Nachsendeauftrag is a popular request in Germany to have mail delivered to a different address than your current residence. It is usually filled out when you move house. This ensures that mail arriving at your old address is redirected to your new address. In addition, a Nachsendeauftrag can be ordered in the following situations:
- In case of a long absence or vacation
- If you are in need of care and are unable to collect your mail yourself
- When someone dies, the mail is still delivered to his/her address – then it can be forwarded to the address of the loved one
- Company bankruptcy
- Other situations in which it is not possible to collect mail personally
The maximum period of mail forwarding is 24 months. The mail forwarding request applies to all persons listed in the request (maximum 12). Mail may also be forwarded abroad, e.g. to Poland, but in this case you should be aware that the foreign service provider may charge an additional fee.
When should I submit a Nachsendeauftrag?
You should submit your Nachsendeauftrag preferably 2-3 weeks before the planned move, but at the latest 5 days before the start of the mail redirection.
What types of mail can be forwarded?
Mail rerouting is possible for the following mail items:
- postcards and letters (regardless of size)
- registered letters
- Books and freight (Warensendung)
- newspapers and magazines
- addressed direct mail
- Parcels (for an additional charge and only within Germany)
Redirecting mail in Germany – this is how you do it online
German Post allows you to apply for postal rerouting online only! To do this, you first need to open the Deutsche Post website, where you can fill out the form: www.deutschepost.de. Next, you need to select the type of mail forwarding you want – for private persons, for companies, or an extension of the current forwarding (click on the picture to enlarge it!):
- for individuals
- for companies
- extending current mail forwarding
The next step is to specify the reason (1.) for the redirection and the date (6.) it started:
2. moving
3. temporary absence
4. death
5. bankruptcy and need for care
In addition, please enter the principal (Auftraggeber – 1.) and possibly additional persons who are to be redirected (weitere Personen):
Then scroll down the page to enter the existing address (1.) and the new address (2.) to which you want the mail to be forwarded:
Now you have to decide whether you want to inform the companies with which you have business relations (banks, insurance companies) about your move or you inform them about your new address yourself (2.). We generally recommend the first option (1.) as it will save you some time and possibly money (if you would like to inform these companies about the change of address by phone or post):
You can also select additional services (1.) such as parcel forwarding (2. – additional fee of 6.81 Euro per forwarded parcel) or forwarding of catalogs and other free newspapers (3. – only within the country, no additional costs). Finally, click on “In den Warenkorb” (4.), i.e. “add to cart”:
The last step is the summary, which shows the steps (1. address and payment details, 2. summary, 3. conclusion). Here you should confirm that you have read the terms of business (4.) and proceed to payment (5.)
