I’m moving to Germany next week and it’s been pretty difficult to get anything concrete regarding APO boxes. In my mind, this was never was a priority in planning my move. I’m now to a point where I can start thinking about it- which means I’m ahead in my planning!
How do they actually work?
What a person going over on SOFA status (but not active military) can do to set one up prior to arriving?
Should I even concern myself with this process a week before my one-way flight?
What can I actually ship to/ from it? Spices, electronics, American ziploc bags, etc. etc. Up for any advice on this really.
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It’s the USPS with military funding for transporting all the mail. All USPS regs and restrictions apply. When you get to Germany, go with a copy of your orders and you’ll be assigned a box. LMK if you need more info.
APO Is an American address that the military use for their postal service (yes the military has their own). Depending on how established the destination base is, it’ll add an extra few days and up to a few weeks, but a base in Germany should add too many days except around Christmas. You can ship most anything, but I’d check with the USPS on a full list.
I’ve sent letters and packages to friends stationed all over the world, and regulations depend on a ton of different factors. Generally, you can receive mail to your APO box as if it were a normal PO box here in the states regardless of where you’re stationed. Friends and family can send letters to you with one stamp, same as if it were being sent anywhere within the continental US.
If you’re sending a package, things are a bit different. Packages can generally be sent at the same rate as domestic but with a few restrictions on what can and can’t be sent depending on where you’re stationed and depending on the carrier just due to how APO boxes work internationally. When sending anything to an APO box from the states, it’s usually best if the person sending it goes through USPS just to ensure that they’re getting the best prices and following all the proper regulations. It’s usually dependent on USPS regulations, so you might want to double-check with someone else who’s been on base for a while with any particulars for where you’re stationed. If you order something online to your APO box, also double-check with the company that they will ship to that address. Some companies won’t ship to APO boxes or PO boxes in general!
If you have a sponsor at the base the base in Germany they can most likely set it up for you. But unless you are trying to send something to your yourself before you leave there really isn’t a reason too, you can set it up once you arrive. It’s like having a P. O BOX at a post office in America.
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