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Customs Forms for U.S. Postal Service Mailings

CSU departments are responsible for completing customs forms for their US Postal Service shipments. The information needed to properly prepare your international mail is contained in the follow links, including tables indicating which form to use and instructions on how to complete them. For questions not covered in these documents, please call Mail Service at 491-6529.

There are two types of US postal customs forms:

a single green sticker with a detachable white stub (2976)
a six-part white form (2976-A) that slips into a clear adhesive envelope (2976-E)

Postal customs forms are currently used on three groups of mail destinations: International mail, Military Mail, and the US possessions of Guam, Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. Customers must complete the appropriate form prior to submitting their mail piece to Mail Service for processing. Items with incorrect or incomplete customs forms will be returned to the sending department.

Packages with customs forms cannot be dropped in a blue USPS collection box.

Customs Form Usage Requirements

Mail Classification & Item Type	Declared value, weight, or physical characteristic	Required PS Form	Comment
Global Express Guaranteed
All Items	All values	6182	PS Form 6182, Commercial Invoice, is required for certain commodities and destinations. For determination, please call Mail Service at 1-6529.
Express Mail International
All items	All values	2976 or 2976–A	Required customs forms and endorsements vary by country. Please call Mail Service at 1-6529 to determine the appropriate form for your shipment.
Priority Mail International Items EXCEPT Flat-Rate Envelope and Small Flat-Rate Box
All Priority Mail International items EXCEPT the flat-rate envelope and Small flat-rate box.	All values	2976–A	Except for the Priority Mail International flat-rate envelope and small flat-rate box, all items mailed in USPS-produced Priority Mail International packaging or any other container/packaging bearing a Priority Mail sticker or marked with the words “Priority Mail” are considered to be within the scope of this requirement.
Priority Mail International Flat-Rate Envelope (Maximum weight limit: 4 pounds)
All Priority Mail International flat-rate envelopes containing ONLY documents.	Under 16 ounces, no more than ¾ inch thick AND uniformly thick.	None*	Items must meet all 3 physical requirements of weight, thickness and uniformity.
	16 ounces or more, more than ¾ inch thick OR not uniformly thick.	2976	Items not meeting all 3 physical requirements of weight, thickness or uniformity must be accompanied by customs form 2976.
All Priority Mail International flat-rate envelopes containing potentially dutiable contents, regardless of weight.	$400 or less	2976	Merchandise is permitted unless prohibited by the destination country.
	Over $400	Prohibited	Items over $400 must be mailed using Global Express Guaranteed service, Express Mail International service or Priority Mail International service (other than flat-rate envelope or small flat-rate box).
Priority Mail International Small Flat-Rate Box (Maximum weight limit: 4 pounds)
All Priority Mail International small flat-rate boxes, regard-less of contents.	$400 or less Over $400	2976 Prohibited	Merchandise is permitted unless prohibited by the destination country. Items over $400 must be mailed using Global Express Guaranteed service, Express Mail International service, or Priority Mail International service (other than the flat-rate envelope or small flat-rate box).
First-Class Mail International Letters and Large Envelopes -Flats (Maximum weight limit: 4 pounds)
All letter-size and flat-size items containing ONLY documents.	Under 16 ounces 16 ounces or more	None* 2976
All items containing potentially dutiable contents, regardless of weight.	$400 or less Over $400	2976 Prohibited	Merchandise is permitted unless prohibited by the destination country. Items over $400 must be mailed using Global Express Guaranteed service, Express Mail International service, or Priority Mail International service (other than the flat-rate envelope or small flat-rate box).
First-Class Mail International Packages and Small Packets (Maximum weight limit: 4 pounds)
All First-Class Mail International packages and small packets, regardless of weight.	$400 or less Over $400	2976 Prohibited	Merchandise is permitted unless prohibited by the destination country. Items over $400 must be mailed using Global Express Guaranteed service, Express Mail International service, or Priority Mail International service (other than the flat-rate envelope or small flat-rate box).
Free Matter for the Blind or Other Physically Handicapped Persons
All items	Follow above requirements for relevant mail category, as appropriate.	Follow above requirements for relevant mail category, as appropriate.	Free matter for the blind or other physically handicapped persons requires a customs form for all articles.
M-bags (Airmail, IPA Service, and ISAL Service)
All M-bags	$400 or less Over $400	2976 Prohibited	A fully completed PS Form 2976 must to be affixed to PS Tag 158, M-bag Addressee Tag. Content Restrictions: direct sacks of printed matter to a single foreign addressee, including newspapers, magazines, journals, books, sheet music, catalogues, directories, commercial advertising, and promotional matter
Military Mail (APO,FPO), DPO, Guam, Palau, Fed States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Northern Mariana Islands (zips starting with 969)
All items	Under 16 ounces Over 16 ounces	None 2976 or 2976-A	Required customs forms and endorsements vary by destination. Please call Mail Service at 1-6529 to determine the appropriate form for your shipment.
* Qualifying items must be uniformly thick. First-Class Mail International items claimed at the package price, or Priority Mail International flat-rate envelopes that are not uniformly thick must always use PS Form 2976.

A customs form is not required on the following categories of mail: Non-dutiable First-Class Mail items weighing less than 16 ounces.

MS Word Version of these Instructions

Instructions for Completing Form 2976

Instructions for Completing Form 2976-A

U.S. Postal Service International Mailing Options

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