Hanoi - Post Report Question and Answers
How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
We use the embassy provided DPO and Pouch Mail, if necessary, and it works well. The US Postal Service is a bit of a disaster zone at the moment with long delays, and COVID has added delays in receiving packages from the USA, but you'll get most items. We have also used the Hanoi post office to mail things abroad and that has worked OK, and is quite affordable, but also is very delayed. - Aug 2021
Through the office and usually DHL. Never used regular mail. Lazada - a sort of Amazon/eBay type shopping service - will courier things with payment on delivery. Using local mail services to send to international addresses did not have a good reputation. - Dec 2019
Diplomatic pouch; priority mail usually arrives 7-10 days. - Jul 2019
We use pouch and DPO. Liquids are okay. We use Amazon, too. No experience with the local postal facilities. - Apr 2018
Never used the local post. DPO and pouch take about 2-3 weeks and are reliable. - Dec 2017
DPO - May 2016
Pouch or DPO - Aug 2015
DPO and Pouch for U.S. Embassy. Honestly sending a letter through international mail isn't that bad though. - Mar 2015
DPO. - Aug 2014
DPO. - Dec 2011
Pouch and FPO. But for some reason, it takes a very long time. Several people I know, including me, have had to wait 2 months for letters and packages to arrive. - May 2010
Embassy staff can use DPO. - Dec 2009
Domestic mail is very cheap and reliable. International less so. - Feb 2009
Hanoi has APO/FPO access which is a godsend. The local Vietnamese post is slow and unreliable, with packages broken or lost. Fedex has just begun service to Hanoi for priority packages. - Sep 2008
Vietnam does have an acceptable postal system, though the embassy does have both pouch and an FPO. FedEx and DHL courier services are also available. - May 2008
