The short answer
Fold the letter into an envelope, write the address in the middle, your return address on the back, stick a stamp in the top right corner and drop it in a red street posting box. Here's each step, the way Australia Post asks for it.
- A small letter
- $1.85
- One stamp, up to 250g in a DL envelope
- A large letter
- $3.70
- Flat in a C4 envelope, up to 125g
- Tracked
- $5.85
- Australia Post's prepaid DL envelope
- No printer, no trip
- $10
- Printed, posted and tracked for you
Prices are from Australia Post's letters page and the layout from its addressing guide, checked on 26 October 2026. Prices include GST.
1. Fold it into the right envelope
A sheet of A4 folded in three fits a DL envelope, the standard long one. That's a small letter: up to 130 × 240 mm, 5 mm thick and 250g. Thicker, or posted flat in an A4-sized C4 envelope, it's a large letter, and costs more.
2. Write the address in the middle
Australia Post's machines read the address, so it goes in the centre of the envelope as a block of three or four lines, like its own example:
Ms A Citizen 3 Example Street PARKVILLE VIC 3052
- Line 1: the person's name. For a business, its name goes first and the person's name on the next line.
- Line 2: the street number and name, or the PO Box or Locked Bag.
- Last line, in capitals: the suburb, state and postcode, together on one line, with a space or two between them.
- No commas or full stops, and no blank lines. Use a blue or black pen, and check the postcode matches the suburb.
3. Add your return address
Write your own address the same way, on the back of the envelope or in the top left corner of the front. If the letter can't be delivered, it comes back to you instead of being lost.
Mr A Jones 54 Stockton Rd BUNBURY WA 6230
4. Put the stamp in the top right corner
A small letter needs one $1.85 stamp. A large letter is $3.70 up to 125g, and more above that. Stamps are sold at post offices, newsagents and supermarkets, and online from Australia Post. For faster delivery, add a $1.30 Priority label. The full price list is in what it costs to send a letter.
5. Drop it in a red street posting box
Any red street posting box will do, or the slot at a post office. Check the last collection time on the box: a letter posted after it is collected the next business day. Yellow boxes are for Express Post only.
How long it takes
Australia Post says regular letters take 3 to 5 business days within the same state and 4 to 7 business days interstate. With a Priority label, it's up to 3 business days within the state and up to 4 interstate.
When it has to arrive, send it tracked
A stamped letter isn't tracked: once it's in the box, you can't see where it is. For a bill dispute, a notice or anything with a deadline, use one of Australia Post's tracked envelopes, $5.85 for a DL, or registered post if it must be signed for. The options are compared in how to send a tracked letter.
Posting overseas
The steps are the same, but write the country in capitals on the last line, follow that country's address layout, and use an international stamp. Prices by country are in international postage.
Or skip all five steps
No printer, envelope or stamps? Upload the letter as a PDF, a Word file or a photo and type the address. We print it, fold it into an envelope, write the address and post it, tracked, for $10 up to 12 pages. Paid by 2:30pm Melbourne time on a business day, it's posted that day.
Questions people ask
Where does the stamp go on an envelope?
In the top right corner of the front. The address goes in the middle and your return address on the back or in the top left corner.
How do you write an address on an envelope in Australia?
In the middle of the envelope, in three or four lines: the name, then the street or PO Box, then the suburb, state and postcode on one line in capitals, such as PARKVILLE VIC 3052. Leave out commas and full stops.
How much is a stamp to post a letter in Australia?
$1.85 for a small letter, up to 250g in a standard envelope. A large letter is $3.70 up to 125g. A tracked prepaid DL envelope is $5.85.
Can I post a letter without going to the post office?
Yes. Put a stamped letter in any red street posting box, or have it printed and posted online: Unopost posts it for you, tracked, from $10.
The short version
Envelope, address in the middle, return address on the back, a $1.85 stamp top right, red box. If it has to be tracked or you have no printer, have it printed and posted, from $10.
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