ZIP Code and Postal Code Formats by Country

Overview

Every country with a postal system uses some form of postal code to route mail efficiently. These codes vary dramatically in format — from simple 4-digit numbers to complex alphanumeric strings. This guide covers the formats you need to know.

Numeric-Only Formats

4-Digit Codes

Australia: 2000 (Sydney), 3000 (Melbourne)

Austria: 1010 (Vienna), 5020 (Salzburg)

Belgium: 1000 (Brussels), 2000 (Antwerp)

Denmark: 1050 (Copenhagen), 8000 (Aarhus)

Norway: 0150 (Oslo), 5003 (Bergen)

South Africa: 2000 (Johannesburg), 8001 (Cape Town)

New Zealand: 1010 (Auckland), 6011 (Wellington)

5-Digit Codes

United States: 10001 (New York), 90001 (Los Angeles)

Germany: 10115 (Berlin), 80331 (Munich)

France: 75001 (Paris), 13001 (Marseille)

Spain: 28001 (Madrid), 08001 (Barcelona)

Italy: 00100 (Rome), 20121 (Milan)

Mexico: 06000 (Mexico City), 44100 (Guadalajara)

South Korea: 06000 (Seoul Gangnam), 48000 (Busan)

6-Digit Codes

India: 110001 (New Delhi), 400001 (Mumbai)

Singapore: 018900 (Downtown)

Alphanumeric Formats

United Kingdom

Format: **A9 9AA** or **A9A 9AA** or **AA9 9AA** or **AA9A 9AA** or **AA99 9AA**

Examples: SW1A 1AA, EC1A 1BB, W1A 1AB

Canada

Format: **A9A 9A9** (letter-digit-letter space digit-letter-digit)

Examples: M5V 3L9, K1A 0A6, V5K 1A1

Ireland (Eircode)

Format: **A99 A9A9** (routing key + unique identifier)

Examples: D01 A1B2, T12 B3C4

Netherlands

Format: **9999 AA** (4 digits + space + 2 letters)

Examples: 1011 AA, 3011 AA

Codes with Hyphens or Separators

Japan

Format: **999-9999** (3 digits + hyphen + 4 digits)

Examples: 100-0001, 160-0001

Brazil (CEP)

Format: **99999-999** (5 digits + hyphen + 3 digits)

Examples: 01001-000, 20010-000

Portugal

Format: **9999-999** (4 digits + hyphen + 3 digits)

Examples: 1000-001, 4000-001

Poland

Format: **99-999** (2 digits + hyphen + 3 digits)

Examples: 00-001, 30-001

Validation Tips for Developers

**Store as strings, not numbers** — Many postal codes have leading zeros (e.g., Australia's 0800)

**Don't trim spaces** — Some formats require internal spaces (UK, Netherlands, Canada)

**Use regex per country** — One regex cannot validate all formats

**Allow optional components** — US ZIP+4 (-1234) is optional

**Handle case insensitivity** — UK and Canadian codes should accept lowercase