List of postal services abroad

In the latter part of the 19th and early part of the 20th century, a number of countries maintained post offices in foreign countries, arranged by treaty. Most such offices were operated by European powers in the Middle and Far East. They were partly motivated by the desire to provide reliable postal service for merchants and other foreign nationals in major cities, and partly by suspicion of the local postal service. The currency in use could be either the local currency, or that of the home country.

Additionally, it became the practice of occupying military powers to establish postal services in the occupied country.

List

Austrian Post Abroad

Austro-Hungarian Military Post 1915 – 1918

Austro-Hungarian Post in China 1904 – 1919

Austro-Hungarian Post in the Turkish Empire 1867 – 1915

Crete (Austro-Hungarian Post) 1903 – 1914

Italy (Austrian Occupation) 1918 only

Lombardy and Venetia 1850 – 1866

Montenegro (Austrian Occupation) 1917 only

Palestine (Austrian Post Offices) 1854 – 1914

Romania (Austrian Occupation) 1917 – 1918

Serbia (Austrian Occupation) 1916 only

Belgian Post Abroad

Eupen and Malmedy (Belgian Occupation) 1920 only

German East Africa (Belgian Occupation) 1916 – 1918

Germany (Belgian Occupation) 1919 – 1920

British Post Abroad

British post offices abroad

British post offices in Africa various issues

Baghdad (British Occupation) 1917 only

Bangkok (British Post Office) 1882 – 1885

Batum (British Occupation) 1919 – 1920

British post offices in the Turkish Empire 1885 – 1923

British postal agencies in Eastern Arabia 1948 – 1966

Bushire (British Occupation) 1915 only

Cameroons (British Occupation) 1915 only

China (British Post Offices) 1917 – 1930

China (British Railway Administration) 1901 only

Crete (British Post Offices) 1898 – 1899

East Africa Forces 1943 – 1948

Egypt (British Forces) 1932 – 1943

Eritrea (British Administration) 1950 – 1952

Eritrea (British Military Administration) 1948 – 1950

German East Africa (British Occupation) 1917 only

Iraq (British Occupation) 1918 – 1923

Japan (British Commonwealth Occupation) 1946 – 1949

Japan (British Post Offices) 1859 – 1879

Long Island (British Occupation) 1916 only

Madagascar (British Consular Mail) 1884 – 1895

Mafia Island (British Occupation) 1915 – 1916

Malaya (British Military Administration) 1945 – 1948

Middle East Forces (MEF) 1942 – 1947

Morocco Agencies 1898 – 1957

North Borneo (BMA) 1945 only

Salonika (British Field Office) 1916 only

Sarawak (BMA) 1945 only

Somalia (British Administration) 1950 only

Somalia (British Military Administration) 1948 – 1950

Tangier 1927 – 1957

Tripolitania (British Administration) 1950 – 1952

Tripolitania (British Military Administration) 1948 – 1950

Chinese Post Abroad

Chinese post offices in Tibet 1911 – 1912

Egyptian Post Abroad

Gaza (Egyptian Occupation) 1948 – 1967

Jaffa (Egyptian Post Office) 1870 – 1872

Finnish Post Abroad

Aunus (Finnish Occupation) 1919 only

Eastern Karelia (Finnish Occupation) 1941 – 1944

French Post Abroad

French post offices abroad

Alexandria (French Post Office) 1899 – 1931

Andorra (French Offices) 1931 –

Arad (French Occupation) 1919 only

Beirut (French Post Office) 1905 only

Castelrosso (French Occupation) 1920 – 1921

China (French Post Offices) 1894 – 1922

Cilicia (French Occupation) 1918 – 1921

Crete (French Post Offices) 1902 – 1913

Dedeagatz (French Post Office) 1893 – 1914

Egypt (French Post Offices) 1899 – 1931

Ethiopia (French Post Offices) 1906 – 1908

Japan (French Post Offices) 1865 – 1880

Kavalla (French Post Office) 1893 – 1914

Klaipeda 1923 only

Korce (Koritza) 1917 – 1919

Madagascar (French Post Offices) 1885 – 1896

Majunga (French Post Office) 1895 only

Memel (French Administration) 1920 – 1923

Morocco (French Post Offices) 1862 – 1914

Palestine (French Post Offices) 1854 – 1914

Port Lagos (French Post Office) 1893 – 1898

Port Said (French Post Office) 1899 – 1931

Syria (French Occupation) 1919 – 1924

Tangier (French Post Office) 1918 – 1942

Saar (French Administration) 1920 – 1935

Tientsin (French Post Office) 1903 – 1922

Vathy (French Post Offices) 1893 – 1914

Zanzibar (French Post Office) 1889 – 1904

French post offices in the Turkish Empire 1885 – 1923

Postage of the Free French Forces in the Levant 1942 – 1946

German Post Abroad

Albania (German Occupation) 1943 – 1944

Alsace (German Occupation) 1940 – 1941

Alsace-Lorraine (German Occupation) 1870 – 1871

Belgium (German Occupation) 1914 – 1918

China (German Post Offices) 1886 – 1917

Dalmatia (German Occupation) 1943 – 1945

Dorpat (German Occupation) 1918 only

Eastern Command Area 1916 – 1918

Estonia (German Occupation) 1941 only

German Ninth Army Post 1918 only

Postage of German Occupation Forces (WWI) 1914 – 1918

Postage of German Occupation Forces (WWII) 1939 – 1945

German post offices in the Turkish Empire 1884 – 1914

Laibach (German Occupation) 1943 – 1945

Latvia (German Occupation) 1941 only

Lithuania (German Occupation) 1941 only

Lorraine (German Occupation) 1940 – 1941

Luxembourg (German Occupation) 1940 – 1944

Macedonia (German Occupation) 1944 only

Montenegro (German Occupation) 1943 – 1945

Morocco (German Post Offices) 1899 – 1917

Ostland 1941 – 1945

Palestine (German Post Offices) 1898 – 1914

Poland (German Occupation WWI) 1915 – 1918

Poland (German Occupation WWII) 1939 – 1945

Romania (German Occupation) 1917 – 1918

Serbia (German Occupation) 1941 – 1944

Ukraine (German Occupation) 1941 – 1944

Western Command Area 1916 – 1918

Zante (German Occupation) 1943 – 1945

Zanzibar (German Postal Agency) 1890 – 1891

Germany (Allied Occupation)

American, British and Russian Zones 1946 – 1948

Anglo-American Zones (Civil Government) 1948 – 1949

Anglo-American Zones (Military Government) 1945 – 1946

Baden (French Zone) 1947 – 1949

Postage of Berlin-Brandenburg in the Russian Zone 1945 only

French Zone (General Issues) 1945 – 1946

Postage of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the Russian Zone 1945 – 1946

Postage of North West Saxony in the Russian Zone 1945 – 1946

Postage of the Rhineland – Palatinate in the French Zone 1947 – 1949

Russian Zone (General Issues) 1948 – 1949

Saar (French Zone) 1945 – 1947

Saxony (Russian Zone) 1945 – 1946

Postage of South East Saxony in the Russian Zone 1945 – 1946

Thuringia (Russian Zone) 1945 – 1946

Württemberg (French Zone) 1947 – 1949

Greek Post Abroad

Albania (Greek Occupation) 1940 – 1941

Dodecanese Islands (Greek Occupation) 1947 only

Greek Post Offices in the Turkish Empire 1861 – 1881

Kavalla (Greek Occupation) 1913 only

Khios 1913 only

Lemnos 1912 – 1913

Lesbos 1912 – 1913

Indian Overseas Forces

China Expeditionary Force 1900 – 1923

Congo (Indian UN Force) 1962 only

Gaza (Indian UN Force) 1965 only

Indian Expeditionary Forces 1914 – 1922

Indo-China (Indian Forces) 1954 – 1968

Korea (Indian Custodian Forces) 1953 only

Mosul (Indian Forces) 1919 only

Indo-Chinese Post in China

Canton (Indo-Chinese Post Office) 1901 – 1922

China (Indo-Chinese Post Offices) 1900 – 1922

Hoi-Hao (Indo-Chinese Post Office) 1902 – 1922

Kouang-Tcheou 1898 – 1943

Mong-Tseu (Indo-Chinese Post Office) 1903 – 1922

Pakhoi (Indo-Chinese Post Office) 1903 – 1922

Tchongking (Indo – Chinese Post Office) 1903 – 1922

Yunnanfu (Indo-Chinese Post Office) 1903 – 1922

Israeli Post Abroad

West Bank and Gaza (Israeli Post Offices) 1967 –

Golan (Israeli Post Offices) 1967 –

Sinai (Israeli Post Offices) 1967 – 1982

Italian Post Abroad

Italian post offices in Africa

Albania (Italian Occupation) 1939 – 1943

Benghazi (Italian Post Office) 1901 – 1912

Cephalonia and Ithaca (Italian Occupation) 1941 only

Italian post offices in China

Constantinople (Italian Post Office) 1908 – 1923

Corfu (Italian Occupation) 1923 only

Corfu and Paxos (Italian Occupation) 1941 only

Italian post offices in Crete

Dalmatia (Italian Occupation) 1919 – 1923

Durazzo (Italian Post Office) 1902 – 1916

Italian post offices in Egypt

Ethiopia (Italian Occupation) 1936 only

Fiume and Kupa Zone 1941 – 1942

Ionian Islands (Italian Occupation) 1941 – 1943

Italian post offices in the Turkish Empire 1873 – 1923

Jannina (Italian Post Office) 1909 – 1911

Palestine (Italian Post Offices) 1908 – 1914

Khania (Italian Post Office) 1900 – 1912

Lubiana (Italian Occupation) 1941 only

Montenegro (Italian Occupation) 1941 – 1943

Pechino (Italian Post Office) 1917 – 1922

Salonika (Italian Post Office) 1909 – 1911

Saseno (Italian Occupation) 1923 only

Scutari (Italian Post Office) 1909 – 1915

Smirne (Italian Post Office) 1909 – 1911

Tientsin (Italian Post Office) 1917 – 1922

Trentino (Italian Occupation) 1918 – 1919

Tripoli (Italian Post Office) 1909 – 1912

Valona (Italian Post Office) 1909 – 1916

Venezia Giulia (Italian Occupation) 1918 – 1919

Japanese Post Abroad

Brunei (Japanese Occupation) 1942 – 1945

Burma (Japanese Occupation) 1942 – 1945

Central China (Japanese Occupation) 1941 – 1944

Honan (Japanese Occupation) 1941

Hong Kong (Japanese Occupation) 1945 only

Hopei (Japanese Occupation) 1941

Inner Mongolia (Japanese Occupation) 1941 – 1943

Japanese Taiwan (Formosa) 1945 only

Java (Japanese Occupation) 1943 – 1945

Kelantan (Japanese Occupation) 1942 – 1945

Korea (Japanese Post Offices) 1900 – 1901

Kwangtung (Japanese Occupation) 1942 – 1945

Malaya (Japanese Occupation) 1942 – 1945

Manchukuo 1932 – 1945

Mengkiang (Japanese Occupation) 1942 – 1945

Nangking and Shanghai (Japanese Occupation) 1941 – 1945

North Borneo (Japanese Occupation) 1942 – 1945

North China (Japanese Occupation) 1942 – 1945

Japanese post in occupied China 1941 – 1942

Sarawak (Japanese Occupation) 1942 – 1945

Shansi (Japanese Occupation) 1941

Shantung (Japanese Occupation) 1941

South China (Japanese Occupation) 1942

Sumatra (Japanese Occupation) 1943 – 1945

Supeh (Japanese Occupation) 1941

Philippines (Japanese Occupation) 1942 – 1945

China (Japanese Post Offices) 1900 – 1922

Japanese Naval Control Area 1942 – 1943

Jordanian Post Abroad

Palestine (Jordanian Occupation) 1948 – 1967

North Korean Post Abroad

South Korea (North Korean Occupation) 1950 only

Polish Post Abroad

Polish post offices in the Turkish Empire

Central Lithuania (Polish Occupation) 1920 – 1922

Constantinople (Polish Post Office) 1919 – 1921

Danzig (Polish Post Office) 1924 – 1939

Polish Army in Russia 1942 only

Polish Corps in Russia 1918 only

Polish Government in Exile 1941 – 1945

Romanian Post Abroad

Banat Bacska (Romanian Occupation) 1919 – 1920

Constantinople (Romanian Post Office) 1896 – 1919

Debrecen (Romanian Occupation) 1919 – 1920

Hungary (Romanian Occupation) 1919 – 1920

Romanian post offices in the Turkish Empire 1896 – 1919

Temesvar (Romanian Occupation) 1919 only

Transylvania (Romanian Occupation) 1919 only

Russian Post Abroad

Russian post offices abroad

Beirut (Russian Post Office) 1879 – 1910

China (Russian Post Offices) 1899 – 1920

Constantinople (Russian Post Office) 1909 – 1910

Crete (Russian Post Offices) 1899 only

Dardanelles (Russian Post Office) 1909 – 1910

Kerrasunde (Russian Post Office) 1909 – 1910

Mount Athos (Russian Post Office) 1909 – 1914

Mytilene (Russian Post Office) 1909 – 1914

North Korea (Russian Occupation) 1946 – 1948

Palestine (Russian Post Offices) 1868 – 1914

Rizeh (Russian Post Office) 1909 – 1910

Russian post offices in the Turkish Empire 1863 – 1914

Salonika (Russian Post Office) 1909 – 1914

Smyrne (Russian Post Office) 1909 – 1910

South Lithuania (Russian Occupation) 1919 only

Trebizonde (Russian Post Office) 1909 – 1910

Serbian Post Abroad

Baranya (Serbian Occupation) 1919 only

Hungary (Serbian Occupation) 1919 only

Temesvar (Serbian Occupation) 1919 only

Spanish Post Abroad

Andorra (Spanish Offices) 1928 –

Morocco (Spanish Post Offices) 1903 – 1914

Tangier (Spanish Post Offices) 1921 – 1957

Tetuan (Spanish Post Office) 1908 – 1909

Thai Post Abroad

Malaya (Thai Occupation) 1943 – 1945

Togo (Allied Occupation)

Togo (Anglo-French Occupation) 1914 – 1919

Turkish Post Abroad

Thessaly (Turkish Occupation) 1898 only

US Post Abroad

United States post offices in China

Guam 1899 – 1901

Philippines (US Administration) 1899 – 1945

Shanghai (US Postal Agency) 1919 – 1922

US Post Offices in Japan 1867 – 1874

Bibliography

• Stanley Gibbons Ltd, various catalogues
• Stanley Gibbons Ltd, Europe and Colonies 1970, Stanley Gibbons Ltd, 1969
• Stuart Rossiter & John Flower, The Stamp Atlas, W H Smith, 1989
• XLCR Stamp Finder and Collector's Dictionary, Thomas Cliffe Ltd, c.1960

External links

• AskPhil – Glossary of Stamp Collecting Terms
• Encyclopaedia of Postal History