An Post Tracking

An Post tracking follows registered, express, and parcel items across Ireland and worldwide using a single 13-character tracking number that ends in the letters IE. An Post is the state-owned national postal operator of the Republic of Ireland, founded on 1 January 1984, and it handles everything from a stamped letter to an international e-commerce parcel. Paste your An Post tracking number into the tracker on this page to see the latest scans in one place.

An Post Tracking Number Format

An An Post tracking number is a 13-character code built on the Universal Postal Union (UPU) S10 standard: two letters, then nine digits, then two final letters. For items posted in Ireland the last two letters are always IE, the ISO country code for Ireland, which confirms the item originated on the An Post network.

The two opening letters signal the service class. A number beginning with R is a registered item, one beginning with E is an express or EMS item, and one beginning with L or C is commonly used for tracked parcel and e-commerce traffic. The nine digits in the middle are the unique serial for that specific item, and they carry a built-in check digit so the number can be validated automatically.

An Post uses several names for the same code depending on where you look: tracking number, Track and Trace number, item number, barcode number, or (for registered mail) the registered number on your receipt. They all refer to the same 13-character identifier. The order or reference number a retailer shows in a confirmation email is not the same thing; only the 13-character IE code returns live scans.

Where to Find Your An Post Tracking Number

An An Post tracking number appears on whichever document accompanied the posting. The most common places to find it are:

• The post office receipt handed over the counter when you pay for a tracked or registered service.
• The shipping or dispatch confirmation email from an online retailer or marketplace.
• The address label or docket stuck to the front of the parcel.
• The An Post account or AddressPal account used to book postage, a return, or a forwarded item.

For registered mail the number is printed on the peel-off registered label and repeated on the counter receipt, so keep the receipt until delivery is confirmed. When an overseas seller ships to Ireland, the retailer's own order number is not trackable; look instead for the 13-character code the seller or An Post assigns to the shipment.

An Post Tracking Number Example

Every An Post tracked item shares the same two-letter, nine-digit, two-letter shape, and the IE suffix is constant. The opening prefix is the only part that varies by service. The table below lists the patterns most commonly seen on An Post items; the prefix indicates the broad class of service rather than a guaranteed product, so treat it as a strong hint rather than a rule.

The middle nine digits are a running serial and do not encode a date or destination. Where a prefix is not documented by An Post, treat it as a commonly seen pattern only: the IE suffix reliably marks the item as Irish-origin, but the two opening letters alone do not guarantee a specific product.

An Post Tracking Status Guide

An Post Track and Trace records a scan at each handling point, so the status you see reflects the last place the item was processed. The table below explains the statuses that appear most often on An Post items, from acceptance through to delivery.

Why An Post Tracking Is Not Updating or Not Working

An Post tracking that appears frozen, blank, or stuck is usually explained by the item's stage in the network rather than a broken system. The reasons below cover most cases where tracking is not updating or not working.

Awaiting the first scan. A number goes live only after An Post physically accepts the item. If a retailer has created a label but not yet handed the parcel over, the number may show no information for a day or two.

In transit between scan points. An Post does not scan at every step, so an item can sit at In transit for a day while it moves between a mail centre and a delivery office without a fresh event.

Customs clearance. Inbound parcels from outside the EU can pause at Held in customs at the Portlaoise mail centre while charges are assessed; the status resumes once any duties, VAT, or the customs handling fee are paid.

Failed delivery attempt. If nobody was available, the item moves to Awaiting collection at the local post office and the online status may not change again until you collect it or arrange redelivery.

Wrong number or missing Eircode. A mistyped character, or confusing the retailer's order number with the 13-character IE code, returns no result. An incomplete address without an Eircode can also slow routing.

International visibility gap. On outbound items, scans can go quiet after the parcel leaves Ireland and before the destination carrier picks it up. A universal tracker often surfaces the receiving carrier's scans that An Post does not display.

Genuinely delayed. Peak periods such as Christmas, severe weather, or industrial action can extend transit. Allow one to two working days for domestic mail and longer for international before treating an item as lost, then contact the sender first and An Post second.

Services and Delivery Times Compared

An Post runs a full range of tracked domestic and international products, with the strongest tracking visibility on registered, express, parcel, and EMS services. Standard stamped letter post is not tracked. The table summarises the main tracked options and their typical target windows.

Delivery windows are targets, not guarantees. Customs clearance, weather, and peak seasons such as Christmas can extend transit, and international timing also depends on the destination country's own postal operator.

Delivery and Transit Times Across Ireland and Abroad

Within Ireland, An Post targets next-working-day delivery for standard, registered, and express post, with tracked parcels typically arriving in one to two working days. Its delivery network reaches every address in the state, from Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, and Waterford to rural townlands, supported by the Eircode postcode system introduced on 13 July 2015 to pinpoint each of the roughly 2.2 million delivery points in the country.

International standard and registered items to Europe and beyond usually take about 3 to 7 working days, while EMS and courier services target 1 to 5 working days to major destinations. Actual timing depends on the receiving postal operator, for example Royal Mail in the United Kingdom, Deutsche Post in Germany, or USPS in the United States, which handles the final delivery leg.

Returns, Redelivery, and Claims

When a delivery cannot be completed, An Post leaves a notification and holds the item at the local post office or a delivery service point, and the tracking status moves to Awaiting collection. Redelivery can often be arranged online, and many An Post services support easy returns through post offices and self-service points, which retailers frequently use for e-commerce returns.

For registered and insured items that are lost or damaged, An Post accepts formal enquiries and compensation claims. Keep the counter receipt and the 13-character tracking number, since registered mail is signed for on delivery and the proof of postage is needed to open a claim. For inbound customs items, any charge must be paid within the stated window (An Post asks that customs charges be settled within 16 working days) or the item is returned to sender.

Which Countries Does An Post Deliver To?

An Post international tracking follows an item out of Ireland to destinations across the world, because An Post is a member of the Universal Postal Union and connects to virtually every national postal operator through the UPU framework and the EMS Cooperative. Outbound tracked items keep their 13-character IE number, and once the parcel is handed to the destination post, updates continue under that operator's own scans.

Domestically, An Post serves the entire Republic of Ireland, covering all 26 counties and every city, town, and rural community through its network of post offices and delivery routes. Inbound international parcels clear customs at the An Post mail centre in Portlaoise before continuing to the delivery office.

• Domestic: all of the Republic of Ireland, including Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford, and rural areas.
• Europe: United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and the wider EU.
• North America: United States and Canada.
• Asia Pacific: China, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.
• Rest of world: most UPU member countries through partner postal operators.

For parcels moving between Ireland and Britain, or onward within the UK, tracking often continues via Royal Mail, while domestic courier alternatives in Ireland such as DPD Ireland and Fastway Ireland handle many e-commerce parcels.

Cross-Border Customs and International Handoff

For items entering or leaving Ireland from outside the European Union, customs clearance is a normal step. All parcels arriving into Ireland pass through the An Post mail centre in Portlaoise, where customs officials assess whether duties, VAT, or a customs handling fee apply. While this happens, tracking may show Held in customs or Customs clearance.

Where charges are due, the recipient is contacted to pay before delivery can be completed, and payment must reach An Post within the stated window or the item is returned. Outbound items to non-EU destinations require a completed customs declaration (a CN22 or CN23 form, available at the post office). Duties and taxes in the destination country are the recipient's responsibility, assessed by that country's customs authority rather than by An Post.

Marketplace Deliveries and Retail Partners

An Post is one of the main last-mile carriers for online shopping in Ireland, so many order confirmations from retailers and marketplaces carry an An Post tracking number for the Irish leg of the journey. Parcels bought on Amazon and eBay are frequently completed by An Post once they reach Ireland.

An Post also handles a large volume of cross-border e-commerce from China-based marketplaces. Orders from AliExpress, Temu, and Shein commonly arrive in Ireland through An Post, clearing customs at Portlaoise before final delivery. For retailers that do not ship to Ireland at all, An Post's AddressPal service gives shoppers a UK, EU, or US proxy address so purchases can be forwarded home and tracked on the Irish leg.

What Is An Post?

An Post is the state-owned provider of postal services in the Republic of Ireland, wholly owned by the Government of Ireland. It was founded on 1 January 1984 under the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act 1983, when the Post Office functions of the former Department of Posts and Telegraphs were split into two state companies: An Post for mail and Telecom Eireann for telecommunications. Ireland's postal roots run far deeper, with a semi-formal system dating to the appointment of a Dublin postmaster in 1638.

An Post operates one of the most extensive retail and delivery networks in the country. As of 2018 there were roughly 1,100 post offices and over 100 postal agents nationwide, and the company employed close to 11,800 staff at the end of the decade, making it one of Ireland's largest employers. Alongside letter and parcel delivery, it provides financial services, bill payment, and the familiar green An Post postboxes seen across Ireland.

The company has modernised steadily: it launched the AddressPal package-forwarding service in 2017 through its Air Business subsidiary, adopted a new brand identity in 2018-2019, and in June 2023 moved its corporate headquarters from the historic General Post Office on O'Connell Street to North Wall Quay in Dublin. Whichever An Post service you use, you can track the item on this page by entering the 13-character IE tracking number.