Postal Services   

The British Forces Post Office (BFPO) is part of the in-country support team and operates out of the British Embassy in Washington, DC. They provide the following services

• Mail to/from the UK.
• Limited selection of Royal Mail counter services.
• Defence Mail services for official MOD business.

Important Updates: 

ParcelForce 30kg Capability Finished – 04 April 2022

ParcelForce facility 30kg is no longer available at FPO’s. This has been replaced by Royal Mail Medium Parcel up to 20kg.

Also, sending mail to civilian addresses EU/ROW is a maximum of 2kgs, policies are in negotiation with RM. 

We apologise for any inconvenience, for further information please contact the SNCO IC BFPO 2 – BDSUS-SpGp-BFPO-IC@mod.gov.uk.

Entitled Users for BFPO 2

MOD Establishments are supported worldwide for official/private mail and courier services. Specific enquiries relating to entitlement should be made to HQ BFPO; local guidance may also be sought from Defence Mail Centre (DMC), BFPO and PCS personnel. In respect of private/official mail and access to Defence Courier Services (DCS) the following provides an illustrative list of entitled users:

MOD official/private mail dependencies:

(1) Service personnel and their dependents.

(2) UK-based MOD civilians and their dependents when serving overseas.

(3) Service personnel and MOD civilians on operations when entitled to the Deployed Welfare Package (DWP) (levels of support will be determined by PJHQ).

(4) There are instances where UK Defence Loan Service personnel may be authorised and entitled to use BFPO services. This entitlement must be specified in the Terms and Conditions of the Loan Service deployment to permit entitled access.

What BFPO need you to do

Prior to/On Arrival – Prior to your arrival into the USA you should email the BDSUS mail room with your permanent work address in order to obtain a mail stop or to be added to a current group mailstop. This will allow the BFPO to forward your mail to your respective location (for most personnel this will be your work address). Mail stops may be applied for, prior to you being given your permanent US address, all mail will be held in the mail room until an address is provided. You are unable to automatically take your predecessors mail stop.

Redirecting your mail from the UK – All MOD establishments are expected to forward your mail for three months to your new address, this is laid down in JSP 367. With regards to mail from your private residence or SFA, Royal Mail offer a redirection service via their website. Unfortunately, this is not free, and the individual is responsible for all costs. When using this service, fill out the online form and then contact Royal Mail customer services to amend the generic BFPO 2 address. This can be done either by email or phone (03457 777888), please be aware that this is a UK phone number.

During your tour of duty – All we ask is that you notify us as promptly as possible of any changes in your address. We will also hold mail for small periods of absence so that it is kept secure while you’re not at home, all you need to do is email the mail room with a from and to date and quote your mail stop number.

On departure – As part of your departure process, email the mail room quoting your mail stop number and supply us with an address you would like your mail forwarded to and we will redirect all mail that arrives form the UK for three months. This is a completely free service.

The US Postal System (USPS) offers a redirection service for any mail you get through their system; this is also free of charge. To utilise this service, you will need to go into a USPS branch and ask for a redirection form. Unfortunately, the online forms do not allow you to enter an international address, but the redirection service can be used for this.

How to address your mail

All official and personal mail should use the following format;

Number, Rank, Name (Dependants should put C/O the service person’s name).
Department/Mail stop

BFPO 2 (This is for Embassy staff and all mail stops; some locations have their own BFPO number and this will replace the 2).

The post code BF1 3AA can be added to assist with online purchases, it also allows friends and family to send items using second class rates from the UK (recommended). Just add this to the bottom of the address above. Different BFPO’s have their own post codes, contact either your local unit or the mail room if you would like additional information.

BFPO numbers across the USA

Location	BFPO Number	Post code
Norfolk, VA	63	BF1 3AQ
Edwards AFB, CA	64	BF1 3AS
Creech AFB, NV	66	BF1 3AU
Eglin AFB, FL	75	BF1 3BF
Jacksonville, FL	80	BF1 3BN
Shaw AFB, SC	687	BF1 6FJ
Tampa, FL	651	BF1 6DQ

BFPO numbers across the USA

As part of the services that are offered by BFPO, a Royal Mail style counter is situated at the British Embassy. This offers a limited range of royal mail services. All business is conducted in either US dollars or using any credit/debit card. US Bank cards can be used but may be charged by your bank 

Post Office Counter Opening Hours (Updated April 2022)

Monday – Closed

Tuesday – 0830 to 1330

Wednesday – 0830 to 1330

Thursday – 0830 to 1330

Friday – Closed

Services include

• UK cash withdrawals and deposits, these are subject to MOD Regulations and will be explained prior to your first use.
• Sending letters, packets and parcels. This includes insurance and tracking options.

Defence Mail service

Official MOD business may be sent through the defence mail service at no cost to the sender. Unfortunately, you need to be situated at a location with its own BFPO number or the Embassy to have direct access to this service. If you are issued with a mail stop, you will need to pay the postage to move the item to the British Embassy and then claim the money back through JPA.

All mail that is sent through the Defence mail service must conform to JSP 367 and is subject to inspection by the head of the BFPO situated in the Embassy and personnel who breech the policy may be subject to disciplinary action.