International Shipping via India Post
India Post reaches 219 destinations for basic letter post, with a faster, tracked option — EMS — for documents and merchandise. Here's how the two compare, and what to check before you book.
EMS vs International Letter Post
These are India Post's two main options for sending something abroad through the postal network, and they suit different needs.
EMS (International Speed Post)
India Post's own description: "the premium and time-bound international postal service for documents and merchandise." Comes with internet-based tracking and a defined compensation policy for delay.
International Letter Post
Covers letters, postcards, aerogramme, printed papers, blind literature and M Bags. Registration is optional and adds tracking; without it, there's nothing to trace if it goes missing.
Weight and size limits
EMS
- General maximum weight: 35 kg. Many individual destination countries set a lower cap — India Post publishes a full country-by-country table. As a sample: Argentina 20 kg, Austria 30 kg, Bahrain 30 kg, Bangladesh 30 kg. This is illustrative only; check the actual limit for your destination before booking, since the full list runs to dozens of countries.
- Size: not more than 1.5 metres for any one dimension, and not more than 3 metres for length plus the greatest circumference combined.
International Letter Post
- Letters and printed papers: up to 2 kg.
- Items for the blind: up to 7 kg.
- M Bags: up to 30 kg.
- Postcards: exactly 14 cm × 9 cm — this is a fixed size, not a maximum.
- Other items: maximum length + width + depth combined 900 mm (no single dimension over 600 mm); minimum surface 90 × 140 mm.
Registration fees
Registration is what makes an International Letter Post item trackable and eligible for compensation. It costs extra, on top of postage:
Registered M Bag service specifically is not accepted by Canada and the USA. This registration fee is for international mail only — it is not the same as any domestic registration charge, and India Post does not publish a domestic figure to compare it against.
EMS pricing depends on destination and weight; check with your booking post office or India Post's EMS tariff page for the current rate to your destination.
If something goes wrong
India Post's compensation for international mail is set in SDRs (Special Drawing Rights, an IMF unit), converted to rupees at a rate India Post publishes and updates periodically.
International Registered Letter Post
- Loss, total theft or total damage — value of contents or 30 SDR, whichever is less, plus the postage paid.
- Partial loss or damage — limited to the value of the affected content, capped at the total-loss figure above. Postage is not refunded.
- Registered M Bag, lost entirely — 150 SDR.
EMS
- Merchandise, lost or totally damaged — value of contents or 130 SDR, whichever is less, plus postage paid.
- Document, lost or damaged — postage paid only, since a document has no separately insurable value.
- Delay of more than 5 days (excluding holidays) from the published norm — 5% of the postage charged.
India Post does not publish the specific delivery-time norm each EMS delay is measured against, or a per-country EMS delivery estimate, on its public pages. Raising an enquiry about a lost or delayed registered or EMS article is free of charge.
Check current country restrictions first
India Post periodically suspends and resumes booking to specific countries — usually for operational or geopolitical reasons — and lifts the suspension later. Because these notices change without a fixed schedule, this page does not state which countries are currently restricted; a number quoted here could easily be out of date by the time you read it.
Before booking to a country you have reason to think might be affected — this has recently included destinations in North America and the Middle East — check India Post's own notices, or ask at the counter when you book.
India Post press releases and noticesCommon questions
- Can I track an international letter?
- Only if it's registered. An unregistered international letter, postcard or printed paper generates no tracking number. EMS is tracked by default through India Post's internet-based Track & Trace system.
- How many countries does India Post's letter post reach?
- 219 destinations, per India Post's published network figure.
- What's an M Bag?
- A bulk bag for newspapers, periodicals, books and similar printed material addressed to the same person at the same address. It's capped at 30 kg, and registered M Bag service is not accepted by Canada or the USA.
- What is an SDR?
- A Special Drawing Right — an IMF unit of account used by postal administrations worldwide to set compensation limits in a currency-neutral way. India Post converts SDR figures to rupees at a rate it publishes and updates periodically, so the rupee value of a given SDR compensation figure can change from one year to the next.
- Does EMS insure the full value of my item?
- No. Compensation for lost or totally damaged EMS merchandise is the value of contents or 130 SDR, whichever is less — so high-value contents are not covered in full through this compensation policy alone.
Last reviewed: . We recheck these pages when India Post changes its published information.