Guidance on sending us mail

A few people have asked us if they can send us mail and/or packages to us while we are in the Peace Corps.  The answer is, yes, you absolutely can!  And yes, we would love it!

Letters -  You can mail a one-once letter using USPS First-Class International mail for $1.15.  Global Forever stamps are available at the Post Office or online.  Make sure to write "Air Mail" on the envelope.  If you send a postcard, it will have a better chance of reaching us if you put it into an envelope first for mailing.

Packages - USPS Priority Mail International seems to be a cost-efficient way to send packages.  Check out the mail prohibitions and restrictions for Malawi and Moldova before you send anything.

If you take the time to send us something, we want to make sure it gets to us.  Please read these guidelines that the Peace Corps sent us about sending mail to our countries.

Moldova

• Letters to and from Moldova typically arrive in two to three weeks, but some letters and flat mail never reach Volunteers. Advise family and friends not to send anything of value via flat mail.

• Packages generally arrive safely, although they are often opened by Customs agents and some contents are occasionally lost in transport.  Packages sent to Moldova by airmail arrive as quickly as letters but can be quite expensive, costing as much as $10 per pound. During pre-service training, packages can be sent to the same address as letters. Once you move to your site, you can make arrangements to receive mail and packages there, or continue to receive mail at the Peace Corps Office.

Malawi

• Letters - It takes approximately four weeks for letters mailed from the United States to reach Lilongwe, and may take an additional six weeks to reach the Volunteer’s site.

• Packages take six to nine weeks for airmail, and surface mail packages can take six months. If someone is sending a package, it’s advisable to keep it small and use a padded envelope so it will be treated as a letter.

• Be advised that most items with a declared value of more than $20 will be opened and may be charged for duty. You may want to try sending inexpensive items through the mail, though there is no guarantee that these items will arrive. We do not recommend sending costly items through the mail. It is recommended that packages be sent in padded envelopes if possible, as boxes tend to be taxed more heavily.