Customs Forms
When sending anything to your sailor while they are out of the country, you will need to fill out a customs form. This can be a bit overwhelming and there is always so much confusion surrounding how to fill out the form.
Below is a 4 step guide & an example of what one looks like filled out.
Step 1: Figure out your service member’s military address
“Military addresses are a little different from what you’re used to. A basic civilian address may look like this:
John Smith
Street Address
City, State Zip
A military member’s service address is structured similarly, but usually looks like this:
John Smith
PSC 101 Box 200
Camp Swift
APO, AE 10101-1001
The number one question we get has to do with confusion over this format. We'll summarize them breifly here, and more in depth below.
Name Line:
Like normal addresses, this is just the name of the service member.
Unit Line(s):
In the example above, these would be the second and third lines of the address. Your service member will provide you with this information. Lots of times, it just looks like jumbled letters and numbers, but enter it as instructed. Military branches love their acronyms, and military addresses are no different.
City/State Lines:
This last section is what normally throws people off. The APO/FPO part is just the city, while the AP/AE, etc., is the state. The country is always United States. Below is a list of the most common acronyms you'll see and what they stand for. Keep this in mind if the address seems unfamiliar.
AA: Armed Forces America
AE: Armed Forces Europe (includes the now-defunct "AM" designation, which covers the Middle East)
AP: Armed Forces Pacific
APO: Army Post Office
CMR: Community Mail Room
DPO: Diplomatic Post Office
FPO: Fleet Post Office
OMDC: Official Mail Distribution Center
PSC: Postal Service Center
UMR: Unit Mail Room
Above all, trust that your military member has given you the right address. The military is very good at getting the packages where they need to go, even with little information. All you need to do is get it to the unit, and they’ll know who to give it to, usually by name. So if you don’t know the exact division, and your service member hasn’t given it, don’t worry!
Zip Code:
The numbers at the end are just the military zip code. It will either be a 9 or 5 digit zip code, just like in civilian addresses.” -herocarepackages.com
Step 2: Locate the proper form at the post office or print it off the USPS website
The post office will have a form called a Customs Declaration and Dispatch Note. It’ll most likely be at one of the desks in the lobby, otherwise, you can ask a postal worker for one. This is the form you need to fill out in order to ship your package.
This is the form. You will fill it out and attach it on the top of the box you are using to send your care package.
Step 3: Fill out the form
Line 1: Addressee’s Name (who you are sending this to)
Line 2: Business (this line is typically left blank but you can use it to put the ship’s name)
Line 3: Address
Line 4: Postcode & city
Line 5: State/province & country
A quick note:
Don’t worry about anything on the right hand side, it’s for commercial shipments. Focus on filling out the left side as fully and carefully as possible. All that will be left now is to fill out the customs section.
Step 4: Fill out customs information
Be very specific. The post office does not want a vague description, if you put “gift” or “care package” in the description it will not be allowed.
Unless you know the individual weight of each item, wait to fill out the weight section until you go to the desk to have it weighed. The individual weight of each item must add up to the total weight of the package.
The biggest error on the customs form is forgetting to sign and date the bottom.
YOU’RE ALL SET, ALL THAT’S LEFT IS TO BRING YOU PACKAGE TO THE POSTAL WORKER AND PAY.
Example of a completed form
Comment any further questions below:
