The Spanish post office 'Correos' has long been known for its slow service, although there has been a major improvement over recent years. With the advent of new technology, many town Post Offices are  extremely efficient, with little or no waiting prior to being served.

Post Offices are generally open from 8.30 am to 2 pm, although times may vary slightly according to the size of the town. Most of the larger town offices will also open on Saturday mornings.

As in the UK, post is priced by weight and services such as recorded and registered mail are widely available. More information on the services offered and prices can be found on the Spanish Post Office website.

If you wish to send a simple letter or postcard, weighing less than 20g, a standard postal rate applies and, rather than visit the Post Office,  stamps can be bought from either a tobacconist or a newsagent. Post sent from Spain can arrive in the UK a mere 2 days later.

Post boxes in Spain are typically yellow, and can be found dotted around local towns. In the more rural areas, it may be more difficult to find a post box; a good rule is that most post boxes can be found at the post office, close to a tobacconist (estanco) or at the railway station. In cities there may be two slots, one for domestic the other for international mail.

The Spanish postal system runs very efficiently with most areas having a ‘door to door’ service, with post arriving from the UK within 2-3 days. Occasionally in some of the more remote regions, it may be necessary to collect mail from the local post office, but this is the exception rather than the rule.  If you have to collect a registered or certified letter or package you will be asked to show some form of identification.

It is normal in Spain to have a mail box attached to your house, to which you have the key. If however you have an apartment, it is probable that you will be allocated a personal mail box within a secure area, normally found in the foyer of your apartment building.