Speed Post questions

Type or paste the 13-character tracking number from your receipt into the box at the top of this page and press Track. No login is needed.

13 characters: 2 letters, 9 digits and 2 letters, for example EE123456785IN. The first letter shows the service (E is Speed Post), and the last two show the country where it was booked.

At the top of your booking receipt, and in the SMS India Post sends when the item is booked. If someone sent it to you, ask the sender. Banks, PAN and passport offices and online sellers usually send it by SMS or email.

No. India Post tracks items only by the 13-character number. Your mobile number gets SMS updates if it was given at booking, but it can't be used to search.

Online tracking needs the number. Check your SMS first. Otherwise take your ID to the booking post office with the booking date and the address. The office can look it up from its records.

None. India Post uses all three names, plus "tracking ID", for the same 13-character code.

Yes. Use bulk tracking to paste a list of numbers and check them together.

Each time the item is scanned: at booking, when bags are made up and opened at sorting hubs, at the delivery office and on delivery. Between hubs there may be no update for a day or more.

Usually the same day, but it can take until the next working day, especially for items booked in the evening or at small branch offices.

Yes. Any India Post number in the 13-character format works: Speed Post, Registered Post, parcels, tracked packets and international EMS.

Yes. Paste its number. Before it reaches India, the sending country's postal website often has more detail. See international tracking.

For a limited period after delivery. Very old items may no longer show. Save a screenshot if you need proof later.

Yes. The first letter shows the type of service under the international postal (UPU) numbering standard: E is Speed Post or EMS, R is registered letter post, C is parcel post, L is a tracked letter or packet and V is an insured letter. They all use the same 13-character format and track in the same box.

No. Ordinary letters, postcards and inland letter cards get no tracking number. Only items booked with a receipt carry one, such as Speed Post, India Post Parcel, money orders and international EMS, air parcels and tracked packets. If you need tracking or proof of delivery, send it by Speed Post.

Yes. India Post's Dak Sewa app was relaunched in August 2026 in 23 Indian languages. It tracks domestic and international items, books Speed Post and parcels, finds post offices and pincodes and takes complaints.

The post office has accepted the item and given it a number. It has not moved yet. The first movement normally shows within a working day.

Bagged: the item was sealed in a mail bag with others going the same way. Dispatched: that bag has left for the next office or hub by road, rail or air. Both are normal.

The bag reached an office or sorting hub on the way. Check the office name: if it is your local delivery office, delivery is usually a day or two away.

A postman has the item and is delivering it today. Keep your phone on and someone at the address.

Ask family, neighbours and security first. Then visit the delivery post office within a few days with the number. If that doesn't solve it, file a complaint. Our complaint letter writer helps.

The postman tried but no one was there. The item is usually tried again or kept at the delivery post office for a limited time. Collect it with ID and the number before it is returned.

The item could not be delivered and is going back to the sender, often because of an incomplete address, refusal or no one being available.

Check the number for typos: our tracker flags most of them. New bookings can take until the next working day. Still nothing after 2 working days? Ask the booking office.

Usually not. Items aren't scanned at every step, so gaps of 2–4 days are normal on long routes. After about 7 days with no change, contact India Post or file a complaint.

It is a booking category, not a status: Speed Post, inland (within India), document.

Some items are handed over only after the receiver reads out a one-time password sent to their phone: 24 and 48 Speed Post, and items where the sender paid for OTP delivery. Share the OTP only with the postman at your door.

In our status guide, which explains each India Post status in plain words and says what to do next.

They are India Post sorting hubs. NSH is a National Sorting Hub and ICH is an Intra Circle Hub, which sorts mail within a state or postal circle. "Item Bagged at Kanpur NSH" means your item is passing through that hub, not that it will be delivered there.

India Post's delivery norms for Speed Post: 1–2 days within the same city, 1–3 days between metros, 1–4 days between state capitals or within a state, and 4–5 days for the rest of India, plus one day if a branch office delivers. Sundays and holidays don't count.

Regular Speed Post is usually not delivered on Sundays and public holidays. 24 and 48 Speed Post are delivered seven days a week.

India Post's premium next-day and second-day services between Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, with OTP delivery and a refund if late. See 24 & 48 Speed Post.

Registered Post was usually slower. Since 1 September 2025 registration is offered as an add-on to Speed Post, so registered items now move at Speed Post speed.

It varies by country and customs, often 1–3 weeks.

Seven days, under India Post's rules. After that it goes back to the sender. Collect it soon with ID and the notice slip or tracking number.

Under India Post's rules, a Speed Post item or parcel goes out for delivery up to two times. If both tries fail, a notice is left in your letter box or sent to your phone, and you or someone you authorise collects the item from the post office. Collect it soon, because uncollected items go back to the sender.

Usually yes. Plain Speed Post can be delivered at the address, so someone at home may receive it. Speed Post with registration is handed only to the addressee or a person they have authorised. If the postman doesn't know the receiver, he can ask for ID.

Yes. India Post can hand an item to a person you authorise. Give them a signed authority letter with the tracking number or the notice slip, and they should carry their own ID. Ask your delivery post office if it needs anything more, such as a copy of your ID.

Yes. Give a written request to the Postmaster of your delivery post office. This "window delivery" is free, and your items are then kept at the counter instead of going out with the postman. Some offices also rent out post boxes and post bags for a fee.

Yes. Give a written change-of-address request at your post office. It stays valid for up to three months. It is free if the new address is in the same delivery area, otherwise a fee applies. Update your address with banks and other senders too.

Yes. You don't have to accept it or pay anything due on it. The postman writes "Refused" on it and it goes back to the sender. An international item you refuse goes back to the country it came from.

For a document up to 50 g: ₹19 within the same city and ₹47 anywhere else in India, plus GST. Heavier items cost more by weight and distance. See Speed Post charges.

Yes. GST is added on top of the listed Speed Post rates.

₹5 plus GST per item. The item is then handed only to the addressee or someone they authorise.

Yes, 10% off the Speed Post tariff. Ask at the counter when you book.

Documents include letters, printed matter, bank and insurance items, ID cards such as PAN and Aadhaar, and non-commercial packets up to 500 g like rakhi envelopes. Everything else is a parcel and costs more.

Yes. You can add insurance at the counter for valuable items, up to ₹5 lakh, for an extra fee based on the declared value.

Write the full name, house number, street, locality, city, the 6-digit pincode and a phone number. A wrong pincode sends the item to the wrong area. Our address label maker prints a clean label.

Ask the booking or delivery post office as soon as possible. You can apply in writing to redirect the item for ₹6 per item (free for the addressee within the same delivery area). It is not possible once the item is out for delivery.

Retail rates from 1 August 2026, GST extra. Up to 500 g: ₹28 local, ₹76 within your state, ₹82 in India Post's metro/zone band and ₹90 to other states. Up to 1 kg: ₹48, ₹101, ₹137 and ₹143. Up to 5 kg: ₹174, ₹361, ₹539 and ₹686. Rates change, so confirm at the counter.

A postcard costs 50 paise, an inland letter card ₹2.50 and a letter ₹5 for the first 20 g plus ₹5 for each further 20 g. These are not tracked. For anything important, use Speed Post.

Ask for Proof of Delivery (POD) when you book. It costs ₹10 per item on top of postage. The receiver signs it and the signed proof is sent to you. Tracking also shows the delivery date, so save a screenshot.

Yes. India Post offers OTP delivery as a paid add-on at booking (reported as ₹5 plus GST per item since October 2025; confirm the fee at the counter). The item is then handed over only after the receiver reads out the one-time password sent to their phone. 24 and 48 Speed Post include OTP delivery.

Ask the booking office quickly. An item can be cancelled before it leaves the booking office. After that, the sender can apply in writing to recall it for a fee of ₹6 per item, but not once it is out for delivery, and postage is not refunded. Bookings made on the India Post website or app can be cancelled for a refund before the post office accepts the item.

Check the dispatch details on the Protean (NSDL) or UTIITSL status page with your acknowledgement number, then track the Speed Post number. See PAN card tracking.

Check your application on Passport Seva with the file number and date of birth. After dispatch it shows the Speed Post number, which you track here. See passport tracking.

UIDAI sends the Aadhaar PVC card by Speed Post. After dispatch, the order status on the official UIDAI website shows the consignment number. Paste it in the box above.

Many banks post cards and cheque books by Speed Post and send the number by SMS. Track that number here. If there is no number, ask your bank.

In many states the transport department posts the card by Speed Post. The application status or SMS gives the number. Track it here.

Contact the office that issued it, such as the PAN agency, passport office, UIDAI or your bank, with your application number. They will resend it or tell you how to collect it.

Yes. India Post's rules say items containing a passport, PAN card, driving licence and similar documents are delivered only after the receiver's identity is checked. Keep an original ID ready, and your phone in case an OTP is sent.

Call the India Post helpline 1800 266 6868, use the complaint section on indiapost.gov.in or the Dak Sewa app, or write to the post office. Our complaint letter writer drafts the letter for you.

The India Post toll-free helpline is 1800 266 6868. It works from 8 AM to 8 PM, except on gazetted holidays.

Yes, within limits. If Speed Post is delivered late, the Speed Post charges are refunded. For loss, missing contents or damage, India Post pays double the Speed Post charges or ₹1,000, whichever is less (more if you insured the item). Claim through a complaint, with your receipt.

If you can, note it before accepting the item and ask the postman to record it. Keep the packaging and photos, then complain to the delivery post office or the helpline.

Almost certainly a scam. India Post never asks you to pay or update your address through an SMS or WhatsApp link. Check the message with our fake SMS checker.

"Held by customs" is normal and can take a few working days. Duty is paid at delivery or at the post office against an official receipt, never through a payment link.

Yes. India Post takes a complaint only after the normal delivery time for that service has passed, and within 60 days of booking. Don't wait too long: the sooner you complain, the easier the item is to trace.

First write to the Circle Nodal Officer for your state, listed on India Post's grievance page. If it is still not resolved, complain on the government's public grievance portal CPGRAMS (pgportal.gov.in) or to the Directorate of Public Grievances (dpg.gov.in).

Not for a prepaid item. You pay only amounts officially marked on the item, such as cash on delivery, customs duty or postage due, and you can ask for a receipt. Report any other demand to the delivery postmaster or the helpline 1800 266 6868.

Don't sign for it as if it were fine. Ask for it to be opened at the post office in front of the Postmaster. The contents are listed in an inventory that you sign, and a copy goes to the sender. Keep photos and the packaging for any claim.

Search an area, village or post office name on our pincode finder. It lists every matching office with its pincode, district and state.

Open post office near me and allow location, or search an area or pincode. It shows offices on a map with directions.

They vary by office. Many counters work roughly from morning to late afternoon, Monday to Saturday. Head offices often keep longer hours. Check with your office before you go.

India Post's 10-character code for an exact spot of about 4 by 4 metres, unlike a pincode, which covers a whole area. Get yours on post office near me.

It accepts bookings but doesn't deliver. Mail for that area is delivered by a nearby delivery office with the same pincode.

At a few post offices. India Post offers 24-hour Speed Post booking at selected offices in major cities, and some states added more round-the-clock counters in 2026. Most offices book only during counter hours, so check with your head post office first.

A Speed Post document can weigh up to 500 g and measure up to 420 × 297 × 24 mm. Anything heavier or bigger goes as a Speed Post Parcel, up to 35 kg, with a maximum length of 1.5 m and length plus girth up to 3 m.

Explosives, flammable liquids, gases, corrosive or toxic substances, narcotics, counterfeit goods, live animals (with rare exceptions), obscene material, non-government lottery tickets and anything illegal. Batteries and other items banned on aircraft go only by surface mail. If unsure, ask at the counter before you pack.

Not as an ordinary item. India Post's rules allow cash, coins, precious metals and jewellery only as insured items, and sending cash must follow RBI rules. Never hide them in a plain Speed Post. For money, a money order or bank transfer is easier.

In many places, yes. You can book on the India Post website or the Dak Sewa app and then drop the item at a post office. Home pickup is offered in select cities and may be free or carry a small charge depending on the item's value. Corporate and bulk senders get free pickup.

COD is mainly for online sellers and businesses. Under India Post's rules the sender signs a COD agreement with the post office, and a fee is charged on the amount collected. Ask at your head post office or business centre. The receiver pays the amount marked on the parcel to the postman.

Yes, and it is widely used, best with registration and proof of delivery added. Registered Post was merged into Speed Post on 1 September 2025, but courts have not all treated Speed Post the same as the old Registered Post with acknowledgement. If a law, contract or court order names a way of sending, check with your lawyer.

Yes. India Post resumed all international services to the USA on 15 October 2025, after a pause caused by US customs changes. US import duty is now collected at the post office when you book (Delivery Duty Paid), so the sender pays it upfront. Ask at the counter for the current duty and rules.

For an item containing goods: one ID with your address, such as Aadhaar, passport, PAN or voter ID, for KYC, and a customs declaration listing the contents and value. Form CN22 is used up to 300 SDR in value and CN23 above that. Declare the contents honestly, or customs may hold or return the parcel.

A post office export centre, run with Customs, for small businesses. It helps with export paperwork, electronic customs clearance and pickup of export parcels, and there are over 1,000 across India. Exporters register once on the DNK portal with their IEC, PAN, GSTIN and bank AD code.

Usually yes. There is no duty-free allowance for gifts sent by post now. Chennai Customs puts the duty on a genuine gift at about 41.6% of its value. Duty is not part of the postage the sender paid: the post office collects it from you at delivery. Life-saving medicines and rakhis are treated differently.

You can refuse the item, and it goes back to the sending country with Customs approval. If you think the duty is too high, don't take delivery. Ask the delivery postmaster to send it back to Customs for re-assessment, with your invoice or other proof.

Under the Postal Imports Regulations, 2025, these can't come in by post: animals and plants or their parts, perishable goods, gold, silver and precious stones in any form, and publications with maps that show India's borders wrongly.

For documents, the postage is refunded. For goods, India Post pays the value of the contents or 130 SDR, whichever is less, plus the postage (1 SDR is about ₹115 in 2026). For a delay of more than 5 days beyond the published norm, it pays 5% of the postage. Raising an enquiry at the booking office is free.

No. It is an independent, free help site. Bookings, deliveries, claims and official complaints are handled by India Post at indiapost.gov.in.

Yes. Tracking and every tool on the site are free. The site is supported by ads.

You paste the number once and we fetch the status for you. When live results aren't available, the result card shows a status box from 17TRACK, which may occasionally ask its own check, and a button that copies your number for the official tracker.

Numbers you save stay in your own browser on your device. Clearing browser data removes them. See our privacy policy.

Yes. Tap हिं at the top of any page to switch to Hindi. There is also a full Hindi tracking guide.

You don't need one. The site works in any phone browser, and you can add it to your home screen from the browser menu.

No. This site is for India Post items and postal numbers from other countries. For a private courier, use that company's own tracking page.

No. Post Tracking India only tracks items and offers free helper tools. Book at a post office, on indiapost.gov.in or in the official Dak Sewa app.