One address for continuing correspondence.
Give eligible senders your assigned mailing details and keep your receiving names current as your life abroad continues.
FOR EXPATS
Build your life abroad. Keep up with your US mail.
Give your continuing US correspondence a mailing address you can manage online. Review arrivals, request scans and arrange delivery of the originals you need at your home abroad.
A lasting connection to your US correspondence
Moving abroad can leave accounts, memberships and other correspondence connected to the US. Keep eligible senders on one active mailbox address while you settle into your new home.
Your mailing address and residential information may serve different purposes. Update each account through its own process and keep your actual residence accurate wherever it is required.
Keep the useful parts of your mail within reach
Read before deciding on delivery.
Review envelope images and request a contents scan when you want to read a letter. Decide whether you also need the paper original.
Send originals to your overseas home.
Request forwarding of selected items to a confirmed destination. Review the available service, charges and any customs requirements before dispatch.
Set up your mail transition
Activate the mailbox and complete the required recipient authorization.
List the senders you want to update and check their mailing-address requirements.
Update each account directly, then track which senders are using the new details.
Set a regular time to review arrivals and request any needed scans.
Confirm your overseas receiving details before requesting an original.
For IRS correspondence, follow the agency's address-change process even if you also notify USPS.
IRS address-change guidance
When a letter needs more than a scan
For example, you receive a letter while living abroad and request a scan to read it. If the next step requires the original, confirm where it should arrive and which delivery options are available. Keep any response deadline in your own calendar while allowing for processing and transport.
FAQs
Questions expats ask
Can I use the mailbox for a long-term move?
An ongoing mailbox can support your correspondence while you live abroad. Compare the available plans and keep the account and recipient information current under the service terms.
Can I receive bank correspondence?
Confirm the institution's requirements for its mailing-address field. It may separately require your actual residential address and other account information.
Can originals reach my overseas home?
Ask about the item, destination and available carrier service before relying on a shipment. Review forwarding, handling and storage charges; availability varies by shipment.
Will VMH respond to official letters for me?
The mailbox lets you review correspondence. You remain responsible for responses and deadlines, with professional advice where needed.
Does the mailbox determine my residency or tax status?
VMH is a mailing service. Residency, immigration and tax questions depend on your circumstances and the relevant authorities' requirements.
Expats: the longer answers
Last reviewed
How do I update my address with the IRS after moving abroad?
Use the IRS’s own process. Individuals can file Form 8822, Change of Address, or use another option the IRS lists, such as giving the new address on the next tax return. A change of address with USPS is not a substitute for telling the IRS.
Decide first which address the IRS should use. A mailbox can serve as a mailing address where a form accepts one, while fields that ask where you live need your actual residence. A tax adviser can confirm what applies to your own filing.
Should I use USPS mail forwarding or a mailbox when I move abroad?
USPS forwarding is temporary: it covers mail for a limited period after a move. A mailbox gives your correspondence one US address that stays the same while the account is active, and you choose which items to read, scan or send on.
Use the move to update senders directly, from banks and insurers to memberships and anyone else who writes to you. Accounts that need your actual residence still need it, even when their letters go to the mailbox. Compare mailbox plans.
Can my spouse or family receive mail at the same mailbox?
Yes, when each adult is added as an authorized recipient. USPS rules require a separate Form 1583 authorization, with identification, for every adult who receives mail at a commercial mailbox, including a spouse.
Minor children can be listed on a parent’s form without identification of their own. Plans differ in how many recipient names they include, so compare that before you choose, and ask senders to address each item to a name on the account. How Form 1583 works.
Keep your US mail part of life abroad
Start with an address for continuing correspondence and a routine you can manage from your overseas home.
Compare personal mailbox plans