Canadian Forces Mail is mail sent to or by Canadian Forces personnel, their dependents and the civilians attached to the Canadian Forces served through a Canadian Forces Post Office or a Fleet Mail Office.
Canadian Forces Mail can be:
documents
parcels.
A Canadian Forces Post Office (CFPO) is a military post office operated in Belleville, Ontario, or outside Canada by the Canadian Forces Postal Service to provide postal facilities to personnel authorized to receive or mail Canadian Forces Mail.
A Fleet Mail Office (FMO) is a military post office operated by the Canadian Forces Postal Service to provide postal services to Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships (HMCS).
Armed Forces Air Letters
Armed Forces Air Letters (form 43-074-078) with domestic Lettermail postage affixed may be used by:
Canadian Forces personnel outside of Canada, served through a Canadian Forces Post Office or Fleet Mail Office when writing to persons in Canada
anyone in Canada writing to Canadian Forces personnel outside of Canada, served through a Canadian Forces Post Office or Fleet Mail Office
members of the following foreign military forces serving in Canada when writing to someone in their own country:
Australia (Australie)
Ghana
Nigeria (Nigéria)
Belgium (Belgique)
Italy (Italie)
Norway (Norvège)
Britain (Grande-Bretagne)
Jamaica (Jamaïque)
Portugal
Denmark (Danemark)
Malaysia (Malaisie)
Tanzania (Tanzanie)
France
Netherlands (Pays-Bas)
Turkey (Turquie)
Germany (Allemagne)
New Zealand (Nouvelle-Zélande)
Zambia (Zambie).
NOTE:
Armed Forces Air Letters cannot be mailed to foreign military forces.
Unacceptable Items
Is considered unacceptable as Canadian Forces Mail any item:
that is an Oversize parcel and a parcel over 20 kg is not acceptable as Canadian Forces Mail.
that does not meet the size and weight specifications for this service
that may soil, taint or damage mail or mail equipment, expose a person to danger or emit offensive odors
containing food perishables or live animals that do not meet applicable shipping requirements
improperly or insecurely packed or wrapped
in contravention of applicable Universal Postal Union prohibitions and Customs Regulations of the destination country, as well as U.S.A.’s Department of Transportation Regulations. The United States prohibits or applies restrictions on the acceptance of certain articles for transmission by post. For more information on individual country restrictions and prohibitions, Go to Section H, International Destination Listing.
Size and Weight
CATEGORY
LENGTH
WIDTH
THICKNESS
WEIGHT
Standard Letters (Domestic)
max.
245 mm
156 mm
5 mm
50 g
min.
140 mm
90 mm
0.18 mm
N/A
Standard Letters (International)
max.
245 mm
150 mm
5 mm
50 g
min.
140 mm
90 mm
0.18 mm
N/A
Standard Cards or Postcards (Domestic and International)
max.
235 mm
120 mm
5 mm
50 g
min.
140 mm
90 mm
0.18 mm
N/A
Other Letters (Domestic and International)
max.
380 mm
270 mm
20 mm
500 g
min.
140 mm
90 mm
0.18 mm
N/A
Parcels (Domestic or International)
max.
No dimension may exceed 1 m. Length plus girth must not exceed 2 m.
20 kg
min.
240 mm
140 mm
1 mm
N/A
Xpresspost-International
max.
No dimension may exceed 1 m. Length plus girth must not exceed 2 m.
20 kg
min.
210 mm
140 mm
1 mm
N/A
Payment Options
Proofs of Payment
The following proofs of payment are acceptable for Canadian Forces Mail. Some restrictions or conditions may apply.
commercial CUSTOMER
CONSUMER CUSTOMER
•
Meter impression
•
Postage stamp
•
Postage stamp
Methods of Payment
The following methods of payment are acceptable for Canadian Forces Mail. Some restrictions or conditions may apply.
commercial CUSTOMER
CONSUMER CUSTOMER
•
Account
•
Business cheque
•
Cash*
•
Credit card (where available)
•
Debit card (where available)
•
Meter
•
Money Order*
•
Postage stamp
•
Cash
•
Certified cheque
•
Credit card (where available)
•
Debit card (where available)
•
Money Order
•
Postage Stamp
*Payment by cash, debit card or Money Order is available only to customers paying at a postal outlet.
Service standards are not guaranteed for Canadian Forces Mail. They are estimates of how long it will take for the mail to be delivered.
Service standards are the same as for the domestic service used, from the point of origin to the Belleville CFPO, or to the Victoria or Halifax FMO. Go to Section F, Service Standards. For items addressed directly to a CFPO overseas, no service standards are available.
Feature
A feature is provided automatically as part of the basic service.
Return to Sender: Lettermail and Letter-post items that cannot be delivered or redirected will be returned to the sender free of charge where the return address appears on the outside of the item.
Options
An option is a service enhancement which is not provided automatically as part of the basic service. The Customer must select the option by checking a box or affixing an additional label or sticker.
Coverage for loss or damage: No coverage is available for Domestic or International Letters.
Coverage for loss or damage can be purchased for domestic parcels and to certain international destinations, as long as the contents are acceptable as insurable items. Go to Section H, International Destination Listing.
Registered Mail: Registered Mail provides Customers with a mailing receipt and secures a signature, date and time upon delivery of the item.
Delivery Confirmation (domestic only): This feature provides positive confirmation that the item arrived at its destination. Upon delivery, or attempted delivery, the item ID (identification) number is scanned and the date captured. The information is available by noon the next business day following delivery via an automated phone response system by calling 1 888 550-6333, the Internet and via the Electronic Shipping Tools software.
Signature (domestic only): Provided the Signature option was purchased at the time of shipping, delivery information will be available at no additional charge, usually by noon on the business day following delivery. This delivery information can be obtained on Canada Post’s website, from the Customer Relationship Support group at 1 888 550-6333 or via the Electronic Shipping Tools software. Some exceptions apply in smaller centres. If the addressee or his/her representative refuses to sign for the item, Canada Post will ask the addressee to print his name in block letters. If the addressee refuses, Canada Post will deliver the item and indicate SIGNATURE REFUSED in the signature box.
Collect on Delivery (domestic only): This service allows an item to be shipped and delivered to the addressee, and an amount of money collected for the item from the addressee in the form of cash or a cheque. The shipper will specify the amount of money to be collected and the payment option. The collected amount is then returned to the sender. The maximum amount that Canada Post will collect is $1,000 where the payment option is cash and $25,000 in the case of a cheque. All cheques are made payable to the shipper.
Addressing
All items must bear a legible address including the correct postal code, as well as the shipper’s address. Go to Section B Chapter 3, Addressing.
Generally, items addressed to a Canadian Forces Post Office or a Fleet Mail Office should include, as applicable, the following information:
1st line
Service number, rank, initials and name
2nd line
Unit or mess number
3rd line
HMCS (name of ship), FMO (Halifax or Victoria), or CFPO number
4th line
Civil address or PO box number
5th line
Name of the city, province, postal code or equivalent.
6th line
Name of country
Examples of proper addressing:
F12 345 678 MWO B JONES
CFSU (E) DET SHAPE
PO BOX 5053 STN FORCES
BELLEVILLE ON K8N 5W6
F12 345 678 CPO BW BROWN
CFSU (E) DET SHAPE
CFPO 5048
B-7010 CASTEAU
BELGIUM
F12 345 678 PO W SMITH
MESS #5
HMCS TORONTO FMO HALIFAX
PO BOX 99000 STN FORCES
HALIFAX NS B3K 5X5
When a mail item is posted in Canada to a Canadian Forces Post Office via the Belleville CFPO, then the following address is the destination address:
PO BOX 5053 STN FORCES
BELLEVILLE ON K8N 5W6
When a mail item is posted at a Canadian Forces Post Office outside Canada to a location in Canada, then the following address is the return address:
PO BOX 5053 STN FORCES
BELLEVILLE ON K8N 5W6
When a mail item is posted in Canada to Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship deployed from Halifax, then the following address is the destination address:
PO BOX 99000 STN FORCES
HALIFAX NS B3K 5X5
When a mail item is posted at Fleet Mail Office Halifax to a location in Canada, then the following address is the return address:
PO BOX 99000 STN FORCES
HALIFAX NS B3K 5X5
When a mail item is posted in Canada to a HMCS deployed from Victoria, then the following address is the destination address:
PO BOX 17000 STN FORCES
VICTORIA BC V9A 7N2
When a mail item is posted at Fleet Mail Office Victoria to a location in Canada, then the following address is the return address:
PO BOX 17000 STN FORCES
VICTORIA BC V9A 7N2
Foreign Military Forces: When sending Armed Forces Air Letters out of Canada, foreign military forces serving in Canada must use form number 43-074-078 with domestic Lettermail postage affixed. The following particulars must be indicated in the upper left hand corner, under “Sender’s Name and Address”:
Number, rank, name
“Commonwealth Forces” or
“NATO Forces”/Country;
address in Canada
For example:
16779 MAJOR J. SMITH
NATO FORCES/ENGLAND
RR1
OROMOCTO NB E2V 2G2
Mail Preparation and Presortation
There is no mail preparation and presortation option for Canadian Forces Mail.
Enclosures
Not applicable.
Customs Requirements
All items, except parcels, containing dutiable articles must bear a CN22 (43-074-076) green Customs label.
An Xpresspost-International bar-coded customs label (43-074-244 or 43-074-245) must be affixed to Xpresspost-International parcels destined to or originating from a CFPO or HMCS. A CP72 Customs Declaration (43-074-172) must be affixed to all other parcels.
NOTE:
A manila tag (43-074-174) must be attached to small or cloth-wrapped parcels, by using twine and affixing the Customs Declaration CP72 (43-074-172) to the tag.
Deposit of Canadian Forces Mail
at a postal outlet
at a processing plant
in a street mailbox.
Delivery of Canadian Forces Mail
Items will be delivered to the applicable Canadian Forces Post Office or Fleet Mail Office for forwarding to the addressee.
Domestic postal services and prices apply to mail items sent to or by Canadian Forces personnel overseas, provided the mail item is sent through a Canadian Forces Post Office (CFPO) or a Fleet Mail Office (FMO) located in Canada.
International prices apply to mail items sent directly to a Canadian Forces Base overseas. See the tables below for International Air Parcel prices and Xpresspost-International prices.
Prices and fees for items mailed to foreign destinations or Canadian Forces Post Offices are not subject to sales taxes if the total price per transaction is $5 or more.
Domestic Services (mail items sent through a CFPO or a FMO located in Canada)
Letters: Letters destined to a Canadian Forces Base overseas or Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship, and sent through a CFPO or a FMO located in Canada, may be sent at the prices and conditions of domestic services.
Pricing will apply depending on the domestic service and mailing options chosen by the mailer: Lettermail, Xpresspost or Priority Courier. Please refer to the applicable service chapter.
Parcels: Parcels destined to a Canadian Forces Base overseas or Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship, and sent through a CFPO or a FMO located in Canada, may be sent at the prices and conditions of domestic services. Parcels over 20 kg are not acceptable as Canadian Forces Mail.
Pricing will apply depending on the domestic service and options chosen by the mailer: Regular Parcel, Xpresspost or Priority Courier. The price will be calculated on the basis of shipping the item from its origin to the CFPO in Belleville or to the FMO in Halifax or Victoria, as applicable.
International Services (mail items sent directly to a Canadian Forces Base overseas)
Letters: Letters addressed directly to a Canadian Forces Base overseas must be sent at the applicable International Letter-post price and conditions. Go to Section D Chapter 8, Letter-post – U.S.A. and International.
Parcels: Parcels addressed directly to a Canadian Forces Base overseas, and not sent through a CFPO or FMO located in Canada, must be sent at the applicable International Air Parcel or Xpresspost-International price, depending on which service is available to the country of destination. To determine service availability, Go to Section H, International Destination Listing.
International Air Parcel Prices
A fuel surcharge may apply.
WEIGHT* UP TO (KG)
PRICE ($)
WEIGHT* UP TO (KG)
PRICE ($)
WEIGHT* UP TO (KG)
PRICE ($)
1.0
37.60
5.0
84.95
13.0
170.75
1.5
40.70
6.0
92.60
14.0
182.05
2.0
44.65
7.0
102.60
15.0
193.45
2.5
48.65
8.0
113.95
16.0
204.80
3.0
54.65
9.0
125.30
17.0
216.15
3.5
61.30
10.0
136.65
18.0
227.55
4.0
67.60
11.0
148.00
19.0
238.90
4.5
75.50
12.0
159.40
20.0
250.20
*Oversize parcels and parcels over 20 kg are not acceptable as Canadian Forces Mail.