Postal delivery

Postal delivery

The Postal Services Act lays down provisions on the density of distribution, distribution method and placing of mail boxes.

A postal operator providing universal service must deliver postal items on each working day. In a difficult terrain in the archipelago or in wilderness areas, postal items can exceptionally be delivered less than five times a week. However, postal items must be delivered at least once a week.

Distribution methods of one-family houses and apartment buildings

Letters are delivered

• to mail boxes in one-family houses;
• customer-specifically to apartment buildings, which often means delivery through mail drop in the front door.

Postal operators must plan the distribution in detail. The following may be taken into consideration in distribution plans

• local circumstances;
• the special needs of the mail recipient;
• other appropriate reasons.
  

Personal special need entitles to an exception

According to FICORA's guidelines, a mail recipient's personal special need to be taken into consideration in distribution plans may, for example, be:

• disability;
• person is over 75 years of age.
  

The disabled and persons over 75-years of age are entitled, if they so request, have their mail delivered, for example, to an apartment-specific mail drop or a mail box placed next to the driveway or walkway of their plot. They have this right even though the distribution method deviates from the one in the area.

Exceptional arrangements against a fee

Mail recipient may make an agreement with the postal operator on postal distribution that deviates from the prevalent method in the area. Postal operator charges a reasonable fee for deviating arrangements.

For example, if you live in a one-family house, you can agree that your postal items are delivered to the mail drop in your front door instead to the mail box placed in a group of boxes.

Place your mail box as agreed

A mail box must be placed where the mail recipient, property owner and postal operator mutually agree.

A mail box can also be placed outside the place of address, if it is not reasonable for all parties concerned to place it next to the driveway.

When a mail box is placed outside a place of address, it must be placed within a reasonable distance, which is

• no more than 50 metres in densely-populated areas:
• no more than 300 to 500 metres in sparsely-populated areas, 1,000 metres in exceptional cases.

For example, according to FICORA's guidelines, traffic safety requirements must be taken into consideration in the placing of mail boxes.