Postal code: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 10:35, 2 February 2025

Revision as of 19:28, 10 February 2025

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[[Postal codes in the Netherlands]] originally did not use the letters 'F', 'I', 'O', 'Q', 'U' and 'Y' for technical reasons. But as almost all existing combinations are now used, these letters were allowed for new locations starting 2005. The letter combinations "SS" ({{lang|de|[[Schutzstaffel]]}}), "SD" ({{lang|de|[[Sicherheitsdienst]]}}), and "SA" ({{lang|de|[[Sturmabteilung]]}}) are not used, due to links with the [[Netherlands in World War II|Nazi occupation in World War II]].

[[Postal codes in Canada]] do not include the letters D, F, I, O, Q, or U, as the [[optical character recognition]] (OCR) equipment used in automated sorting could easily confuse them with other letters and digits. The letters W and Z are used, but are not currently used as the first letter. The Canadian Postal Codes use alternate letters and numbers (with a space after the third character), informatted thisANA format: A9A 9A9NAN.<ref name=GreatData.com>{{cite web|title=GreatData.com (a licensee of Canada Post data)|url=http://greatdata.com|access-date=8 February 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130402154507/http://greatdata.com/|archive-date=2 April 2013}}</ref>

In Ireland, the [[eircode]] system uses the following letters only: A, C, D, E, F, H, K, N, P, R, T, V, W, X, Y. This serves to avoid confusion in OCR, and to avoid accidental double-entendres by avoiding the creation of word lookalikes, as Eircode's last four characters are random.

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=== Precision ===

==== Czechoslovakia ====

Czechoslovakia introduced Postal Routing Numbers (PSČ – poštovní směrovací čísla) in 1973. The code consists of 5 digits formatted into two groups: 999NNN 99NN. Originally, the first group marked a district transport centre, the second group represented the order of post offices on the collection route. In the first group, the first digit corresponds partly with the region, the second digit meant a collection transport node (sběrný přepravní uzel, SPU) and the third digit a "district transport node" (okresní přepravní uzel). However, processing was later centralized and mechanized while codes remained the same. After separation, Slovakia and the Czech Republic kept the system. Codes with an initial digit of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 are used in the Czech Republic, while codes with an initial digit of 8, 9, or 0 are used in Slovakia.

A code corresponds to a local postal office. However, some larger companies or organizations have their own post codes. In 2004–2006, there were some efforts in Slovakia to reform the system, to get separate post codes for every district of single postmen, but the change was not realized.

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With a single exception, these codes are in the format:

A99ANN XXXX

The single exception is the Dublin D6W postal district. It is the only routing key area in the country that takes the format A9AANA instead of A99ANN:

D6W XXXX

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{{further|Postal codes in the Netherlands}}

[[Postal codes in the Netherlands]], known as postcodes, are alphanumeric, consisting of four digits followed by a space and two letters (9999NNNN AA). Adding the house number to the postcode will identify the address, making the street name and town name redundant. For example: 2597 GV 75 will direct a postal delivery to Theo Mann-Bouwmeesterlaan 75, [[The Hague|'s-Gravenhage]] (the International School of The Hague).

==== Singapore ====

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The structure is alphanumeric, with the following six valid formats, as defined by [[British Standards|BS]] 7666:<ref>{{cite web |title=BS7666 Address |work=Data Standards Catalogue |publisher=UK National Archives |date=2 October 2009 |url=http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/govtalk/schemasstandards/e-gif/datastandards/address/postcode.aspx |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130128101412/http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/govtalk/schemasstandards/e-gif/datastandards/address/postcode.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 January 2013 |access-date=15 August 2015 }}</ref>

A9AN 9AANAA

A9AANA 9AANAA

A99ANN 9AANAA

AA9AAN 9AANAA

AA9AAANA 9AANAA

AA99AANN 9AANAA

There are always two halves: the separation between outward and inward postcodes is indicated by one space.

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French overseas departments and territories use the five-digit [[French postal code system]], each code starting with the three-digit department identifier. [[Monaco]] is also integrated in the French system and has no system of its own.

The British [[Crown Dependencies]] of [[Guernsey]], [[Jersey]] and the [[Isle of Man]] are part of the UK postcode system. They use the schemes AA9AAN 9AANAA and AA99AANN 9AANAA, in which the first two letters are a unique code (GY, JE and IM respectively). Most of the Overseas Territories have UK-style postcodes, with a single postcode for each territory or dependency, although they are still treated as international destinations by Royal Mail in the UK, and charged at international rather than UK inland rates. The four other Overseas Territories [[Anguilla]], [[Bermuda]], [[British Virgin Islands]] and [[Cayman Islands]] have their own separate systems and formats.

The Pacific island states of [[Palau]], [[Marshall Islands]] and the [[Federated States of Micronesia]] remain part of the US [[ZIP code]] system, despite having become independent states.