Shipping to Spain: how to address your shipments correctly

Anyone sending parcels to Spain as an online retailer quickly realizes: a missing floor, an incorrect zip code or an incomplete address and the shipment ends up in the return instead of with the recipient. Spanish addresses follow their own rules, which differ from German standards in key respects.

This guide shows you step by step what is important: from the correct structure and regional differences to the most common mistakes.

 

The basic structure of a Spanish address

A complete Spanish address consists of several essential elements. These must be entered in a specific order.

The individual address components in detail

Line 1: Recipient name with salutation

In Spain, recipients are traditionally given a courtesy salutation.

Male recipients receive the abbreviation „Dn“ (Don), female recipients „Dna“ (Doña).
Sres.„ is used for married couples. (Señores).

Line 2: Street, house number, floor and apartment location

The street is introduced with „C/“, which stands for „Calle“ (street).

This is followed by the street name, the house number and - very importantly - the floor and apartment location in the same line.

In practice, „Calle“ is often omitted so that only the street name is given.
Other road types, on the other hand, are always indicated by their designation:

„Avda.“ or „Av.“ for Avenida (avenue)
„Pza.“ for plaza (square)
„Ctra.“ for Carretera (country road)

According to the addressing guidelines of the Spanish postal service provider Correos España, commas are used to separate the main components of an address: between the street and house number and between the house number and the apartment details (floor and location).

Correct spelling according to the official standard: C/ Gran Vía, 28, 3° dcha

In practice, the first comma between the street and house number is often omitted. However, the comma between the house number and the additional information must be entered.

Source: Wikilengua - Ortotipografía en correos

Floor and apartment location: The floor number is essential and often more important than the name! And there is a simple reason for this: in Spain, there are often no nameplates on letterboxes and doorbells, as family members can have different surnames. Without a floor number, delivery can therefore be impossible or severely delayed because the deliverer does not know exactly where to drop off the item.

The order of the information: The street and house number are followed by the floor and then the apartment location.

The floor is specified as follows:

First floor: „bajo“ or the abbreviation „BJ“ (or in full „Planta baja“)
Higher floors: Number with degree symbol, e.g. „3°“ for the third floor

The position of the apartment is given as:

„dcha“ (derecha) = right
„izqu“ (izquierda) = left
„centro“ = center

Alternatively, letters are also often used: A, B, C, D etc.

A complete specification could therefore read:

„C/ Gran Vía, 28, 3° dcha“ → 3rd floor, right
„Avda. del Mediterráneo, 45, 2° B“ → 2nd floor, apartment B

Line 3: Postal code and city

The Spanish zip code consists of five digits and is written before the city name.
The province can optionally follow in capital letters, but is not mandatory.

Line 4: Province (optional, but recommended)

After the official Spanish address structure, the province follows in a separate line.

Since the postal code already encodes the province (the first two digits), this information is practically optional. However, it is listed in official guidelines as part of the full address.

It is therefore advisable for German retailers to specify the province if the customer supplies it.

Line 5: Country

For international shipments, „SPAIN“, „ESPAÑA“ or „SPAIN“ should be indicated.

Examples of complete Spanish addresses

Example private address:

Name	Dna María García López
Street & house number with additional information	C/ Gran Vía, 28, 3° dcha
Zip code + city	28013 Madrid
Province (optional)	Madrid
Country	SPAIN / SPAIN

Example business address:

Name of the company	Comercial Textil SA
Department, if applicable (optional, on a separate line)	Departamento de Logística
Additional location information, if applicable (if necessary)	Polígono Industrial Las Mercedes
Street, house number, floor/apartment	C/ Industria, 12, Nave 4
Zip code + city	41500 Alcalá de Guadaíra
Province (optional)	Seville
Country (for international shipments)	SPAIN / SPAIN

For business addresses in industrial areas, additional location details (such as „Polígono Industrial“) and departments are given on separate lines. This structure corresponds to the official Spanish addressing guidelines. The province „Sevilla“ appears in a separate line after the zip code and city.

Source: Wikilengua - Ortotipografía en correos

 

Special feature: Spanish addresses without house number („s/n“)

An important peculiarity of Spanish addresses is that not all buildings have a house number.
In many Spanish towns, the house numbering ends with the building boundary.

Houses outside built-up areas, in rural areas, small villages or industrial areas often have no house number.

In such cases, the abbreviation „s/n“ (sin número = without number) is used.
The address is then, for example: C/ Real, s/n

Special feature: Spanish addresses with kilometers

For addresses outside towns, the long-distance road with kilometers is often used.
The number of kilometers refers to the kilometer marker along the road and indicates the distance from the starting point.

According to the CartoCiudad specification, this form of address is officially defined as „Punto Kilométrico“ (PK). CartoCiudad distinguishes between two address types: Addresses within towns with street and house number (portal). And addresses outside towns with a country road and kilometer marker (PK).

Both address types are equivalent and are recognized by Correos and other Spanish authorities.

Source: CartoCiudad - Official address system of the Instituto Geográfico Nacional

In practice, there are two different variants:

Variant 1: Kilometers only (no house number)

This is the most common case for buildings that are located directly on a country road and do not have an official house number. The mileage then replaces the house number:

Name	Finca Los Olivos
Road with km indication	Ctra. Ronda-Málaga, km 23
Zip code + city	29400 Ronda
Province (optional)	Málaga
Country	SPAIN / SPAIN

The „s/n“ can also be specified (e.g. „km 23, s/n“), but is not absolutely necessary, as the kilometer specification already makes it clear that there is no house number.

Variant 2: House number AND kilometer

In practice, it can happen that buildings in towns which are located on a main road have both details in their address.

The building then has an official house number for the urban area and the kilometer is added as additional information about the location on the country road, usually in brackets:

Name	Hotel Costa del Sol
Street & house number	Calle Congre, 3 (Carretera de las Marinas km 1)
Zip code + city	03700 Dénia
Province (optional)	Alicante
Country	SPAIN / SPAIN

Here the building has the house number 3 in Calle Congre (official postal address according to CartoCiudad), but is also located at kilometer 1 of the Carretera de las Marinas.

Important for shipping: The official postal address is „Calle Congre, 3“ - this is the address that must appear on the parcel. The km indication in brackets is an additional orientation aid (e.g. for navigation or to make it easier to find). However, it does not necessarily have to be indicated on the parcel.

Understanding the Spanish zip code system

Understanding Spanish zip codes is crucial for correct addressing and will help you avoid costly mistakes.

Structure of the five-digit zip code

The first two digits of the zip code indicate the province.
Originally, this numbering was alphabetical, as these examples show:

• 01 = Álava
• 08 = Barcelona
• 28 = Madrid
• 46 = Valencia
• 50 = Zaragoza
  
  

However, due to later renaming and adjustments, the strict alphabetical order is no longer completely preserved. The autonomous cities of Ceuta (51) and Melilla (52), for example, were added at a later date.

Within the provinces, the zip codes are organized geographically:
Places that are close to each other usually have similar zip codes. This makes sorting and delivery easier for Swiss Post.

The last three digits of the zip code further subdivide the province:

• Large cities have several zip codes for different districts
• Medium-sized towns often share a zip code with the surrounding countryside
• Smaller towns can share a zip code with neighboring municipalities
  
  

Special meaning of the third digit

One „0″ in third place basically stands for the Provincial capital. Examples:

• Madrid (provincial capital): 28001, 28002, 28013
• Barcelona (provincial capital): 08001, 08002, 08015
• Valencia (provincial capital): 46001, 46002, 46023
• San Sebastián (provincial capital): 20001, 20010, 20015
  
  

The zip codes of the Balearic Islands (Islas Baleares)

The Balearic Islands - Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, Formentera and Cabrera - are located 90 to 200 kilometers off the Spanish east coast in the Mediterranean Sea. They form their own province with the code 07.

Addressing: Addressing in the Balearic Islands follows the standard format of mainland Spain. There are no particular differences. The zip codes all begin with 07, with the third digit distinguishing the different islands and regions:

• Mallorca: 070xx to 076xx (depending on the region on the island)
• Menorca: 077xx
• Ibiza and Formentera: 078xx (both islands share this area)
  
  

The postal codes of the Canary Islands (Islas Canarias)

The Canary Islands are geographically located off the west coast of Africa and are divided into two provinces. The zip codes follow a clear system that allows them to be assigned to the individual islands:

Province of Las Palmas (35) includes:

• Gran Canaria: 35xxx (e.g. 35001-35019 for Las Palmas de Gran Canaria)
• Lanzarote: 355xx
• Fuerteventura: 356xx
  
  

Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (38) includes:

• Tenerife: 380xx (e.g. 38001-38019 for Santa Cruz de Tenerife)
• La Palma: 387xx
• La Gomera: 388xx
• El Hierro: 389xx
  
  

Important note on customs regulations

While the Balearic Islands are part of the EU customs union, special customs regulations apply to the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla. Goods shipments there may be subject to customs duties, which must be observed for commercial shipments.

 

Which postal service is responsible in Spain?

Correos: The Spanish national postal service

Correos (officially: Sociedad Estatal de Correos y Telégrafos S.A.) is Spain's national postal service and is responsible for the delivery of letters and parcels throughout the country. With over 2,300 post offices, 8,600 rural service points and 57,000 employees, more than 4 billion items are processed every year.

International shipping options: Correos offers a range of services from the low-cost Paquete Internacional Económico (up to 30 kg, transit time from 8 days), Standard and Premium to the Light service for light shipments up to 2 kg.

Consignment tracking: Correos consignment numbers consist of 13 alphanumeric characters in the format: two letters (consignment type, e.g. „RR“ for registered mail), nine digits and two letters at the end (country of origin „ES“). Example: RR123456789ES

Correos Express: The express subsidiary of Correos offers faster delivery for time-critical shipments, often within 24-48 hours within Germany.

 

International delivery to Spain

For shipments from Germany to Spain, the German parcel services work with different delivery partners. DHL, for example, delivers parcels in Spain either via its own network or hands them over to Correos.
In the Canary Islands in particular, delivery is often carried out by Correos.

Hermes hands over all shipments to Spain to Correos, which then handles the delivery. UPS, DPD and FedEx, on the other hand, have their own delivery networks in Spain and deliver their parcels themselves.

The standard transit time for standard parcels from Germany to Spain is around 3 to 5 working days. Deliveries to the Canary Islands may take a little longer.

 

Packing stations and collection points in Spain

Spain has its own system of Packstations and pick-up points, which differs significantly from the German DHL Packstation system. Anyone sending shipments to Spain should be aware of the special features.

Citypaq: The packing station system from Correos

Citypaq enables parcels to be collected and sent 24/7. The stations are located in strategic locations such as shopping centers, supermarkets, petrol stations and post offices throughout Spain.

Functionality for customers: For orders from Germany, the customer enters their normal home address. After arriving at Correos, they can redirect the delivery to a Citypaq station via the Correos app. They receive a code for collection at the terminal by e-mail or text message.

Important for German dealers: Hermes works with Correos in Spain, so Citypaq delivery is possible here. DHL, UPS and FedEx deliver with their own networks and therefore cannot deliver to Citypaq (exception: DHL in the Canary Islands hands over to Correos). Furthermore, Citypaq stations in the Canary Islands cannot be used for dutiable shipments

 

Punto Pack: Alternative pick-up points

In addition to Citypaq, there is also the widespread Punto Pack network (also known as Mondial Relay/Puntopack) in Spain. These are small stores, kiosks or other retailers that act as parcel pick-up points.

Parcel labeling from Germany: The customer labels the parcel as normal with their home address, regardless of whether the parcel is sent with DHL, Hermes or another shipping service provider. Direct addressing to Punto Pack stations from Germany is not possible.

Delivery in Spain: Depending on which delivery partner in Spain delivers the parcel, the customer can either have the parcel delivered to their home or redirected to a Punto Pack pick-up point near them. Hermes shipments are automatically delivered in Spain via the Mondial Relay/Puntopack network. This makes redirection to a pick-up point particularly easy.

Advantage: Dense coverage with often longer opening hours than post offices.
Disadvantage: Unlike Citypaq, the pick-up times are linked to business opening hours.

 

Typical mistakes when shipping to Spain

Mistake 1: Omitting floor and apartment location

This is the most common and also the most problematic error with shipments to Spain!

As there are often no nameplates on the letterboxes here, the floor information Indispensable. Without it, delivery may not be possible because the deliverer simply does not know exactly where to drop off the consignment.

Therefore ask always the floor and the apartment location (left/right or letter).

 

Error 2: Incorrect or incomplete house number formats

Many online shipping systems and logistics platforms require a house number.
However, if in the Spanish address „s/n“ (sin número = without number), online retailers often do not know how to deal with it.

Frequent emergency solutions are:

• Enter a „0
• Enter a „.“
• Enter a „-“
  
  

The problem: These incorrect placeholders can result in Spanish delivery staff being unable to find the address or the parcel being returned as undeliverable.

In Spain, an address without a house number („s/n“) has its justification and is perfectly correct.

 

Error 3: Forgetting the customs declaration for the Canary Islands

Although the Canary Islands belong to Spain, they are not part of the EU customs union.
A customs declaration is therefore required for shipments to the Canary Islands - in contrast to the Spanish mainland and the Balearic Islands.

The problem: Many senders forget that different rules apply to the Canary Islands (Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro) than to the rest of Spain.

For shipments to the Canary Islands therefore always complete a customs declaration (CN22 for goods worth up to EUR 425 or CN23 for higher values) and attach it to the parcel.

 

Conclusion

The correct addressing of consignments to Spain may seem complicated at first glance, but it follows clear rules.

If you follow these basic rules, use the required address details and choose high-quality shipping service providers, you can be sure that your parcels will be delivered reliably in Spain.
Whether on the Spanish mainland, the Balearic Islands or the Canary Islands.

 

You can find out how address validation works worldwide and what is important for international addresses in general in our article International address verification explained in compact form.

Do you also ship to other countries? Then our blog posts on the topic of Shipping to Romania or also Shipping to Great Britain may also be of interest to you.

How endereco supports you with international shipping

Foreign address formats present many stumbling blocks. With our Address validation you can check customer addresses in real time - directly as they are entered in the checkout. Typing errors, missing zip codes or incorrect city names are detected and corrected immediately, even before the order is completed. The result: better data quality, fewer delivery problems and smooth shipping processes.
And that for more than 200 countries worldwide.

Would you like to optimize your international shipping processes? We would be happy to advise you.

 

 

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Note: All addresses used in this article are fictitious sample addresses for demonstration purposes and do not correspond to real persons or places of residence.