the rest of the World

- Letters (up to 260mm x 360mm)
$2.05 - 50g
$4.10 - 125g
$6.15 - 250g
$12.20 - 500g

International Reply Coupons - $2.90

Note for International Letters:

Greeting Cards (up to the size of a Small Letter, marked "Card Only") cost $1.35 in postage.

These prices are using International Stamps, which can be bought from any Australia Post outlet. If you choose to use domestic stamps, add a further 10% in postage.

(Last updated: 18 September 2008)
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Canada
Sending FROM Canada TO Canada

Standard Envelopes, cards or postcards up to 30g is $0.59
Standard Envelopes, cards or postcard 31g to 50g is $1.03

Oversized or Non-Standard up to 100g is $1.18
Oversized or Non-Standard from 100g to 200g is $1.96
Oversized or Non-Standard from 200g to 500g is $2.75

Sending FROM Canada TO the USA

Standard Envelopes, cards or postcard up to 30g is $0.98
Standard Envelopes, cards or postcard from 31g to 50g is $1.18

Oversized or Non-Standard up to 100g is $1.96
Oversized or Non-Standard from 101g to 200g is $3.40
Oversized or Non-Standard from 201g to 500g is $6.80

Sending FROM Canada TO International Countries

Standard Envelopes, cards or postcards up to 30g is $1.65
Standard Envelopes, cards or postcards from 31g to 50g is $2.36

Oversized or Non-Standard up to 100g is $3.90
Oversized or Non-Standard up to 101g to 200g is $6.80
Oversized or Non-Standard up to 201g to 500g is $13.60
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[norway] Norway
Sending FROM Norway TO Europe:

20g = 9,50 Kr (£0,80 or $1,25)
50g = 14 Kr (£1,10 or $2)
100g = 19 kr (£1,70 or $3)
350g = 45 Kr (£3,50 or $7,50)

Sending FROM Norway TO the rest of the world:

20g = 10,50 Kr (£0,90 or $1,20)
50g = 21 Kr (£1,80 or $3)
100g = 31 Kr (£2,50 or $4,50)
350g = 62 Kr (£5,20 or $8,50)
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UK
To mail FROM the UK TO Australia & New Zealand / Asia Pacific:
0.54p 10g
0.78p 20g
£1.24 40g
£1.74 60g
£2.24 80g
£2.74 100g
£3.23 120g
£3.72 140g
£5.20 200g

To mail FROM the UK TO the USA & Canada:
0.54p 10g
0.78p 20g
£1.17 40g
£1.58 60g
£2.00 80g
£2.42 100g
£2.83 120g
£3.25 140g
£4.50 200g

To mail FROM the UK TO Europe:
0.48p 20g
0.69p 40g
0.90p 60g
£1.10 80g
£1.31 100g
£1.52 120g
£1.73 140g
£2.35 200g

To mail WITHIN the UK
"Pricing In Proportion" began in the UK in August 2006. This system was designed to bring us more in line with Europe and the rest of the world for postal pricing.

Letters are now charged by size as well as weight in 3 basic categories:
Letter (up to A5), (240mm x 165mm x 5mm thick) - up to 100g will cost 39p (1st Class) and 30p (2nd Class).
Large Letter (A4 and over) (353mm x 250mm x 25mm thick) - up to 100g will cost 61p (1st Class) and 47p (2nd Class).
Packet (353mm x 250mm x larger than 25mm thick) - up to 100g will cost £1.28 (1st Class) and £1.08 (2nd Class).

Pricing in proportion info: http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/cont ... d=21100324
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USA
To mail FROM the USA TO the USA:

A First-Class Mail® letter - Large Envelope
1oz - 88 /c
2oz - $1.05
3oz - $1.22
4oz - $1.39
5oz - $1.56
6oz - $1.73
7oz - $1.90
8oz - $2.07
9oz - $2.24
10oz - $2.41


To mail FROM the USA TO the UK and Europe:
A First-Class Mail® International - Large Envelope

$1.24 10g (.35 oz)
$1.24 20g (.70 oz)
$2.08 40g (1.40 oz)
$2.92 60g (2.10 oz)
$2.92 80g (2.80 oz)
$3.76 100g (3.50 oz)


To mail FROM the USA TO Canada:
A First-Class Mail® International - Large Envelope

$1.03 10g (.35 oz)
$1.03 20g (.70 oz)
$1.29 40g (1.40 oz)
$1.55 60g (2.10 oz)
$1.55 80g (2.80 oz)
$1.81 100g (3.50 oz)


To mail FROM the USA TO Australia:
A First-Class Mail® International - Large Envelope

$1.24 10g (.35 oz)
$1.24 20g (.70 oz)
$2.08 40g (1.40 oz)
$2.92 60g (2.10 oz)
$2.92 80g (2.80 oz)
$3.76 100g (3.50 oz)

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I hope this helps, but if you are in any doubt take your letter to the post office to get it weighed/priced properly, or check out the (UK) Royal Mail website: http://www.royalmail.com or (USA) The US Postal Service: http://www.usps.com or Australia Post: http://www.auspost.com.au or Canada Post: http://www.canadapost.ca or Norway Post: http://www.posten.no/Portal/English

Also, remember to always use an AIR MAIL sticker otherwise replies can sometimes go surface mail, and take ages!!!! AIR MAIL stickers are available free-of-charge from a post office.

Ian

UPDATE:

Generally useful links:
Converting between oz and grams: http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/gram_calc.htm
Converting between inches and cm: http://www.manuelsweb.com/in_cm.htm

USA
Postage Calculator: http://www.usps.com/tools/calculatep...lculatepostage
Domestic Price Charts: http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/Notice123.htm
International Price Charts: http://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/immctry.htm

Note: USPS increases postage prices on May 11th, 2009.
New Price list at: http://pe.usps.com/PriceChange_May20.../PriceList.pdf

Note: Stamps without denomination (printed value) can be used for international mail. The value of such stamps is linked to either a current or a former domestic postage price (e.g., the “Lady Liberty and U.S. Flag” stamp has a postage value of 39 cents). The postage value of the Forever Stamp, is always the domestic First-Class Mail single-piece 1-ounce letter price that is in effect on the day of use (affix more postage when neccesarry). Source: http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/immc1_020.htm, 152.2 Stamps, c)

Canada
Postage Calculator: http://www.canadapost.ca/Personal/Tools/RC/Canada.aspx
Rates & Prices (Letters): http://www.canadapost.ca/Personal/Ra...Documents.aspx

United Kingdom - Mainland, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Airmail: http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/c...diaId=53800712
Surface Mail (Letters for outside Europe only) http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/c...3&catId=400037
Note: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all have the same stamps. Stamps pre-decimalization (before 1971) can no longer be used.
First and second class stamps can be used for international mail, they will count as their current value if no other denomination is on the stamp (confirmed by Royal Mail Service).

United Kingdom - Isle of Man
Price Guide: http://www.gov.im/post/postal/guide.xml
Isle of Man does use different stamps than mainland UK. Stamps purchased in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man cannot be used in UK, nor can UK postage stamps be used in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.

Australia
Postage Calculator: http://www1.auspost.com.au/pac/ (use Post Charges Booklet link for a pdf price overview)

Austria
http://www.post.at/en/129.php
Note: current stamp currency is Euro, "Schilling" currency stamps can no longer be used.

Belgium (i believe "tot en met" is the size for 8x10)
in Netherlands Lang.: http://www.post.be/site/nl/letters/i...ffs/index.html
in German Lang: http://www.post.be/de/brief/tarife/i...nal/index.html
Note: current stamp currency is Euro. All stamps denominated in Belgian francs (BEF) are valid indefinitely. 1 Belgium Franc = 0,02478 (or 40 Francs = approx 1 Euro)

France
http://www.laposte.com/find-a-postage-rate-18
Note: current stamp currency is Euro. "Franc" stamps 'will remain valid for prepayment for an unlimited period'. 1 Franc = 0.152449 Euro

Germany ("Großbrief" for 8x10) (correct me if I'm wrong)
http://www.deutschepost.de/dpag?tab=...017475_1009418
Note: current stamp currency is Euro, "DM" currency stamps can no longer be used.

Greece
Note: current stamp currency is Euro, previous currency stamps can no longer be used.

Hong Kong
http://www.hongkongpost.com/eng/postage/index.htm

Ireland: (large envelope for 8x10)
http://postage.anpost.ie/
Note: current stamp currency is Euro, previous currency stamps can no longer be used

Italy
http://www.poste.it/en/postali/econo.../a_index.shtml
(Flats for 8x10, Prices link on the left)
Note: current stamp currency is Euro. All lire stamps remain valid indefinitely. 1 Lire = 0.0005165 Euro (or 2000 Lire = approx 1 Euro)

Japan
Postage Calculator: http://www.post.japanpost.jp/cgi-cha...x.php?lang=_en
Price Lists: http://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/cha.../index_en.html

Netherlands
http://www.tntpost.nl/voorthuis/brie...-kost-het.aspx
Note: current stamp currency is Euro. Guilder/cent stamps to remain valid indefinitely.

New Zealand
Postage Calculator: http://www.nzpost.co.nz/Cultures/en-...ls/Ratefinder/
Price List (Letters): http://www.nzpost.co.nz/Cultures/en-...ationalLetters

Norway
http://www.posten.no/en/ (Price List link on the right, the "Download Price list")

Poland
http://www.poczta-polska.pl/ (seems to be only available in polish; if you know a direct link to their rates post below)
You can buy stamps at: http://www.poczta-polska.pl/znaczki/en/oferta.php (english)

Spain
http://www.correos.es/ENG/01P-Enviar...-CPostales.asp
Note: current stamp currency is Euro. I'm not sure if Peseta currency stamps are still valid.

Sweden - karra28 - correct me if I'm wrong!
http://www.posten.se/ptm/ptm_do.jsp?action=getPriceList (seems no english version is available? I believe under "Ekonomibrev utrikes" you can find price lists (Prislista) in PDF format for international mail)
Envelope sizes, weight limits, etc: http://www.posten.se/ptm/ptm_do.jsp?...tFactSheetList (under "1:a-klassbrev utrikes", select "Faktablad engelsk version" for an english PDF)

Switzerland ("Large Letter" for 8x10)
http://www.post.ch/en/index/uk-priva...se-economy.htm

Thanks Selise