Redirection Help Centre

You should apply as soon as possible, as we need at least five working days to arrange it. It’s best to apply three weeks before you move. This gives plenty of time to set up the Redirection.

You can apply:

• Up to six months before your move
• Up to six months after you’ve moved

Please note: If you give less than five working days’ notice of your move, some of your mail might be delivered to your old address.

Yes, if you all live at the same address. Please include everyone’s full names on the application, even if you all share the same surname.

You can’t arrange a Redirection for people who don’t live at the same address as you, unless you have Power of Attorney. You can also arrange a Redirection for the mail of someone who has died. In both these circumstances you’ll need to apply either at a Post Office® or by post.

*Please note we cannot redirect from multi-occupied premises such as nursing homes, hotels or colleges. This is due to the high number of people living at the address with one communal letter box / reception. 

• If you’re applying for more than 8 people.
• If you’re applying on behalf of the deceased or for people you have Power of Attorney for. To apply for these Redirections, you’ll need to show the appropriate documentation. You’ll find the Special Circumstances application form and terms and conditions here.
• If you’re redirecting mail to a British Forces Post Office (BFPO) address.

Your mail will go to the delivery office for your old address first, before it’s forwarded. This will add at least a day to its journey.

• If you’ve moved within the UK: we’ll forward your mail by 1st Class, unless it was sent by Special Delivery Guaranteed®. Items sent by this service will still require a signature, but guaranteed delivery dates won't apply.
• If you’ve moved outside the UK: we’ll forward your letters and printed material by International Standard. Please note: We can’t redirect any mail to an address outside the UK which is over 25mm thick, weighs more than 100g or appears to contain goods.

If you are setting up a Redirection because of personal safety concerns please don't apply online, call us on 03457 777 888. We're open Monday to Friday 8am-6:30pm, Saturday 8am-3pm and Sunday 9am-2pm.

Please tell our staff why you are calling to set up a Redirection and they will be able to help. All calls are confidential.

You can pay for a Redirection online with a credit or debit card. We don’t accept American Express or pre-paid cards. This must be registered at either your old or new address. The card must be registered in the UK.

Please note: To stop people taking out Redirections fraudulently, you may have to answer some extra security questions. These should be questions only you’d know the answer to. They could be about your bank accounts, loans or mobile phone contracts. It’s best to have this information handy before you start your application.

If you receive a message saying your payment has failed, please:

• Check you’re entering the right address for the card.
• Check the card details are correct. A slight mistake in the number or name on the card could result in a failed payment.
• Check there are enough funds or credit available on the card.
• Try using a different payment card. We don’t accept American Express or pre-paid cards. The card must be registered in the name of the person applying.

If you have a different debit or credit card registered to either your old or new address, you can retry using that card. 

If payment still fails, or you do not have an alternative card, you can apply for a Redirection at a Post Office® or by post. Find the form here. 

You can cancel your Redirection at any time. You also have a statutory right to cancel your Redirection within 14 calendar days from the day after we send you a confirmation letter or email (this is the Cancellation Period).

• If you cancel your Redirection before it has started, you‘ll receive a full refund.
• If you cancel your Redirection within the Cancellation Period and your Redirection has not started, you’ll received a full refund.
• If you cancel your Redirection within the Cancellation Period and your Redirection has started, we‘ll refund you the Redirection fee less £10 to cover our costs.
• If you cancel your Redirection after the Cancellation Period and your Redirection has started, no refund will be provided.

Cancel my redirection

You can make some minor changes to existing Redirections at no cost, these include correcting a spelling mistake and notifying us of a flat number that isn’t listed.

Tell us about a minor change

• My Redirection hasn’t started
  Let us know as soon as possible by completing our online form

• My Redirection has already started
  We’ll need to cancel the current Redirection (see cancellation notes below) and you’ll need to pay for a new one to be set up. Let us know by completing our online form

• My Redirection hasn’t started

If your move has been put on hold and you need to change your start date we can delay the start date for you. Let us know as soon as possible by completing our online form

• My Redirection has already started

If the Redirection has started, you will need to cancel the current Redirection and apply for a new one which will require a further payment. Let us know by completing our online form

Redirection addresses cannot be altered once the redirection has commenced. Additionally, mail redirected cannot be redirected again. 

To ensure you get all your mail redirected, you will need to:

1. Cancel your original Redirection (the one from your old address to your current address).
2. Set up a Redirection from your old address to your new address (the address your now moving to).
3. If you’re already receiving mail directly to your current address, set up another new Redirection from your current address to your new address.

This will make sure you get mail from both your old address and current address when you move to your new address. We’re sorry, but we can’t give a refund on your original Redirection.

We’ll contact you before it ends. You should receive an invite to renew a few weeks before your current Redirection finishes.

You can renew online. For security, the invite will include a reference number and a renewal code.

If you’ve already received your invite, you can renew now.

Please note: You need to be logged in to your Royal Mail account to renew.

You can also renew by post, the details are in your invite or by phone using our automated Renewal system by calling 03457 777888. We're open Monday to Friday 8am-6:30pm, Saturday 8am-3pm and Sunday 9am-2pm.

Please note: You can’t renew a Redirection at a Post Office®.

Yes, but any credit card used to renew online must be registered to a UK address.

If your credit card is registered to an address in a foreign country, you can renew by phone or post, using another payment method, e.g. cheque. Renewal online and by phone are the quickest way to renew your redirection and ensure that you do not experience a lapse in service.

From home addresses: you can renew for three, six or 12 months.

From a PO Box®: the maximum Redirection period is six months. 

Your Redirection can run for up to four years from the original start date. You won’t be able to renew beyond this length of time.

You can redirect to a PO Box® for up to four years.

Simply ignore the invitation. Your Redirection will end on the date given in your original confirmation letter and your renewal invitation letter.

After this time any mail addressed to you at your old address will be delivered there.

If your redirection has been in place for some time and you're no longer receiving redirected mail this could be because everyone's using your new address now.

If you've applied for a redirection recently, there are several reasons your mail might not be redirected from your old address.

If you've received your confirmation letter please check:

• The old and new address are correct
• The correct names have been included
• The start date (please note this might be later than the date you requested as we require five working days to process your application)
• The end date, before it finishes you should get an invitation to renew. We’ll also let you know if you’ve reached the maximum Redirection period and can’t renew again.

Have you had a letter from us asking for more details, signatures or payments? If so, this could delay your application. Mail will go to your old address until we have all the information needed and your application is processed.

We're sorry if this is happening, to help with our investigations, if possible please:

• Ask the new occupants when your mail was delivered
• Keep the envelopes of any mail that wasn't redirected
• Contact us by completing the online form below:
  My mail was delivered to my old address

Are you expecting something specific?

If possible, please contact the sender and check when the item was posted, to which address, and if it was sent using Royal Mail.

Are the missing mail items things we can’t redirect?

There are some things we can’t redirect which are below:

• Mail for people who weren’t living at the old address
• Personal mail from a business address
• Items addressed ‘To the occupier’
• Mail delivered by other delivery services or couriers, including Parcelforce
• Mail from a nursing home, boarding house, hotel, student hall of residence, hospital or other multi-occupied premises
• Mail from a British Forces Post Office (BFPO) address
• Items to an address outside the UK that are larger than letter size or clearly contain goods
• Restricted goods sent in the UK using Royal Mail Tracked 24® and Royal Mail Tracked 48®
• Mail from the Department of Work and Pensions

See our Redirection terms and conditions  for more information.

Are there people living at your old address with similar names?

Sometimes we have to deliver mail as it’s addressed, for example, if your name is Mr George Brown and the new occupant is Mr Gregory Brown, anything addressed to Mr G Brown will be delivered to your old address.

Is your spouse staying at the old address?

In this case we can’t redirect anything addressed to ‘Mr and Mrs’, unless we’ve received specific instructions from both people.