How to write an address in India
Write from the most exact detail to the widest, and finish with the state and the 6-digit PIN code. The PIN matters most: mail is sorted by it.
The order
- Name of the person or business
- House, flat or building number and name
- Street or road; a landmark helps
- Area, locality or village (and mandal / tehsil for villages)
- City or district
- State and the 6-digit PIN code
A city address
Ravi Kumar Flat 302, Sai Residency Road No. 5 Cyberabad, Hyderabad Telangana - 500081
A village address
Lakshmi Devi H.No. 2-45, near Hanuman temple Ambam village, Yedapally mandal Nizamabad district Telangana - 503235
Tips that get mail delivered
- Write all 6 digits of the PIN, with no spaces in the middle. A wrong PIN sends the letter to the wrong sorting office.
- Use the area name that matches the PIN: the post offices listed on each PIN page are the names India Post knows.
- Add a landmark for houses without a number, common in villages and new colonies.
- A DIGIPIN can be added on a separate line for an exact spot, but it doesn't replace the PIN code.
- Writing in Hindi or your state's language is fine; keep the PIN in digits.
Questions
Where should the PIN code go in an Indian address?
At the end, after the state, like 'Telangana - 500081'.
Can I write an address without a PIN code?
Mail may still arrive, but slowly: India Post sorts by PIN, so always add it.
Should I write the DIGIPIN instead of the PIN code?
No. Write the PIN code; a DIGIPIN can be added as an extra line.
More guides
- What is a PIN code? India's 6-digit postal code, explainedHow India's 6-digit PIN code works: the zone, circle, sorting district and delivery office in each digit, with 19,586 PIN codes counted.
- PIN code zones and postal circles of IndiaEvery PIN code zone and postal circle in India by the first two digits, with the states each covers and how many PIN codes and post offices it has.
- Sorting districts: every 3-digit PIN prefix in IndiaAll 405 three-digit PIN code prefixes (sorting districts) in India, with the districts and state each covers and its number of PIN codes.
- Head office, sub office and branch office: the types of post officeThe difference between head, sub and branch post offices and delivery offices in India, with counts for every state from India Post's directory.
- India PIN code statisticsIndia has 19,586 PIN codes and 1,65,625 post offices. Which states and districts have the most, and other numbers from India Post's list.
- How to find the PIN code of your location or addressFive ways to find a PIN code in India: from your location, by area name, from a bill, on India Post's site or at a post office, with tested accuracy.