Getting birthday cards and bills wherever you are.
When you travel offshore for extended periods of time, it is nice to understand what will happen to your mail. There are many countries in which mail pick up and delivery is haphazard, fortunately not in Singapore.
So what are your options for sending and receiving mail wherever you are living?
World class postal system and post code system
The Postal Service in Singapore is world class, and better than most in the world – and chances are including yours! Singapore is pro-business and so all business related services, such as post, telecommunications, transportation; airlines are essential business services. All business related services work to an extraordinary high standard of service delivery and also usually low unit cost.
If you are living in Singapore you have a choice of having all of your old mail from your former home or business, sent to you into Singapore.
Singapore has an amazing postal code system that for many houses and street numbers, means a unique postal code number. Often with just the correct post code the letter can be correctly delivered. The postal code system is also used by the taxi services, as you can book a taxi pick up often from your home, just by putting your post code into one of the taxi booking apps in your smart phone.
Parcels, registered post, recorded delivery all very reliable services. If you are not at home, you get a friendly postcard asking you or your nominated person to go to the local post office to collect the mail. Yes, there are about sixty local post offices in singapore, with opening hours to suit you, like open to 9pm at night and open saturday, sundays and public holidays. Remember Singapore is pro-business and everything is to ensure that living and business are easy and convenient.
Saving the environment and money
Something like 75% of domestic mail received can be shredded once you simply look and review the envelopes. When it’s not apparent what’s inside an envelope, the open and scan option provides an online view of its contents without additional mailing expense or mailing delay. Once you review the contents, you can then direct your mail service to shred, store, or ship the mail to you.
In most countries, post offices and serviced offices, or even your accountant and family can provide basic collect and forward services, mailing or couriering to your designated address off shore.
Alternatively, there are services in USA that manages your postal box for you. Incoming letters, packages and correspondence are scanned upon receipt, and you log into a personal database to review the items received. You then give instructions via your database about how each item should be handled – shredded, stored, recycled, shipped, or opened and scanned.
Here are links to a few of the companies offering mail forwarding and shipping services in USA. These offers both scanning and forwarding. Highly recommended for both personal and business correspondence, including parcels. Forwarding is handled through FedEx or USPS. The two companies Eathclass and Mailbox Forwarding offers both a user-friendly website and easy-to-access, knowledgeable customer service by phone. https://www.earthclassmail.com/ and http://www.mailboxforwarding.com/index.php
Naturally this saves shipping costs of unwanted mail and also fuel costs for that postal weight, saving you money and saving the environment.
Singapore Post Office Boxes and Mail Box ETC
If you become based in Singapore and wish to forward your mail elsewhere this can also be done. Singapore Post and Mail Box Etc. (MBE) Provides mail box service and likewise, when you are outside of Singapore. Your mail can go to the post box, and they can forward it to you anywhere in the world.
