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Top 5 Reasons Mail Forwarding is Essential for Expats

By US Global Mail

GeoBlue
GeoBlue

Summary: Many expats setup mail forwarding services before they move abroad. Here are the top 5 reasons that mail forwarding is essential for expats from our partner, US Global Mail.

Mail Forwarding - Top 5 Reasons Mail Forwarding is Essential for Expats

You may be in the United Arab Emirates as an Expat, a trailing spouse, on a travel expedition, a blogging digital nomad- No matter the reason one of your main concerns is how do you get your mail from the U.S? What if you forward it to your destination but with short notice you have a new home for another couple of months? This is where mail forwarding comes to play and makes your life much easier!

According to Google, the definition for Mail Forwarding is the following "Post offices and other mail service providers typically offer a mail forwarding service, commonly known as hybrid mail or virtual post office box services, to redirect mail destined for one location to another – usually for a given period."

Borders don't exist for you!

Using a mail/parcel forwarding company will lessen all the burden of your travels whether its for pleasure or for work, here's how:

  1. They give you a local address (street address, no a PO box)
  2. You use that address to receive your mail and any shopping items
  3. You can see those items online via a Virtual Mailbox
  4. You ask to ship, scan, discard your items as needed

Expats, Stay Connected to Home

Your company may have offered to forward your mail, but that comes with a caveat- no privacy and mail delivery on company schedule, which can mean waiting times of up to 4 weeks for your mail! Sometimes that is too late, especially if you are getting mail from federal and tax authorities, or rent checks or insurance information. Using an external mail forwarding company will afford privacy, security and timeliness of your mail.

Benefit from shopping in the US, no matter where you are

Snatch crazy deals from sites like woot.com, slickdeals.com, eBay in the US to get the best deals on anything! A package forwarding company will let you buy from multiple stores and pack all items together saving you a bundle in the process.

The Travel Blogger/ Professional Traveler – A Virtual Home

If you are a year-around traveler, go where the wind takes you, but get a mail forwarding solution if you want an anchor address for your bank account, tax authorities, checks, samples from companies you blog about, shopping and mail. Getting a Virtual Mailbox lets you "see" your mail online, get scans and hold your impulse purchases until you return or ship it to you. Here's how one of the top bloggers does it.

Overseas Retirees- collect your pensions safely

If you retired overseas, your adventure is well deserved. When you need a secure way to get your social security checks, prescriptions and sweet cards from grandchildren, a Virtual Mailbox is the way to go. Look for a mail forwarding company that offers bundling & consolidation services to save you on shipping costs, so you can save for that sunset cruise!

How do I choose the correct mail/parcel forwarding company?

Depending on your own requirements, find the best company that offers what you are looking for but most importantly that they offer low cost solutions and have good rating with the BBB as well as the best customer service. Keep in mind that you will be dealing with time differences so a overall supportive customer service is always best especially when dealing with personal documents like your mail!

About the Author

US Global Mail - the leader in Expat Mail Forwarding service and a trusted partner of Expat Exchange - provides you with a reliable, inexpensive and high-tech solution to manage all US mail when overseas. Each client gets a unique street address in the US. All mail and packages coming in to this address are logged, photographed and available to view online on your personal Virtual Mailbox. One-click instructions on how to manage each piece i.e. consolidating packages, shipping options, scanning letters, shredding etc. Plans as low as $10/month! Shipping options include Fed Ex, USPS, DHL and USPS. An A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau - and over 25,000 fans on Facebook - our Expat clients really love us! Special offer for Expat Exchange subscribers - Try our Individual Plan for only $5 with code EX2017 and Family Plan for $10 with code EX2017F when signing up.


First Published: Jan 21, 2017

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