Address validation is an important step when ordering and shipping goods online. In the UK, however, there are some special features to be aware of when it comes to address validation. In this blog post, we take a look at the most important facts about UK addresses and explain what to look out for in address validation.

United Kingdom Postcodes

Zip codes in the United Kingdom consist of a combination of letters and numbers and have 7 or 8 digits including spaces.

Examples:

• SW1A 0AA: This is the zip code for Buckingham Palace in London. The first two letters, "SW", stand for South West London and the following numbers denote a specific street or area.
  
• M1 1AE: This is the zip code for Manchester Arndale Shopping Center in Manchester. The letter "M" stands for Manchester and the following numbers indicate a specific street or area.
  
• EH1 1BQ: This is the zip code for Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh. The letter "EH" stands for Edinburgh and the following numbers indicate a specific street or area.
  
• BT12 6HR: This is the zip code for the Westlink office building in Belfast. The letters "BT" stand for Belfast and the following numbers denote a specific street or area.
  

As you can see, the first two letters of the zip code give a rough geographic region, followed by more specific information about the street or area. The last three letters are optional and are used to refine the positioning.

House numbers and street names

There are no set rules for house numbers in the United Kingdom. In some areas, house numbers are assigned in ascending order, while in others odd and even numbers may be on opposite sides of the street. It is therefore important to pay attention to the exact spelling of the house number and, if necessary, the house name when validating the address.

The spelling of street names may also vary depending on the region and city. Some streets may have multiple names, depending on their location and the type of development along the street. It is therefore important to pay attention to the exact spelling of the street name and, if necessary, to alternative names during address validation.

Building Names and Sub Building Information

In addition to house numbers and street names, there are also "Building Names" and "Sub Building Information" in the United Kingdom that must be taken into account during address validation. Building Names are names assigned to specific buildings or residential complexes. They may, for example, derive from a historical or geographical reference, or simply be a marketing name.

Sub Building information refers to further information about a building beyond the house number and the building name. For example, they can contain information about a specific apartment, floor or department within the building.

When addressing apartments in Buildings in the United Kingdom, it is important to provide the exact description of the apartment. A typical British addressangabe for an apartment in a Building could look like this:

Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Flat 3, Block B
10 Main Street
London
W1A 1AA
United Kingdom

In this example, Mr. and Mrs. Smith's apartment is located in Block B of the building with the address 10 Main Street in London. The exact apartment they occupy is Flat 3.

It is also possible to write the apartment in the format "2.4" instead of "2nd floor flat 4" to keep the address in one line. "2.4" would mean that apartment #4 is located on the 2nd floor of the building with the address 15 Market Square. However, this format is not in common use and might not be immediately recognized by delivery people, especially if they are not familiar with the building.

The British Postcode Directory de Royal Mail

In the UK, there is an official zip code directory service called Royal Mail Postcode Finder, operated by the Royal Mail. This service allows businesses and organizations to validate and verify the zip codes and addresses of customers and others.

To find all possible addresses for a postal code, you can simply enter the postal code. As a result, all addresses and locations are displayed that are linked to the entered postal code.

Examples of correct addressing

Here are some examples of correct addressing of apartments in Buildings in the United Kingdom:

• Mr. and Mrs. Smith
  Flat 3, Block B
  10 Main Street
  London
  W1A 1AA
  United Kingdom

• John Brown
  2nd Floor Flat 4
  The Exchange Building
  15 Market Square
  Manchester
  M1 1NN
  United Kingdom

• Sarah Johnson
  Apartment 21
  Kings Court
  12 High Street
  Bristol
  BS1 1ER
  United Kingdom

  What does an address form look like in British webshops?

  In the UK, the address is often presented as address line 1 and address line 2, rather than naming the street directly, because this is a more flexible way to accommodate the different regional characteristics of addressing.

  Since there are no uniform rules for naming streets and numbering houses in the UK, addressing can vary from region to region. In some regions, house numbers may be assigned in ascending order, while in others odd and even numbers may be on opposite sides of the street. Similarly, street names may be spelled or named differently depending on the region.

  By using Address Line 1 and Address Line 2, customers can use the addressing common to their region while providing a clear, complete address. Address Line 1 is typically used for the house number and street name, while Address Line 2 can be used for other information such as Building Names, Sub Building information or specific instructions for delivery.

  How do I enter a British address in a German address form?

• Street and house number, 
  
• Zip code and city, 
  
• Country, 
  
• Address suffix 1 
  
• Address suffix 2.
  

For a complex UK address, such as:

John Brown
2nd Floor Flat 4
The Exchange Building
15 Market Square
Manchester
M1 1NN
United Kingdom

you could enter the address information into the German form as follows:

1. Street and number: "The Exchange Building, 15 Market Square".

• Zip code and city: "M1 1NN Manchester".
• Country: "United Kingdom
• Address extension 1: "2nd Floor Flat 4
• Address suffix 2: (leave blank)

However, it is important to note that the fields in the form may not exactly match the UK address details. Therefore, it may be useful to indicate the desired structure of the address details in a hint field or comment field in the form so that the customer or shipper can provide a clear and complete address. Furthermore, care should be taken not to exceed the length of the characters per address line of 35. Otherwise, the addresses may be cut off during printing and not accepted by the sender.

 Example 2:

For the address "University of Warwick, Westwood Apartments, Gibbet Hill Road, COVENTRY, CV4 7AL" you could enter the address details into a German form as follows:

• Street and house number: "Gibbet Hill Road".
• Zip code and city: "CV4 7AL COVENTRY".
• Country: "United Kingdom
• Address suffix 1: "University of Warwick".
• Address suffix 2: "Westwood Apartments".

Summary

Overall, there are many regional specifics to address validation in the United Kingdom. It is important to pay attention to the exact spelling of zip codes, house numbers, street names, Building Names and Sub Building information when validating addresses to ensure successful delivery of parcels or letters. When addressing apartments in Buildings, it is important to include the exact description of the apartment to ensure that delivery is successful. It is also possible to enter UK addresses in German forms, but care should be taken that the fields in the form may not exactly match the UK address details.