Mail during military moves and deployment

Which part do you need help with?

Move letters to your next assigned address

Start with USPS military change-of-address instructions and your serving postal unit. Official-order forwarding has specific eligibility, mail-class and timing rules; it is not indefinite free remailing from a commercial mailbox.

Read US letters before asking for paper

A virtual mailbox can offer envelope previews and requested contents scans. Confirm who may receive mail, who can log in, the scan unit and the accepted setup option. Compare mailbox services with my current needs →

Get a wanted original to APO, FPO or DPO

Verify the actual operator, carrier, military ZIP, item and destination before dispatch. Postal addressing guidance does not establish a commercial provider’s acceptance. Plan originals and deadlines →

This guide serves Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Space Force households. Branch, deployment or family status alone does not qualify anyone for a provider discount.

PCS move or temporary absence?

A permanent change of station: update important senders directly and follow the applicable military change-of-address route. USPS’s overseas PCS guidance limits military forwarding to 60 days. Its no-added-charge treatment covers specified official-order circumstances and mail; check the full instructions for your originating address and request.

A temporary assignment or deployment: decide whether someone is staying at the home address. An address-wide hold affects everyone’s eligible mail, not just the person away. If only one adult leaves, choose the appropriate individual forwarding or authorized receiving arrangement.

Check who a hold or forwarding request covers → · Separate receiving names from account access →

A stable mailing address is not proof of residence, domicile, tax status, benefit eligibility or acceptance by a bank or agency.

Verify the exact military destination

1. Use the assigned specific recipient, unit/box and APO/FPO/DPO address. USPS says not to append a foreign city or country.
2. Check the military ZIP’s current item restrictions, customs and service conditions. Domestic postal pricing does not remove those requirements.
3. Ask the selected commercial operator whether it can forward this original by the needed service to that address. Confirm handling, postage, processing time and a fallback destination.
4. Keep enough time before a document deadline; an advertised dispatch time is not an arrival promise.

Official USPS military & diplomatic addressing, customs and restrictions

Provider scope: MyRVmail’s FAQ expressly supports APO/FPO forwarding; DPO is not established by that answer. Traveling Mailbox advertises international forwarding, but that alone does not verify APO/FPO/DPO service. Confirm your actual destination with the chosen provider.

Discounts come after service fit

Traveling Mailbox

10% off monthly plans for active-duty personnel and veterans. Follow the merchant’s qualification route. No public code, annual stacking, extras discount or universal address eligibility is assumed.

MyRVmail Premium

Discounted Premium for Passport America members or active-duty DoD ID holders. Veterans are separately directed to ask about a rate; the same quantified discount is not verified. Business is a separate tier. Setup, usage, postage and any membership cost remain separate.

Guard/Reserve, retired-service, spouse and dependent eligibility must match each provider’s stated terms. If unsure, keep the offer answer at Not sure. Never send MailboxCompare a DoD ID, orders, membership number or proof document; qualification happens with the provider.

Inspect military offers with my current inputs → · Browse all household offers →

Before you leave—and before you return

• Complete the provider’s accepted identity/receiving process and confirm activation before redirecting senders. Being able to sign abroad is a separate question from where originals can ship.
• Authorize each adult’s receiving arrangement. Receiving-name capacity is not another login or a private view; do not share passwords as a substitute.
• Set which letters to scan, retain, dispose of or forward. Track the oldest wanted original and its deadline, not just how often you log in.
• Compare actual upfront payment, paid months and commitment for your expected stay. A short assignment does not automatically justify a year prepaid.
• On return, update senders, export needed scans, finish pending originals and check notice, renewal, remaining funds and residual-mail instructions.

Compare costs for my actual stay → · Check activation and cancellation →

Postal and provider qualification guidance checked October 21, 2026. This editorial check does not advance existing tariff review dates or verify enrollment, delivery or discount redemption.