Royal Mail international zones: which countries are in Europe and World Zones 1, 2 and 3
October 27, 2026
Updated October 2026. Zones as published by Royal Mail, in use since 4 April 2022.
Royal Mail prices international post by zone rather than by country. Knowing which zone a destination falls into tells you which price column to read, and lets you set up shipping rules so the right service is chosen for every order automatically. This guide lists every zone, answers the most common "which zone is..." questions and covers the places that catch sellers out: the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands and the USA.
Royal Mail international zones: the short answer
Royal Mail splits the world into six international zones, plus the UK:
- Europe Zone 1: Ireland, France, Germany, Denmark, Monaco and Corsica.
- Europe Zone 2: the rest of the EU, including Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland, plus the Azores, Madeira, and the Balearic and Canary Islands.
- Europe Zone 3: non-EU Europe, including Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Turkey, Ukraine, Gibraltar and the Balkans.
- World Zone 1: every country not in another zone, including Canada, China, India, Japan, the UAE and South Africa.
- World Zone 2: Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and a number of Pacific islands.
- World Zone 3: the USA.
The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are not in any international zone. Royal Mail delivers there with its UK services, although the Channel Islands need customs paperwork. See shipping to the Isle of Man and Channel Islands.
Europe Zone 1
Republic of Ireland, France, Germany, Denmark, Monaco and Corsica.
Europe Zone 2
Austria, Azores, Balearic Islands, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madeira, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
Europe Zone 3
Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Gibraltar, Greenland, Iceland, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway (including Spitsbergen), Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vatican City.
World Zone 1
World Zone 1 covers every country that is not in a Europe zone, World Zone 2 or World Zone 3. In practice that is most of North America (except the USA), South America, Africa, the Middle East, the Far East and South East Asia. Common examples are Canada, Mexico, Brazil, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Israel, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
World Zone 2
Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Laos and Macao, plus Belau, British Indian Ocean Territory, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Cook Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia (including Tahiti), French Southern and Antarctic Territories, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand Antarctic Territory, Niue, Norfolk Island, Norwegian Antarctic Territory, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Island, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, US Samoa and Western Samoa.
World Zone 3
The USA has a zone of its own. Royal Mail's International Tracked service to the USA is a Postal Delivered Duties Paid service, so duty is worked out and paid when postage is bought rather than collected from your customer on delivery.
Which zone is...? Quick answers
- Ireland: Europe Zone 1.
- France and Germany: Europe Zone 1.
- Spain, including the Canary and Balearic Islands: Europe Zone 2.
- Italy, the Netherlands and Poland: Europe Zone 2.
- Norway and Switzerland: Europe Zone 3.
- Gibraltar: Europe Zone 3.
- Canada: World Zone 1.
- The UAE, Dubai and Abu Dhabi: World Zone 1.
- Australia: World Zone 2. It is not in any Europe zone.
- New Zealand and Singapore: World Zone 2.
- The USA: World Zone 3.
- The Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey: no international zone; Royal Mail uses its UK services.
Some overseas territories are priced as their parent country. Royal Mail's country guides list them in full.
Why zones matter for your prices
Each zone has its own price column, and the gap between zones can be large for heavier parcels. Royal Mail split its single Europe zone into three on 4 April 2022, so any price table or shipping rule set up before then with one "Europe" price is likely to be undercharging or overcharging some customers. Some tracked and business account services are also priced for individual countries rather than by zone, so check the price list for the specific service you use.
Customs for international parcels
Every parcel containing goods sent outside the UK needs a customs declaration, including to EU countries and the Channel Islands. For EU customers, two new charges apply to low-value parcels: a €3 customs duty from 1 July 2026 and a €2 handling fee from 1 November 2026. See what UK sellers need to know about the EU changes. Customs authorities also reject vague descriptions such as "gift" or "clothing"; describe what the item is and what it is made of, for example "women's cotton T-shirt".
Setting zones up in your shipping system
You should not need a zone chart at the packing bench. In StoreFeeder, shipping rules choose the courier and service for each order automatically, based on destination, weight, order value and sales channel, so a parcel to the USA can go on a different service from one to Ireland without anyone checking which zone it is in. Royal Mail is one of 26+ couriers StoreFeeder connects to; see courier management.
Royal Mail zone FAQs
How many international zones does Royal Mail have?
Six: Europe Zones 1, 2 and 3, and World Zones 1, 2 and 3. Europe was a single zone until 4 April 2022, so older guides that list only Europe, World Zone 1 and World Zone 2 are out of date.
Is Australia in Europe Zone 1, 2 or 3?
None of them. Australia is in World Zone 2, along with New Zealand and Singapore.
What zone is the Republic of Ireland?
Europe Zone 1, the cheapest international zone.
What zone is the USA?
World Zone 3, which contains only the USA.
Is the Isle of Man an international destination for Royal Mail?
No. Royal Mail treats parcels from Great Britain to the Isle of Man as domestic, so UK services and prices apply and no customs declaration is needed.
Next step
If you are choosing Royal Mail services by hand or keeping a zone chart by the printer, book a 30-minute demo and we will show you how shipping rules pick the right service for every destination. To see what manual work is costing you, try the ROI calculator.
Related reading
Still running your warehouse on spreadsheets or paper pick lists? See how StoreFeeder's warehouse management system runs goods-in, picking, packing and despatch in one place →Or work out what it could save you with the ROI calculator →Book a demo
