Correos: Spanish Postal Service, Mail, Parcels & Customs Guide

About the Correos Spanish Postal Service

Pretty much everywhere in the world the national postal service functions in a similar way. However, there are some subtle differences worth knowing, as well as the local language and essential vocabulary. This article will give you the tools and information to use and understand the Spanish postal service called Correos.

Letters & Postcards: International & National envelopes up to A4 size
Recorded or Registered Mail: International & National tracked delivery or receipt of important documents
Small packets: International & National padded / cushioned mailers / jiffy bags up to A4 size
Large packets: International & National boxes and parcels
Customs Clearance: for non‑EU recipients or payment of import duties for packets sent to Spain from outside the EU
Stamp collecting: including a service to turn your favourite images into an exclusive stamp just for you
Utility Bills: Electricity, water, gas, phone/internet bills can be paid via Correos using the barcode on the bill if the utility company is on the correos list
DGT (Dirección General de Tráfico): order a duplicate driving licence, vehicle change of ownership and other simple DGT procedures
Sending Money: via Giro International, Giro National, Western Union — see the Correos Rates

I will also cover some alternative private international and national courier and delivery companies that you may find are a better solution for your particular needs.

Sending Letters and Postcards

correos – Post Offices
Papelerías – Stationery Stores
estancos or tabacs – Tobacco Shops

Postage Stamps (sellos) – at post offices, stationery stores, or tobacco shops
Envelopes (sobres) – at post offices, stationery stores, or tobacco shops
Postcards (postales) – at stationery stores or tobacco shops

Individual stamp prices:

Tariff A – €0.82 – National letter up to 20 grams
Tariff A2 – €0.92 – National letter from 20 to 50 grams
Tariff B – €1.70 – International letter to Europe up to 20 grams
Tariff C – €1.75 – International letter to the rest of the world (excluding EU, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand & Russia) up to 20 grams
Tariff D – €2.10 – International (to EU, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand & Russia) up to 20 grams

TIP: Service at tobacco or stationery shops is usually faster than in a Spanish post office (queues!), so I recommend only using Correos when the stamp you need depends on weight.

NOTE: Spain does not have first‑ and second‑class post. The price of the stamp is based on the destination and weight of the letter or postcard. Stamps can be bought individually or as sheets.

POSTBOXES: These are the yellow circular pillar boxes found on the streets. Square yellow postboxes can be found in building walls and inside post offices. A letter must have a valid stamp for the destination to be delivered. The blue pillar box is not a postbox — it is a locker for posties to store trolleys and bags during delivery (Reparto).

Receiving Post in Spain

Normal letters and postcards: Delivered to the address and placed in the post box (buzón)
Oversized envelopes: Not delivered
Recorded or Registered: Not delivered
Packets, jiffy bags, padded envelopes: Not delivered
Some fines, legal letters (Denuncias): Not delivered
Parcels: Not delivered
Items held at customs (Aduanas): Not delivered

Recorded or registered letters, some fines, or legal letters require a signature, which must be done at the post office. You must take photographic ID (passport or DNI/TIE card). Correos should ring your bell and get you to sign for these, but they never do.

Items that are too bulky to fit in the post box will also not be delivered and must be picked up from the post office, again with photographic ID.

For items held at customs (Aduanas) see the aduanas section.

Aviso de llegada

When Correos cannot deliver to your address, they will leave an Aviso de llegada note in your mailbox with details:

Recipiente: Name and address of the recipient
Remitente: Sender location code, name, and time the postie attempted delivery
Situación del envío: Status of the delivery — whether it should be returned or picked up from a post office, and possibly which office
Modalidad: Type of mail (ordinary, urgent, fee to pay such as customs)
Producto: Type of delivery (letter, packet, telegram) and the timeframe (plazo) in which you must pick it up

If you receive an Aviso de llegada, you can pick up the item the next working day from your local post office, which should be indicated on the yellow note. However, posties’ handwriting is often illegible or written in shorthand, so it is worth finding your local post office using the Correos website. The note may also include a tracking reference code in the sender section, which can sometimes be used on the Correos website to locate the item.

Picking up a delivery from the Post Office

Aviso de llegada

DNI or TIE identity card
Passport
Driving licence with photo ID
Any government‑issued ID document with your name and photo

Picking up a delivery on behalf of someone else

If you want someone to collect an item on your behalf, you can do so with a simple authorisation letter (Carta de autorización). The letter should include a photocopy or digital image of the recipient’s ID, as well as the details of the person collecting the item (name and ID). The letter must be signed by the recipient — ensure the signature matches the ID.

I have included a simple PDF authorisation template letter in Spanish in the documents section of this page. You can download it and copy the text into a Word document, modifying it as needed.

The person collecting the item must take the Aviso de llegada, the Carta de autorización, and their own ID.

Sending Registered or Recorded Mail

For sending important documents that MUST arrive at their destination, registered mail is the best option. I use this service to renew my passport (sending the old one), to send certain legal documents (e.g., deeds to a property), or any other important mail where you want a guarantee of timely arrival. Correos offers Carta Certificada and Burofax Premium for these occasions.

Carta Certificada

Security: each shipment is individually identified and registered
Guarantee: delivery is only made with the recipient’s signature
Peace of mind: track and control your shipment online
Flexible: shipments up to 2 kg with delivery between 1 and 4 days
Unlimited: national and international shipments, from post offices or online

With Correos Carta Certificada, you may receive compensation in case of a lost package, up to a maximum of €3,000 depending on the insured amount and whether the destination country permits compensation. Write the recipient’s name and address in the centre of the front of the envelope, and the sender’s name and address on the back at the top. Ensure the envelope is well sealed with tape (820 adhesive tape or similar).

From €4.87. See the list of countries that accept Carta Certificada on the Correos website.

Burofax Premium

Security: delivery with a signature that is legally valid before third parties
Simplicity: fast, uncomplicated shipments through the Correos website
Fast: same‑day deliveries for national destinations
Flexible: available for both national and international destinations

With the Correos Burofax service, the content of your message is certified, serving as legal proof in relation to third parties. This certification can be requested up to five years after the item has been accepted. Correos provides written confirmation that your telegraphic document has been delivered, including the name of the person who received it and the date and time of delivery.

From €11.98. See the list of countries that accept Burofax on the Correos website.

Sending Registered Mail From a Post Office

For both Carta Certificada and Burofax Premium, I recommend going to the post office in person with valid photographic ID and your phone number (for sender information). Your package will be weighed and the price calculated based on weight and destination country. When you arrive, press the button on the queue machine corresponding to Enviar. This service is available at any post office, but I recommend the Central Post Office in Port Vell, Barcelona for its magnificent customer service hall.

You will receive a receipt containing a tracking reference number that you can use on the Correos website to track the delivery. For international Carta Certificada, the tracking number is a 16‑character barcode: the first four digits are “M11I”, the next two correspond to the last two digits of the current year, the next nine are sequential, and the final character is a control letter. Example: M11I24123456789P. This barcode number is your tracking number, and your receipt will include a sticker with this code.

Sending Packets or Parcels

Sending packets, parcels and boxes follows the same process as recorded or registered mail. You go to the Correos post office with the item you want to send, select Enviar on the queue management ticket machine, and wait your turn.

Parcels and bulkier items are priced based on weight, size and destination. A complete list of prices is available on the Correos Rates Page, where you can download a 40‑page PDF of all the tariffs. Chapter 2, starting on page 14, details Servicios de paquetería for international destinations.

Europe: €57.05 for up to 2 kg, with €5.15 for every additional kilo
America: €74.80 for up to 2 kg, with €11.00 for every additional kilo
Asia & Oceania: €83.95 for up to 2 kg, with €11.95 for every additional kilo
Africa: €86.15 for up to 2 kg, with €11.95 for every additional kilo

Spanish Customs (Aduana)

If you are expecting an international shipment sent from outside the EU to Spain (i.e. the United Kingdom, United States, Latin America, etc.), even those purchased online, it may be subject to restrictions as well as the payment of customs and handling fees by Correos depending on the content, value and other criteria that Customs applies to shipments. The recipient is liable for paying the customs fees.

Customs duties: EU tax depending on the content of the shipment
Spanish taxes (IVA): or local taxes (IGIC, AIEM, IPSI) as appropriate
Special taxes: tobacco, alcohol, etc.

Processing of the Documento Único Administrativo (DUA) for import tariff paid to Customs (for shipments under €150 in value)
Customs handling fee (for shipments over €150 that do not come via IOSS)
Expenses derived from border security controls depending on the nature of the shipment (health, pharmacy, veterinary, etc.)
Any other expenses derived from the necessary steps for customs management

Basically, imports under a value of €45 are classified as gifts and theoretically exempt from tax. A value of €45 to €150 is classified as simplified import and subject to IVA at 21% of the value. Imports over €150 are subject to IVA and additional taxes (assuming the package is not subject to special controls such as health, pharmacy, veterinary, tobacco, alcohol, etc.).

The government customs department (aduanas) will tax anything they deem valuable and reserve the right to open any package for screening before sending it on to its destination. If what you’ve sent is considered valuable, they will hold it and charge the addressee a fee, which can become very expensive and cause significant delays.

How to liberate your parcel from customs (aduanas)

You will receive a letter or a yellow Aviso de llegada note saying that your package has been retained at customs. The letter or note will contain a barcode reference number. You can use this number to track your parcel or register/login to the Correos Aduana Portal, formerly known as ADT Postales.

Once logged in, you can view the status of your packet. Typically, it will be retained, and you can fill in an online form and upload evidence of the value of the purchase, such as the invoice from the online seller. Once submitted, it will be evaluated by aduanas and a Presupuesto will be generated online or emailed to you with a PDF called “presupuesto_referenceNo” showing the amount to pay and the bank account for payment.

I once made the mistake of ordering online from outside the EU for goods worth €170 and was hit with a €97.03 fee to release it from customs because I was charged shipping fees, insurance, customs declaration fees, handling fees, import duties, VAT, and at each step I was then taxed on the tax. The Spanish Aduana is a complete scam and I can only describe it as state‑sanctioned robbery. See the breakdown of my actual Presupuesto.

Once you have paid the extortionate customs fees, there will be a wait of a few days while the bank transfer clears into the customs account. The item will then be dispatched to your local post office within a few days. Once at your post office, you will get another Aviso de llegada to pick up the package the next working day. In general, if an item enters Spanish customs, allow an additional 7 to 10 days before you receive it, and expect inflated taxes that outweigh any sentimental or economic motive for having an item delivered to Spain from outside the EU.

Let’s say you make an online purchase for an item worth less than €45 or receive a gift from a family member. You will still have to demonstrate that the item is worth less than this value with an invoice or letter describing the contents. Customs agents may reject this claim and assign a higher value, making it taxable. From personal experience, I ordered goods worth less than €45 and the item disappeared — I never received an Aviso de llegada for it.

Summing up Spanish Customs Aduanas

Could you find the product online in Spain, or from a European seller like Amazon? If so, it will be much cheaper than having products sent to you.
Packages marked as gifts with a value under €45 are exempt from customs fees, assuming customs agents accept the declared value.
If the package is insured or tracked, it is assumed valuable and will be held and taxed at customs.
Keep item descriptions vague. Use “toiletries” instead of makeup, or “food” instead of specific brand names. Always use the words gift, used, or old personal belongings to help prevent taxes.
Remove all price tags and plastic packaging before sending new items, in case customs opens your package.
Do not send vitamins or medicine — they are always taxed or rejected.
Use UPS for shipments because they operate in Spain and handle customs fees in‑house quickly and efficiently.
Avoid FedEx and other international parcel carriers because they do not operate in Spain and will hand off to Correos, putting you into the slow, costly aduanas process described above.