Postcodes

The postcode scheme of the Velocity Interoperability Network is maintained by the Postal Service of the Velocity Interoperability Network. Every delivery point in the Network holds a postcode, and the postcode is the element of an address on which sorting and delivery depend. The scheme was adopted on 24 August 2026 and is in use for all mail from Monday 7 September 2026.

A postcode has two parts, separated by a single space. The outward code, of two letters and one digit, identifies the district and the sector within it: the letters are those of the district and the digit is the number of the sector. The inward code, of one digit and two letters, identifies the delivery round within the sector and the group of delivery points served consecutively upon it. A complete postcode, such as CE1 4QP, therefore names a district, a sector, a round and a group of neighbouring delivery points.

The six districts. Each district takes its name and letters from one of the principal sites of the Network and is served by the post office at that site.

The eighteen sectors. A district is divided into three sectors. The boundaries follow the pattern of delivery rather than any administrative division, and are reviewed as the number of delivery points changes.

Writing a postcode. The rules below are those on which the sorting machines and the delivery officers rely.

1. 1

   Step 1: Put the postcode on the last line of the address

   Nothing is written after the postcode. Where an address is written on a single line, for example in a form or a database field, the postcode is the last element and is preceded by a comma.

2. 2

   Step 2: Write it in capital letters

   Both the letters of the district and the two letters of the inward code are capitals. Lower-case letters are read by the sorting machines, but less reliably, and an item that cannot be read is sorted by hand.

3. 3

   Step 3: Leave one space between the two codes

   The outward code and the inward code are separated by a single space, as in CE1 4QP. Do not use a hyphen, a full stop or more than one space, and do not run the codes together.

4. 4

   Step 4: Do not underline or decorate the postcode

   Underlining, boxes and heavy marking interfere with the reading of the address by machine. Write the postcode in the same ink and the same size as the rest of the address.

5. 5

   Step 5: Check the postcode before posting

   A postcode that does not exist, or that belongs to another district, sends the item to the wrong sorting office and adds at least one working day to its journey. If you do not know a postcode, write to the Service with the full address and it will be supplied.

What the scheme is used for. The postcode serves the purposes below, within the Service and beyond it.

Sorting and delivery

The outward code directs an item to one of the two sorting offices and to the district; the inward code identifies the delivery round and the point on it. Sorting is mechanised for letters, and the postcode is the only element of the address that the machines read.

The register of delivery points

Every delivery point in the Network holds a postcode in the register maintained by the Service. A delivery point is a letterbox, a counter or a reception at which mail is accepted for those beyond it; a building with a single reception is one delivery point, and a block of separate offices is several.

Official correspondence

Member organisations are asked to include the postcode in the addresses printed on their stationery, in their address registers and on the forms they issue. Correspondence sent to a member organisation of the Network without a postcode is accepted but may be delayed.

Redirection and holding

Applications to redirect or hold mail are made against the postcode of the address concerned, and mail is redirected only where the postcode on the item matches the one on the application.

New and changed delivery points

A new delivery point is given a postcode by the Service on application by the organisation or occupier responsible for it, normally within five working days. A postcode is withdrawn when a delivery point ceases to exist, and is not reissued for two years.

How the scheme was made. The scheme was drawn up during the transition period that preceded the establishment of the Service.

1. 10 August 2026

   Survey of delivery points

   The transition period began with a survey of every building and letterbox in the Network. 9,800 delivery points were recorded, against the 8,100 addresses held in the registers of member organisations.

2. 24 August 2026

   The scheme adopted

   The scheme of six districts and eighteen sectors was adopted for use from establishment, and every delivery point recorded in the survey was assigned a postcode.

3. 6 September 2026

   The scheme published

   The districts, sectors and the rules for writing a postcode were published on this site, and member organisations were asked to include postcodes in all correspondence from 7 September 2026.

4. Forthcoming

   Review of sector boundaries

   The Service will review the boundaries of the eighteen sectors after its first full quarter of delivery, and will announce any change in the Newsroom at least one month before it takes effect.

To ask for the postcode of an address, to register a new delivery point or to report a postcode that appears to be wrong, write to contact@postal.gov.vin. The post offices serving each district are listed on the Finding a Post Office page, and guidance on setting out an address on the Sending Mail page.