To send a paper letter from Germany to the USA, use Deutsche Post international letter postage for the finished envelope, write the US destination and country clearly, and hand it over at a branch or an eligible postbox. Choose a branch if you need a posting receipt. Internetmarke lets you buy and print postage at home; it does not print or mail your letter.
If you have a PDF and the recipient accepts a printed copy, US print-and-mail is another option. With Postmarkr, that also requires a usable US return address. An original signed page must travel from Germany with a physical carrier.
An envelope with two sheets: size, cost and delivery#
For an ordinary letter, fold two sheets into a DIN long envelope, 220 × 110 mm. Weigh the sealed envelope: this example assumes no extra enclosures and a total weight of 20 g or less.
- Size: That envelope fits the Standard international format if the filled envelope is no thicker than 5 mm. The format’s maximum length and width are 235 × 125 mm.
- Postage: €1.25 for Standard international letter postage to the USA, without registered-mail extras. Paper and the envelope are separate.
- Delivery: 8–11 working days is Deutsche Post’s published USA estimate. It is a guide, not a guaranteed arrival date; allow separately for preparing and posting the letter.
Heavier or thicker mail needs a different format. Check current service notices before sending time-sensitive documents.
Checked October 25, 2026: formats and prices (opens in new tab); envelope examples (opens in new tab); USA delivery guide (April 2026) (opens in new tab); service notices (opens in new tab).
Choose the letter format, then the mailing record#
The German names describe different parts of the purchase. Standard, Kompakt, Groß and Maxi are envelope formats. Einschreiben International is a registered service; Rückschein is the return-receipt option. Start with the finished envelope so you do not buy the correct service for the wrong size.
Deutsche Post’s international letter table (opens in new tab) lists the current weight and dimension limits and postage for each format. Compare length, width, thickness and weight—not just the number of sheets. A larger envelope or an extra enclosure can change the format even when the message stays the same.
What you are sending | What to select |
|---|---|
Personal correspondence with no requested mailing record | The international letter format that fits the finished envelope |
An original document requiring a posting receipt | Eligible letter format plus Einschreiben International; hand it over at a branch |
A document whose recipient requests an acknowledgment of receipt | Ask about Einschreiben International with Rückschein for the US destination, using the recipient’s exact requirement |
The international FAQ (opens in new tab) allows documents and written correspondence, not goods or cash. Do not add a gift and assume it still qualifies because it fits inside the envelope.
Work through an ordinary letter from Berlin#
Here is a fictional example: Lea in Berlin wants to send a personal note to a friend in Chicago. There is no deadline, original-document requirement or requested receipt. She has a printer and an envelope.
- Print the finished note, fold it and put it in the envelope. Include every enclosure before weighing and measuring the complete piece.
- Open Deutsche Post’s Portoberater (opens in new tab). Use the letter-envelope product, United States destination, and the finished piece’s weight and dimensions. For this example, leave registered services unselected because Lea does not need them.
- Review the returned international format and postage. If the envelope does not fit the expected format, use the format indicated by the measurements rather than choosing the cheapest label.
- Buy the matching postage at a branch, or choose Internetmarke and print it using the supplied instructions. Prepare and address the envelope before handing it over.
That sequence answers the price question for the actual letter. The Portoberater instructions (opens in new tab) follow product, destination, measurements and postage selection. Add your paper and envelope costs separately when comparing the total with a print-and-mail service.
Address the envelope for the US#
Use the recipient’s current address, including any apartment or suite. This is a fill-in layout, not an address to send to:
RECIPIENT NAME
STREET NUMBER AND STREET NAME, APARTMENT OR SUITE
CITY STATE ZIP CODE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Deutsche Post’s international addressing guide (opens in new tab) puts the destination country in capitals on the final line and says not to prefix the postal code with a country abbreviation. Use your own usable German address for the sender details and follow the layout supplied with your postage.
For a US PO Box or a more complicated recipient line, use the envelope-addressing guide. The international FAQ (opens in new tab) also explains the Priority/Prioritaire/Luftpost marking for air carriage; apply the appropriate marking when preparing the Germany-origin envelope.
Postbox or branch? The receipt decides#
According to Deutsche Post’s Internetmarke instructions (opens in new tab), letters bearing Internetmarke can be deposited at Deutsche Post acceptance points, including branches and postboxes. Registered items can also be deposited in a postbox, but a posting receipt is issued only when you hand the item over at a branch.
Now change Lea’s example: she needs to send an original signed page and keep evidence of posting. She keeps the original in the envelope, buys the appropriate registered service, and takes it to a branch for the receipt. If the recipient additionally requires a return receipt, she selects that requirement before sending. Buying the stamp online does not remove the need for this handoff.
Check Germany-to-USA delivery timing#
Use Deutsche Post’s country information (opens in new tab) for current notices and its linked international delivery-time overview. Find the United States entry for your route. Treat the stated transit time as an estimate; the time you spend preparing the document or waiting for collection comes before that journey.
For a fixed arrival requirement, compare a suitable document courier before posting. Registered mail addresses a record requirement; do not assume it buys a guaranteed arrival date.
When printing the letter inside the US fits#
US printing is useful when the recipient accepts a copy and you want someone else to produce and post it. It cannot carry the original paper or an object you hold in Germany. The abroad-to-USA guide compares these routes.
For Postmarkr, arrange a usable US return address that you are authorized to use, including what happens to returned mail. Then prepare a US Letter PDF, enter the addresses, inspect the preview and any added address page, and review the checkout total. If your A4 upload offers an eligible fit-to-Letter option, review the fitted preview before accepting it. If fitting is unavailable or changes the layout unsuitably, export a US Letter PDF from the source document and inspect its page breaks and signatures. Your German reply address can appear in the letter, but it does not replace the required US return address. Certified Mail is not available for new sends.
Whichever route you choose, retain your final document and the record that route actually supplies. For a branch-posted registered letter, keep the acceptance receipt and item number together. A postage purchase alone is not evidence that the carrier accepted the envelope.