What is An Post?
An Post is the national postal service of the Republic of Ireland and it is state-owned. A member of the UPU, the service not only provides national postal services but also express post and international EMS options for customers. In the native Irish language, the first word - An - means all, so the name in effect means all posts.
An Post also offers some financial services, such as deposit accounts and money transfers, which are popular in Ireland due to the mass emigration of Irish people historically, to destinations such as Australia and the United States. An Post was founded in 1984 and has developed its service and network over time, with a larger postal workforce and better countrywide infrastructure allowing it to offer express services. An Post main competitors in operating in Ireland and Europe include DHL and TNT.
What is An Post Express?
The An Post Express service is a countrywide next-day delivery service offered by the postal operator. It promises delivery of any package or parcel within Ireland within 24 hours.
What is the An Post EMS service?
The fact that An Post is part of the UPU means it has also joined the international postal express network, which is a collaboration of national postal services combining their networks to offer international postal options, even where they do not operate (such as in overseas destinations). Popular EMS postal services include China EMS and the United States Postal Service EMS (USPS EMS). By operating as part of this scheme, packages can be ordered from China and delivered to Ireland, with handling being organized by a combination of postal services and couriers.
How long does An Post EMS take?
An Post EMS delivery times vary because it is a service designed for international delivery, which means that as a result, several variables need to be taken into account depending on the handlers during the parcel's journey and the in-country conditions which it is transiting through. If for instance your parcel passes through Russia and there is a particularly heavy snowstorm that is grounding flights for 24 hours, there may be a delay on your parcel. Notwithstanding, the time it takes will also depend on the size and weight of your parcel as well as its final destination, as all will be responsible for how your An Post EMS package is transported.
That being said, the average time for delivery by some EMS services can be as little as 5 to 7 days if within the same country or continent. Also, if your package is traveling between more well-used shipping paths, such as China to the USA, it can be quicker due to more transportation generally being available to transport parcels, resulting in a speedier delivery.
What will my An Post EMS tracking number be?
All An Post EMS parcels are given an individual tracking ID before they are shipped in order to help buyers and sellers track parcels. Usually, An Post EMS codes will have 10 to 15 letters and numbers, with variations of both within the total number of characters. Although these numbers will change as per the origin and destination of a package, the good news is you don't need to be an expert to track your parcel. In fact, using Ship24 you don't even need to change where you track your parcel as it changes hands or countries on the way to its final destination.
All tracking for An Post EMS can be done via the Ship24 global tracking website, just by copying and pasting the tracking code you receive into the website. This can be done instantly, as soon as you have it, and you will begin to get step-by-step updates on your parcel as it progresses along its international route.
Is shipping with An Post EMS difficult?
Shipping your parcel with An Post EMS is as simple as any other service. Today, more than 180 countries offer EMS shipment capability, so the system is well-established and designed for ease of use.
For An Post EMS, visit the website or get in touch with An Post directly and you will either be eligible for pick-up services or will need to deliver your parcel to your nearest national post, EMS-optimized outlet, and EMS will take care of the rest.
Once your parcel is en route, ensure you utilize Ship24's true end-to-end EMS tracking. All registered An Post EMS can be tracked by Ship24 so make sure to put your mind at ease by finding all your An Post shipment tracking needs on the website.
Is An Post reliable?
An Post is one of the most recognized postal services in the Republic of Ireland and is popular among Irish people to send items abroad and have them delivered from abroad. It is facing increasing competition from larger, private couriers but thanks to improvements in its services, such as through its Express and EMS options, it is continuing to serve the Irish population as the national postal service.
How can I track An Post?
You can track all registered posts which is handled by An Post through their website and their tracking accuracy has improved as the service has developed since its founding in the 1980s. However, tracking using the An Post website is not advisable when it comes to international parcel tracking as often parcels will be handed over to other couriers or logistics companies when on their way into and out of Ireland.
To track An Post parcels worldwide, particularly when using the An Post EMS service, using the multi-tracking platform Ship24 is your best bet. From the Ship24 website, you can find all your An Post tracking needs with just your An Post tracking number.
What do An Post tracking numbers look like?
An Post tracking number (sometimes called a tracking ID or code) can start with any of the following capital letters: R, A, E, V, C, L, and usually ends with IE (that stands for Ireland).
Also in the An Post tracking code but in between the capital letters, you will typically find 9 numbers. An example of how a tracking number from this company would look like can be RA 123 456 789 IE.
Once you have this tracking code, you will be able to use the An Post tracking international service to know where your package or parcel is at any time you want. However, this can only be guaranteed when the parcel is being handled by An Post and buyers and sellers using international postal services should go to Ship24 to utilize global order tracking for An Post packages.
Ship24 scans thousands of different couriers and shops to make sure you know the current location and status of where your package is, anywhere in the world. No matter who will scan it, uploads, and update the status and location of your package, Ship24 will be able to find that information just by using your tracking code and deliver it to you as close to real-time as possible.
Does An Post deliver to Australia?
An Post delivers to over 200 countries worldwide, including Australia. Due to their geographic locations from one another, An Post is based in Ireland which is pretty much on the opposite side of the world from Australia, so shipping can take a while.
How long does An Post take to deliver?
Typically, domestic shipping with An Post will take a maximum of 24 hours, with parcels sometimes able to arrive the same day depending on the vicinity.
Unlike domestic shipping times, international shipping can vary massively depending on the final destination. An Post delivery times will depend on the distance between Ireland (where An Post is based) and the country where you want to send the mail a parcel.
However, below is a general list of the average shipping times you can expect if you are looking to send a parcel with An Post to countries overseas.
- Sending a parcel by An Post inside Europe will usually take 3 to 7 days to arrive, with countries closer to Ireland such as the UK and France usually delivered faster than countries further away, such as Poland and Hungary.
- For Asia and Africa, An Post shipment delivery times can take 1 to 2 weeks or more.
- For Oceania, the average delivery time is around 2 weeks.
- North America and Central America can take a little longer at between 2 and 3 weeks
- Finally, South America An Post deliveries take the longest, taking anywhere from 3 to a month or more.
Sometimes it may vary for other reasons like transportation availability (such as during holiday periods), climate conditions (adverse weather grounding flights, for example), or otherwise. Also, the times noted above are assuming that your parcel is not held up at customs when entering or transiting through a country. To avoid this happening, make sure your
If you require more urgent delivery for your An Post parcel, EMS does offer faster delivery times. For instance, EMS offers a service where you can get a package delivered in less than 72 hours in any country inside Europe, which suits customers who need their parcel delivered as soon as possible.
Whether your An Post package is being delivered by either An Post or EMS you can track any parcel anywhere in the world with Ship24's global tracking. If you need international An Post tracking, just head to Ship24 with your An Post tracking number to begin tracking your parcel straightaway.
Is An Post expensive?
An Post offers a range of affordable prices to meet different shipping needs, so you can expect to be able to find the right delivery method for a fair price.
For domestic shipping services, you can send a letter which is less than 100 grams inside the country for just 1 Euro, which equates to something like 1.17 USD.
For a parcel with a weight of 1 kg, they will charge you 9 Euros or 10.50 USD. These letters and parcels inside Ireland will arrive in the next working day without inconveniences.
If your plans are sending letters and packages abroad, the prices will be higher. Please find the average prices below. However, please check with An Post directly for actual fees as they may have changed.
For a letter with a weight under 100 grams to any country inside the European Union, you will be charged 1.70 EUR or 2 USD.
For a package weight of 1kg or less, you will be charged 28 Euro, or 32.60 USD. These are relatively competitive prices when compared with private couriers operating within Ireland, however, delivery times can be much different depending on your destination. Again, it is always advisable to check directly with An Post in order to know for sure what timeframe your delivery is likely to be made in to avoid any disappointment.
Buyers should also note that no delivery time is guaranteed with the standard services and only an estimated delivery time is given upon standard shipping purchase. Even so, this estimate can be open to delays, such as issues at customs or problems with shipments (including weather and holidays) so this should be taken into account if you need your An Post package to arrive on a certain day.
You can always pay a higher price and use the An Post EMS service for a quicker arrival time. However, these will also vary depending on the aforementioned.
How do I contact An Post?
If you are having any trouble while trying to track or get information about your mail or packages, or any questions about all the other services this company provides, you can always call the An Post tracking contact number, and their customer services employees will help you with any inquiry or issue you have.
To contact An Post directly if you are in Ireland from overseas on the following number:
- (+353 1) 705 7600
Alternatively, you can reach the postal operator by email via the following email address:
- customer.services@anpost.ie
Please note, that calls or emails may not be available in languages other than English and Irish.
For more information about prices, prohibitions, and the other services they offer you can always check their official website by googling An Post.
