Addressing overview
Both incoming and outoing mail and parcels must be addressed properly to ensure mail gets to its intended recipient in a timely manner. If mail coming in to Campus Mailing Services is incompletely or incorrectly addressed, we must return the mail to Canada Post or to the sender directly for re-addressing. This will mean that mail or parcels will be substantially delayed in reaching you or your recipient. If mail we are picking up to be sent out is addressed improperly, it may be refused by Canada Post or other carriers and may be sent back to you for re-addressing. So, following the below guidelines is crucial in making sure your mail or parcels reach their destination.
No matter where your mail or parcels are going, please ensure only one address is present on the envelope or parcel. If more than one address is present, we may have to return it to you to verify the correct address. This is especially critical for inter-departmental envelopes that are re-used multiple times.
Please note that due to the volume of mail and parcels we receive, we are not able to research where items are to go if they are addressed improperly. We will not consult the faculty and staff directory to identify recipients, as all required information should be on the envelope or parcel.
Mail addressed to UBC Vancouver recipients
Mail coming from external senders to the campus must have the recipient name, the department name, the building address, the city, and the postal code on the label. The following format should be used:
John Smith
UBC Bookstore
6200 University Blvd
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4
The building name itself (i.e. University Services Building) is optional as each building has a unique address.
Mail addressed to UBC Okanagan recipients
Mail coming in from external senders to the Okanagan campus must have recipient name, department name, building address, the city, the province, and the postal code.
The following format should be used:
John Smith
Central Receiving and Mail Services
3287 University Way
Kelowna BC V1V 1V7
Please note that the common address ‘3333 University Way’ should no longer be used. All buildings on the Okanagan campus now have their own address. If you wish to look up an address you can do so by visiting the UBC Directory and searching for the name of your recipient.
Mail addressed to off-campus recipients
All mail being addressed to off-campus recipients must comply with the addressing guidelines of Canada Post. These can be found on Canada Post’s website.
Some examples of acceptable addressing for off-campus delivery (see Canada Post’s page for more examples):
Within Canada (no country required):
John Smith
2329 University Street
Vancouver, BC V6S 2S7
USA/International (country required):
John Smith
2499 Main Street
Washington DC 20019-1649
USA