Review before you reroute.
Start with the envelope image. Request an open-and-scan to find out whether the letter needs a response or a physical delivery.
FOR DIGITAL NOMADS
Your next destination can change. Your mailing address does not have to.
Keep a US mailbox you can manage online while you move between cities. See what arrives, request a scan, and send the physical items you need to a destination that fits your plans.
A consistent mailing address for every stage of your trip
Give eligible senders your active VMH address once, then choose where selected physical items should reach you as your route changes. Your next booking can be a forwarding destination when the host confirms it can receive the shipment.
If plans change before dispatch, review the destination for your next request. Check storage terms while deciding what can wait for a longer stay.
A mail routine that works between stops
Choose a destination you can receive at.
Arrange forwarding around a confirmed stay. Check that the hotel, apartment host or other recipient will accept your delivery before requesting shipment.
Keep the essentials moving.
Forward selected originals rather than sending every letter across a border. Review applicable storage periods when deciding what can wait.
Before you leave your current city
Check your inbox for items that need a decision.
Request scans for anything you need to read before departure.
Confirm the receiving address and delivery window for physical items.
Review shipping charges and any destination requirements before forwarding.
FAQs
Questions from the road
Can I read my US mail from another country?
You can review your online mailbox and requested scans with an internet connection. Physical forwarding depends on the item, destination and available carrier service.
Does every letter need international forwarding?
No. A requested scan may give you what you need to review the contents. Keep or forward the original when the document's purpose requires it.
Can VMH forward to a hotel?
Confirm the hotel's receiving policy, the guest name and your arrival dates first. Ask VMH about the proposed shipment before relying on a narrow delivery window.
What should I check before forwarding internationally?
Confirm the contents, receiving address, available service and total shipment charges. Allow time for processing, transport and any customs handling. Some items, including certain battery-powered devices, have additional restrictions. See the USPS international restrictions.
Is this proof that I live in the United States?
VMH provides a mailing service. It does not establish where you live, your immigration status or your tax residency.
Digital nomads: the longer answers
Last reviewed
Can I open a US mailbox while I am outside the United States?
Yes. USPS requires everyone who receives mail at a commercial mailbox to complete Form 1583 with two forms of identification, and a foreign passport is accepted as the photo ID. The second document shows your address, and a foreign lease or insurance document can serve. The address on the form must match it.
Since 2024 the form no longer has to be notarized. It can be signed while an authorized employee of the mailbox operator checks your identification, including over live video, or before a notary. That lets you finish setup from wherever you are before you share the address. How Form 1583 works.
Which address should a digital nomad give a US bank?
The one the bank asks for in each field. Banks collect a residential or business street address when you open an account, and many screen out commercial mailbox addresses there. Where the bank offers a separate mailing address, a mailbox address may be accepted in that field.
Keep the two apart: letters can go to the mailing address if the bank allows it, while the residence field needs the place you actually live. Ask the bank directly before you rely on a mailbox for its correspondence. What a CMRA address is.
How long can mail wait in my mailbox while I travel?
For the storage period in your plan’s terms. Before a long stretch away, check how long items are kept without an extra charge and what applies after that.
A scan does not end storage of the original. Once you have read a letter, decide whether to keep it, have it forwarded or have it shredded, so originals do not collect charges while you are on the road. Compare mailbox plans.
Make mail one less thing to plan your trip around
Give your US correspondence a consistent destination and handle the next step online.
Choose my mailbox