How to Address a Letter to Peru

Machu Picchu

You may find yourself needing to send a letter to someone in Peru and when you get their address, you may find it confusing because it is written in a different way. The way they write addresses in Peru is different from domestic U.S. address formats. In order for your letter to get to your intended recipient in Peru, you should address your letter following their standard format.

Things You'll Need

• Airmail envelope International stamps

Instructions

1. 

   Write the name of the recipient on the center, just as you would in a domestic U.S. letter. This may be your friend to whom you want to send the letter. If he is living in a house owned by another person, write your friend's name followed by a "c/o", which stands for "care of," then the house owner's name. The last name should be in capitals.

2. 

   Write the street first on the second line, followed by the house number. Sometimes senders also include the recipient's local department number after the house number. This department number is preceded by "Dpto." Common street names include "calle" or "avenida." Directions such as "norte" and "sur" are also important to note.

3. 

   Add the district name, then the city with the district number on the third line. Peru is divided into cities, which are further divided into districts. The name of the local district should go first on the third line, then the city (such as Lima), a hyphen, then the district number.

4. Indicate the country, Peru, on the fourth line. Write this in capital letters. Make sure the envelope states air mail if it doesn't already indicate this. The U.S. post office sorts out mail this way and the last thing you want is to mix your letter to Peru in the domestic letters pile.

5. 

   Go to the post office and ask how much is it to send a regular letter via air mail to Peru. It is best to use international stamps to make sure that you have the right postage amount.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Map guide to Peruvian addresses