Student mailing address
Student name
The Catholic University of America
Via Garibaldi, 28
00153 Roma
ITALY
telephone: +39 06 5656 7904
email: student's email
Mailing principles
- Mail should be addressed to students exactly as given above. This will ensure that the mail arrives in a timely manner.
- It should be addressed to the student, and not to any of the program staff.
- Packages should include the student's cell phone number and email address.
- Some items cannot be sent to Italy. The US Postal Service has a convenient list.
Important details
Remember that Italy is a different country than the US. Even though this may seem to be common sense, the implications of this for receiving mail are not always clear. Here are some general principles and suggestions.
Shipping times
Average shipping times are as follows
- Simple letter (paper only): 10-30 days
- Shipping envelope: 2-6 weeks, depending on the contents
- Package: 1-2 months, depending on the contents
- Express envelope: 2-4 days, depending on the shipping company
- Express package: 4-6 days, depending on the shipping company
Customs
All mail (letters and packages) entering the European Union and Italy must pass through Italian customs. This means (1) shipping times take longer than expected, (2) the recipient may have to pay a customs fee to receive the letter/package, and (3) certain items will not be allowed into the country at all or will require extensive paperwork. This is not an Italian particularity but is the case whenever anything is shipped over international borders. Most Italian customs rules are also European rules.
Customs delay
Expect that any items other than papers and books will be stopped in customs. Students will receive by mail or email a form to complete indicating what is in the package and its value.
Customs fee
- Italy may charge a 20% tax on the value of any goods coming into the country. If a package contains anything of value, the student will have to pay this charge, particularly if the item is or looks new. Also, the value declared by the sender may be used to calculate the customs fee.
- For example: if the student's parents send a necklace and indicate on the shipping forms that it is worth $200, the student will probably be assessed a customs charge of about 50 euros, which includes the 20% tax, plus handling fees. This is above and beyond whatever shipping costs the parents paid to ship it.
- Students receiving something for their own use that they owned prior to leaving for Italy may possibly avoid a customs charge by having the shipper (for example, their parents) indicate this on the customs form that they fill out when shipping the item: "Oggetto personale usato che appartiene già al destinatario. Sarà per il suo uso personale solo per il soggiorno in Italia e sarà riportato negli Stati Uniti alla fine del soggiorno. Il valore indicato e solo per fini assicurativi."
Medicines and other problematic items
Certain items may not be shipped to Italy. Certain medicines may be shipped, but only with specific and detailed paperwork. Please consult the Italian regulations on this before expecting to have them shipped.
Further Information
Further information can be found on the Italian Customs website.