Postal Services
Apart from regular mailing services, post offices in Italy are also where bills are paid and pensions are collected by senior citizens – it’s just a question of standing in the right line.

Beware: if you join the wrong line, you will be forced to line up all over again to complete your transaction. It is not always clear which line is the correct one, and they are usually very long and move slowly . So ask before you join a line to make sure. For instance, when you pay your bills, be sure to ask for the “pagamenti” line. Complete banking services are also offered at post offices.

Every neighbourhood has its local post office. Hours vary but in general they are open from Monday to Friday 8:30 – 14:00 and Saturday between 8:30 and 13:00.

SENDING MAIL
Stamps are sold at a tobacconist’s (tabacchi) or at the post office. Regular mail costs 0.41 cents from Italy to any country of the European Union, and 0.52 cents to the rest of the world.

Mail has to be posted in the red mail boxes located outside the post office or the tobacconist’s. The mail box contains two slots: one for mail for the city ‘la città’, and one for all destinations other than the city ‘altre destinazioni’.

Registered delivery
With this service you can send letters and parcels all over the world together with a return receipt. This receipt when sent back to you provides all the delivery information. Note: It is not permitted to send money of any amount, gold, silver, platinum, precious stones, antique objects, alcohol, or goods prohibited for export by Italian law with registered mail.

Priority post
Letters sent with priority mail ‘posta prioritaria’ should arrive within 24 hours in Italy and within 3 days in Europe. It takes from 4 to 8 days for deliveries to other countries.

There are specific stamps available at the tobacconist’s or at the post office along with blue adhesive labels indicating ‘posta prioritaria’ for this service. The cost is 0,62 cents for Italy and Europe (standard size envelope only, for other sizes and destinations other costs apply).

Postal order
The postal order is a fast service that enables you to transfer money in Italy. There are additionally many other agencies that transfer money in the same fashion such as Western Union.

MONEY EXCHANGE
In some post offices you can exchange money, but a commisson charge applies.

SENDING TELEGRAMS IN ITALY AND ABROAD
This service is available 24 hours a day. The telephone number is 186. The service is world wide and messages can be transmitted in any language. The cost of this service will be debited directly to one’s phone bill.