How to address an envelope: layout and add-ons

Most undeliverable letters don't fail because of postage, but because of the address: a missing house number, the wrong add-on, the country on the wrong line. This guide shows the correct layout — within Germany and beyond.

The basic layout

On a usual envelope without a window, place the recipient in the lower-right address zone, the sender at the top left and postage at the top right. A domestic German address ends with postcode and town, with street, house number, name and necessary add-ons above.

How to address an envelope in Germany: sender at top left, stamp at top right and recipient at bottom right — Example of a German envelope without an address window: sender at the top left, stamp at the top right and recipient address at the bottom right.

Line	Content	Example
1	Company or salutation + name	Muster GmbH
2	Contact person or department	For the attention of Ms Sabine Klein
3	Street and house number or PO box	Lindenstraße 12a
4	Postcode and town	50667 Köln

Sample German c/o and PO box addresses alongside a French address with country on the final line — Fictional examples: c/o identifies the letterbox holder, a PO box replaces the street, and the country is the final line for international mail.

Placing add-ons correctly

"z. Hd." (for the attention of) goes above the street line, not below it — otherwise the sorting machine reads it as part of the address.
PO box instead of street: giving both at once is a common mistake. Pick one delivery method; the PO box postcode often differs from the street-address postcode.
"Personal" or "Confidential" marks confidential correspondence; it is not a postal identity or delivery guarantee.
c/o names the person under whose name the letterbox is labelled. Leave it out, and the item may come back as undeliverable.

International post

For items abroad, write the address in the destination country's format and put the country in capital letters on the last line — ideally in German, English or French. The postcode stays in the country's own format; prefixing a country code such as "F-" is now considered outdated.

Rule of thumb: everything above the country line is written for the destination country; the country line itself is written for the German postal service.

Window envelope check comparing a fully visible address with an obscured recipient name — German-labelled diagram with fictional details. The address must remain fully visible after slight movement; omit the country line for domestic German mail.

Common mistakes that cost time

Leaving out house-number suffixes such as "a" or "1/3".
An address that is crooked, too small, or too close to the edge — the reading zone needs clear space.
Using an old address from your address book instead of the latest invoice.
Folding a window envelope incorrectly, so part of the address is hidden.

Use the online editor to review the address and letter preview. Correct placement helps preparation but does not replace checking that the recipient’s address is current and complete.

c/o, attention lines and PO boxes: the differences

c/o is useful when the recipient receives mail through somebody else’s letterbox. z. Hd. means “for the attention of” a contact at a company; it does not replace the company name. For a PO box, use the specified box number and its postcode instead of combining it with a street address.

Fictional c/o example:
Anna Beispiel
c/o Max Muster
Lindenstraße 12a
50667 Köln

Should domestic mail include “Deutschland”?

No country line is needed within Germany. For international mail, put the destination country in capital letters on the final line. Format the other lines according to the destination country and verify the address with the recipient.

How do I check a window envelope?

Fold and insert the letter, then move it gently towards the envelope edges. The name, street, house number, postcode and town must remain fully visible. Additional address lines must not disappear behind the window. For business correspondence, see our DIN 5008 guide.

Four checks before sending

Use a current, reliable source for the address.
Check house-number suffixes and the name on the letterbox.
Use straight, legible lines and clear space around the address.
Check format, weight and postage separately.

The letter editor displays the entered address in the preview. A correctly positioned address can still be incorrect or outdated, so check the details yourself. Further guidance is available from Deutsche Post.