Mail Management

Welcome to the Diplomatic Pouch and Mail Division of the U.S. Department of State. We process all incoming and outgoing mail, maintain the internal messenger service and to provide diplomatic pouch service, both classified and unclassified, to State Department Foreign Service missions.

The following are common questions directed to the Pouch and Mail Division. If you cannot find an answer to your question below, please contact the Pouch and Mail Division.

Am I allowed to send liquids through the Diplomatic Pouch?

• No, not unless it is medically related. See all prohibited materials in the Foreign Affairs Handbook 5 FAH-10 H-531 for more information.

If I send an item via Diplomatic Pouch and it's rejected, what happens to it?

• If the parcel contained a valid address, it will be returned to sender and post will be notified that a parcel was rejected and returned to sender. See more information on rejected parcels Foreign Affairs Handbook 5 FAH-10 H-531.2 for more information.

How do I address mail to an embassy, for example, in New Delhi?

American Embassy
9000 New Delhi Place
Washington DC 20521-9000

A list of all official addresses is available.

Can I send fund-raising materials via the Pouch for a charity?

• No. Under International Conventions, the Diplomatic Pouch may only be used for carrying official items between Washington and the various Foreign Service Posts.