Questions about mailing a letter to Ghana?

Question

I have a couple questions since this is my first time sending a letter internationally:
1. Do I need to do any customs forms to send a letter?
2. If I have the right amount of postage, can I put the letter into one of the mailboxes outside of the post office?

Thanks

Answer 1

1) For an ordinary letter you do not need any kind of customs declaration, you only need this if sending a package of any kind.

2) Yes you can post your letter in an ordinary mailbox.

If you send the letter by air-mail then put an 'Air Mail / Par Avion' sticker on it (free from the Post Office), if you're sending it by surface mail you don't need any sticker on it. Air-mail to Ghana takes about 2 weeks, surface mail takes about 8 weeks. Mail delivery within Ghana can be slow.

Answer 2

To answer your questions
If your letter under 16 ounces(or 1 lbs), you do not need the custom form
If you have the right amount of postage, you could put in any mailbox outside the post office.

You must have a return address in case the mail not go through, they need to contact you

Answer 3

Yes, if it's ony a letter, you just need the small green form - you'll find a stack of them at the post office with all of the other forms.

You won't know the exact amount of postage because foreign mail has a different rate based on weight.

You can't just drop in a mailbox, because they stamp the green form accepting it, and if they pick it up in the post they will see that it's not stamped and return to sender.

Answer 4

You do not need to do customs paper to send a letter. If you have the postage and the correct address you can put your letter into the mail box. First class mail is handled by post offices under a special international treaty. If you have any doubts about if the US post office will send mail to a particuar country just ask them.

Answer 5

Go inside the PO and ask these questions. Nobody here has any idea!