Understand your UK address
Make sense of postcodes, flat numbers, rooms and billing addresses before ordering a SIM, completing forms or arranging a delivery.
ETO365 · Editorial update
Read an address, line by line
Illustrative format only, not an address to use. Always enter your own actual address.
Example address
- Flat 8
- 10 Queen Street
- Wells
- BA5 2DP
- 01Flat / Room
- Your flat or room; use the format your accommodation gives you.
- 02Street
- Building number and street; a building name may need another line.
- 03Town / City
- The town or city in your address.
- 04Postcode
- The full postcode does not replace a building or flat number.
A postcode is only part of the address
A postcode helps locate an address but does not replace it. Save the full address supplied by your accommodation, including the flat or room, building name or number, street, town and postcode.
A flat is an apartment unit; a room identifies a room within a property. Student accommodation may have a specific building name and delivery format. Use the format your accommodation provides.
Delivery and billing addresses
The delivery address is where you want an item sent. The billing address is the address associated with payment or an account. They may be different; follow the service's instructions rather than guessing which address will make a payment work.
Before ordering a physical SIM or essentials, confirm your move-in date, whether reception accepts parcels and whose name to put on them.
If your address is not listed
Check Royal Mail's address finder, then confirm the room details and delivery instructions with your accommodation provider. A new building or hall's postal entry may differ from its room name.
Ask the service provider how to enter an unlisted address. Being able to receive post does not by itself establish that you meet a bank's proof-of-address requirements.
Official websites
Royal Mail
Official source · Link checked
We checked the organization and purpose of each destination. Check the provider's current terms for prices, eligibility and setup requirements.
Next step
Choosing a PAYG SIM when you arrive in the UK