List of postal services abroad
Encyclopedia
In the latter part of the 19th and early part of the 20th century, a number of countries maintained post office
s in foreign countries, arranged by treaty. Most such offices were operated by European powers in the Middle and Far East. They were partly motivated by the desire to provide reliable postal service for merchants and other foreign nationals in major cities, and partly by suspicion of the local postal service. The currency in use could be either the local currency, or that of the home country.
Additionally, it became the practice of occupying military powers to establish postal services in the occupied country.
Belgian Post Abroad
British Post Abroad
Chinese Post Abroad
Egyptian Post Abroad
Finnish Post Abroad
French Post Abroad
German Post Abroad
Germany (Allied Occupation)
Greek Post Abroad
Indian Overseas Forces
Indo-Chinese Post in China
Israeli Post Abroad
Italian Post Abroad
Japanese Post Abroad
Jordanian Post Abroad
North Korean Post Abroad
Polish Post Abroad
Romanian Post Abroad
Russian Post Abroad
Serbian Post Abroad
Spanish Post Abroad
Thai Post Abroad
Togo (Allied Occupation)
Turkish Post Abroad
US Post Abroad
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
s in foreign countries, arranged by treaty. Most such offices were operated by European powers in the Middle and Far East. They were partly motivated by the desire to provide reliable postal service for merchants and other foreign nationals in major cities, and partly by suspicion of the local postal service. The currency in use could be either the local currency, or that of the home country.
Additionally, it became the practice of occupying military powers to establish postal services in the occupied country.
List
Austrian Post Abroad- Italy (Austrian Occupation) 1918 only
- Lombardy and Venetia 1850–1866
- Montenegro (Austrian Occupation) 1917 only
- Romania (Austrian Occupation) 1917–1918
- Serbia (Austrian Occupation) 1916 only
- Austro-Hungarian Post in China 1904–1919
- Crete (Austro-Hungarian Post)Austrian post offices in CreteAlong with several other nations, the Austro-Hungarian Empire maintained its own post offices in Crete in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The three post offices, in Chania, Heraklion and Rethymno, operated from 1890 until 1914, replacing earlier Austrian Lloyd postal agencies and official...
1903–1914 - Austro-Hungarian Post in the Ottoman Empire 1867–1915
- Austro-Hungarian Military Post 1915–1918
- Palestine (Austrian Post Offices) 1854–1914
Belgian Post Abroad
- Eupen and Malmedy (Belgian Occupation) 1920 only
- German East Africa (Belgian Occupation) 1916–1918
- Germany (Belgian Occupation) 1919–1920
British Post Abroad
- Baghdad (British Occupation) 1917 only
- Batum (British Occupation) 1919–1920
- Cameroons (British Occupation) 1915 only
- China (British Railway Administration) 1901 only
- Crete (British Post Offices) 1898–1899
- Egypt (British Forces) 1932–1943
- Eritrea (British Administration) 1950–1952
- Eritrea (British Military Administration) 1948–1950
- German East Africa (British Occupation) 1917 only
- Iraq (British Occupation) 1918–1923
- Japan (British Commonwealth Occupation) 1946–1949
- Japan (British Post Offices) 1859–1879
- Long Island (British Occupation) 1916 only
- Madagascar (British Consular Mail) 1884–1895
- Mafia Island (British Occupation) 1915–1916
- Malaya (British Military Administration) 1945–1948
- North Borneo (BMA) 1945 only
- Salonika (British Field Office) 1916 only
- Sarawak (BMA) 1945 only
- Somalia (British Administration) 1950 only
- Somalia (British Military Administration) 1948–1950
- Tangier 1927–1957
- Tripolitania (British Administration) 1950–1952
- Tripolitania (British Military Administration) 1948–1950
- Bangkok (British Post Office) 1882–1885
- British post offices abroad
- British post offices in Africa various issues
- China (British Post Offices)British post offices in ChinaThe British post offices in China were a system of post offices set up by the United Kingdom in various treaty ports of China in the late 19th and early 20th centuries....
1917–1930 - Morocco AgenciesBritish post offices in MoroccoThe British post offices in Morocco, also known as the "Morocco Agencies", were a system of post offices operated by the United Kingdom in Morocco.-First office:...
1898–1957 - British post offices in the Turkish Empire 1885–1923
- British postal agencies in Eastern Arabia 1948–1966
- East Africa Forces 1943–1948
- Middle East Forces (MEF) 1942–1947
- Postage stamps of Bushire under British occupationPostage stamps of Bushire under British occupationBushehr or Bushire is a city on the southwestern coast of Iran, on the Persian Gulf. It is the chief seaport of the country and the administrative centre of Bushehr province.- History :...
1915 only
Chinese Post Abroad
- Chinese post offices in Tibet 1911–1912
Egyptian Post Abroad
- Gaza (Egyptian Occupation) 1948–1967
- Jaffa (Egyptian Post Office) 1870–1872
Finnish Post Abroad
- Aunus (Finnish Occupation) 1919 only
- Eastern Karelia (Finnish Occupation) 1941–1944
French Post Abroad
- Alexandria (French Post Office) 1899–1931
- Andorra (French Offices) 1931 –
- Arad (French Occupation) 1919 only
- Beirut (French Post Office) 1905 only
- Castelrosso (French Occupation) 1920–1921
- Cilicia (French Occupation) 1918–1921
- Dedeagatz (French Post Office) 1893–1914
- Ethiopia (French Post Offices) 1906–1908
- Japan (French Post Offices) 1865–1880
- Kavalla (French Post Office) 1893–1914
- Klaipėda 1923 only
- Korce (Koritza) 1917–1919
- Madagascar (French Post Offices) 1885–1896
- Majunga (French Post Office) 1895 only
- Memel (French Administration) 1920–1923
- Morocco (French Post Offices) 1862–1914
- Port Lagos (French Post Office) 1893–1898
- Port Said (French Post Office) 1899–1931
- Syria (French Occupation) 1919–1924
- Tangier (French Post Office) 1918–1942
- Tientsin (French Post Office) 1903–1922
- Vathy (French Post Offices) 1893–1914
- Saar (French Administration) 1920–1935
- French post offices abroadFrench post offices abroadThe French post offices abroad were a global network of post offices in foreign countries established by France to provide mail service where the local services were deemed unsafe or unreliable...
- China (French Post Offices)French post offices in ChinaThe French post offices in China were among the post offices maintained by foreign powers in China around the beginning of the 20th century. The French government issued special postage stamps for these offices beginning in 1894, initially for all the offices, then overprinted with the name of the...
1894–1922 - Crete (French Post Offices)French post offices in CreteThe French post offices in Crete were among a collection of post offices maintained by foreign countries during the 1900s in Crete, after Crete had broken away from the Ottoman Empire and before it united with Greece, in 1913....
1902–1913 - Egypt (French Post Offices)French post offices in EgyptThe French post offices in Egypt were a system of post offices maintained by France in Egypt during the 19th century and the early years of the 20th century...
1899–1931 - Zanzibar (French Post Office)French post offices in ZanzibarThe French post offices in Zanzibar were post offices operated by France in Zanzibar from 1894 to 1904, when the United Kingdom took direct control of what had previously been a protectorate. Early issues were French stamps overprinted in the local currency...
1889–1904 - French post offices in the Ottoman EmpireFrench post offices in the Ottoman EmpireThe French post offices in the Ottoman Empire were post offices in various cities of the Ottoman Empire run by France between 1812 and 1923. France was one of nine countries that had negotiated "Capitulations" with the Ottomans, various extraterritorial rights in exchange for trade opportunities...
1885–1923 - Postage of the Free French Forces in the Levant 1942–1946
- Palestine (French Post Offices) 1854–1914
German Post Abroad
- German Ninth Army Post 1918 only
- Albania (German Occupation) 1943–1944
- Alsace-Lorraine (German Occupation) 1870–1871
- Alsace (German Occupation) 1940–1941
- Belgium (German Occupation) 1914–1918
- Dalmatia (German Occupation) 1943–1945
- Dorpat (German Occupation) 1918 only
- Estonia (German Occupation) 1941 only
- Laibach (German Occupation) 1943–1945
- Latvia (German Occupation) 1941 only
- Lithuania (German Occupation) 1941 only
- Lorraine (German Occupation) 1940–1941
- Luxembourg (German Occupation) 1940–1944
- Macedonia (German Occupation) 1944 only
- Montenegro (German Occupation) 1943–1945
- Ostland (German Occupation) 1941–1945
- Poland (German Occupation WWI) 1915–1918
- Poland (German Occupation WWII) 1939–1945
- Romania (German Occupation) 1917–1918
- Serbia (German Occupation) 1941–1944
- Ukraine (German Occupation) 1941–1944
- Zante (German Occupation) 1943–1945
- Zanzibar (German Postal Agency) 1890–1891
- China (German Post Offices)German post offices in ChinaThe German post offices abroad were a network of post offices in foreign countries established by Germany to provide mail service where the local services were deemed unsafe or unreliable. They were generally set up in cities with some sort of German commercial interest...
1886–1917 - Morocco (German Post Offices)German post offices in MoroccoThe German post offices abroad were a network of post offices in foreign countries established by Germany to provide mail service where the local services were deemed unsafe or unreliable. They were generally set up in cities with some sort of German commercial interest...
1899–1917 - German post offices in the Ottoman EmpireGerman post offices in the Ottoman EmpireThe German post offices abroad were a network of post offices in foreign countries established by Germany to provide mail service where the local services were deemed unsafe or unreliable. They were generally set up in cities with some sort of German commercial interest...
1884–1914 - Postage of German Occupation Forces (WWI) 1914–1918
- Postage of German Occupation Forces (WWII) 1939–1945
- Eastern Command Area 1916–1918
- Western Command Area 1916–1918
- Palestine (German Post Offices) 1898–1914
Germany (Allied Occupation)
- Baden (French Zone) 1947–1949
- Postage of Berlin-Brandenburg in the Russian Zone 1945 only
- Postage of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the Russian Zone 1945–1946
- Postage of North West Saxony in the Russian Zone 1945–1946
- Saxony (Russian Zone) 1945–1946
- Postage of South East Saxony in the Russian Zone 1945–1946
- Thuringia (Russian Zone) 1945–1946
- Württemberg (French Zone) 1947–1949
- American, British and Russian Zones 1946–1948
- Anglo-American Zones (Civil Government) 1948–1949
- Anglo-American Zones (Military Government) 1945–1946
- French Zone (General Issues) 1945–1946
- Postage of the Rhineland – Palatinate in the French Zone 1947–1949
- Russian Zone (General Issues) 1948–1949
- Saar (French Zone) 1945–1947
Greek Post Abroad
- Greek Post Offices in the Turkish Empire 1861–1881
- Albania (Greek Occupation) 1940–1941
- Kavalla (Greek Occupation) 1913 only
- Khios (Greek Occupation) 1913 only
- Lemnos (Greek Occupation) 1912–1913
- Lesbos (Greek Occupation) 1912–1913
- Dodecanese Islands (Greek Occupation) 1947 only
Indian Overseas Forces
- Gaza (Indian UN Force) 1965 only
- Indo-China (Indian Forces) 1954–1968
- Korea (Indian Custodian Forces) 1953 only
- Mosul (Indian Forces) 1919 only
- Congo (Indian UN Force) 1962 only
- China Expeditionary Force 1900–1923
- Indian Expeditionary Forces 1914–1922
Indo-Chinese Post in China
- Canton (Indo-Chinese Post Office) 1901–1922
- China (Indo-Chinese Post Offices) 1900–1922
- Hoi-Hao (Indo-Chinese Post Office) 1902–1922
- Kouang-Tcheou 1898–1943
- Mong-Tseu (Indo-Chinese Post Office) 1903–1922
- Pakhoi (Indo-Chinese Post Office) 1903–1922
- Tchongking (Indo – Chinese Post Office) 1903–1922
- Yunnanfu (Indo-Chinese Post Office) 1903–1922
Israeli Post Abroad
- Golan (Israeli Post Offices) 1967 –
- Sinai (Israeli Post Offices) 1967–1982
- West Bank and Gaza (Israeli Post Offices) 1967 –
Italian Post Abroad
- Albania (Italian Occupation) 1939–1943
- Benghazi (Italian Post Office) 1901–1912
- Cephalonia and Ithaca (Italian Occupation) 1941 only
- Constantinople (Italian Post Office) 1908–1923
- Corfu and Paxos (Italian Occupation) 1941 only
- Corfu (Italian Occupation) 1923 only
- Dalmatia (Italian Occupation) 1919–1923
- Durazzo (Italian Post Office) 1902–1916
- Ethiopia (Italian Occupation) 1936 only
- Jannina (Italian Post Office) 1909–1911
- Khania (Italian Post Office) 1900–1912
- Lubiana (Italian Occupation) 1941 only
- Montenegro (Italian Occupation) 1941–1943
- Pechino (Italian Post Office) 1917–1922
- Salonika (Italian Post Office) 1909–1911
- Saseno (Italian Occupation)Italian post in SasenoSaseno is the Italian name for Sazan Island which is a small island strategically located between the Strait of Otranto and the entrance to the Bay of Vlorë in Albania.-Historical background:...
1923 only - Scutari (Italian Post Office) 1909–1915
- Smirne (Italian Post Office) 1909–1911
- Tientsin (Italian Post Office) 1917–1922
- Trentino (Italian Occupation) 1918–1919
- Tripoli (Italian Post Office) 1909–1912
- Valona (Italian Post Office) 1909–1916
- Venezia Giulia (Italian Occupation) 1918–1919
- Fiume and Kupa Zone 1941–1942
- Ionian Islands (Italian Occupation) 1941–1943
- Italian post offices in Africa
- Italian post offices in China
- Italian post offices in Crete
- Italian post offices in Egypt
- Italian post offices in the Turkish Empire 1873–1923
- Palestine (Italian Post Offices) 1908–1914
Japanese Post Abroad
- Brunei (Japanese Occupation) 1942–1945
- Burma (Japanese Occupation) 1942–1945
- Central China (Japanese Occupation) 1941–1944
- Honan (Japanese Occupation) 1941
- Hong Kong (Japanese Occupation) 1945 only
- Hopei (Japanese Occupation) 1941
- Inner Mongolia (Japanese Occupation) 1941–1943
- Japanese Taiwan (Formosa) 1945 only
- Java (Japanese Occupation) 1943–1945
- Kelantan (Japanese Occupation) 1942–1945
- Korea (Japanese Post Offices)Japanese post in KoreaThe first Japanese post office in Korea was established in 1876 in the Busan Japanese consulate premises. Post offices in Wonsan and Incheon The first Japanese post office in Korea was established in 1876 in the Busan (japanese reading: Fuzan) Japanese consulate premises. Post offices in Wonsan...
1900–1901 - Kwangtung (Japanese Occupation) 1942–1945
- Malaya (Japanese Occupation) 1942–1945
- Manchukuo 1932–1945
- Mengkiang (Japanese Occupation) 1942–1945
- Nangking and Shanghai (Japanese Occupation) 1941–1945
- North Borneo (Japanese Occupation) 1942–1945
- North China (Japanese Occupation) 1942–1945
- Sarawak (Japanese Occupation) 1942–1945
- Shansi (Japanese Occupation) 1941
- Shantung (Japanese Occupation) 1941
- South China (Japanese Occupation) 1942
- Sumatra (Japanese Occupation) 1943–1945
- Supeh (Japanese Occupation) 1941
- Japanese post in occupied China 1941–1942
- Philippines (Japanese Occupation) 1942–1945
- China (Japanese Post Offices) 1900–1922
- Japanese Naval Control Area 1942–1943
Jordanian Post Abroad
- Palestine (Jordanian Occupation) 1948–1967
North Korean Post Abroad
- South Korea (North Korean Occupation) 1950 only
Polish Post Abroad
- Central Lithuania (Polish Occupation) 1920–1922
- Constantinople (Polish Post Office) 1919–1921
- Danzig (Polish Post Office) 1924–1939
- Polish post offices in the Turkish Empire
- Polish Army in Russia 1942 only
- Polish Corps in Russia 1918 only
- Polish Government in Exile 1941–1945
Romanian Post Abroad
- Banat Bacska (Romanian Occupation) 1919–1920
- Constantinople (Romanian Post Office) 1896–1919
- Debrecen (Romanian Occupation) 1919–1920
- Hungary (Romanian Occupation) 1919–1920
- Temesvar (Romanian Occupation) 1919 only
- Transylvania (Romanian Occupation) 1919 only
- Romanian post offices in the Turkish Empire 1896–1919
Russian Post Abroad
- Palestine (Russian Post Offices) 1868–1914
- Beirut (Russian Post Office) 1879–1910
- Constantinople (Russian Post Office) 1909–1910
- Kerrasunde (Russian Post Office) 1909–1910
- Mount Athos (Russian Post Office) 1909–1914
- Mytilene (Russian Post Office) 1909–1914
- North Korea (Russian Occupation) 1946–1948
- Rizeh (Russian Post Office) 1909–1910
- Salonika (Russian Post Office) 1909–1914
- Smyrne (Russian Post Office) 1909–1910
- South Lithuania (Russian Occupation) 1919 only
- Trebizonde (Russian Post Office) 1909–1910
- Dardanelles (Russian Post Office) 1909–1910
- Russian post offices abroadRussian post offices abroadThe Russian post offices abroad were established by Russia between the late 18th and early 20th centuries to handle mail service where the local service was deemed unreliable....
- China (Russian Post Offices)Russian post offices in ChinaThe Russian post offices in China were a collection of post offices established by Imperial Russia in various cities of China beginning in 1870.-First offices:...
1899–1920 - Crete (Russian Post Offices)Russian post offices in CreteThe Russian post offices in Crete were established by Russia in the area of Crete it occupied as part of the joint occupying force that arrived in 1898.Russia issued postage stamps for its district of Rethymno in 1899...
1899 only - Russian post offices in the Ottoman Empire 1863–1914
Serbian Post Abroad
- Baranya (Serbian Occupation) 1919 only
- Hungary (Serbian Occupation) 1919 only
- Temesvar (Serbian Occupation) 1919 only
Spanish Post Abroad
- Andorra (Spanish Offices) 1928 –
- Morocco (Spanish Post Offices) 1903–1914
- Tangier (Spanish Post Offices) 1921–1957
- Tetuan (Spanish Post Office) 1908–1909
Thai Post Abroad
- Malaya (Thai Occupation) 1943–1945
Togo (Allied Occupation)
- Togo (Anglo-French Occupation) 1914–1919
Turkish Post Abroad
- Thessaly (Turkish Occupation) 1898 only
US Post Abroad
- Guam (US Administration)Postage stamps and postal history of GuamThe postage stamps and postal history of Guam is an overview of the postage stamps and postal history of the Pacific Ocean island of Guam. Its postal service is linked to those of the Philippines during the Spanish Empire and, since 1898, to the United States of America...
1899–1901 - US post in Japan 1867–1874
- Shanghai (US Postal Agency) 1919–1922
- Philippines (US Administration) 1899–1945