# QUICK--do I need special postage to send a letter via air mail (USA-Germany)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 29, 2002, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-do-i-need-special-postage-to-send-a-letter-via-air-mail-usa-germany/106359 "2002-04-29T21:49:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-do-i-need-special-postage-to-send-a-letter-via-air-mail-usa-germany/106359/1 "2002-04-29T21:49:34Z")
Per the [usps.gov](http://usps.gov) site, airmailing a letter to Germany should only cost $0.80. But can I use ordinary domestic stamps (i.e., just slap three first-class stamps onto the letter and write “AIR MAIL/LUFTPOST/PAR AVION” on it)? Or do I need to go to the post office and buy special Air Mail stamps? ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-do-i-need-special-postage-to-send-a-letter-via-air-mail-usa-germany/106359/2 "2002-04-29T21:56:44Z")
3 stamps will more than cover it and are allowed. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-do-i-need-special-postage-to-send-a-letter-via-air-mail-usa-germany/106359/3 "2002-04-29T22:14:09Z")
Was it really necessary to ask that question here? I mean, don’t the post offices down on Toadspittle Hill have telephones? Zeus, man, try helping yourself instead of polluting the board with such no-brainer questions. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2002, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-do-i-need-special-postage-to-send-a-letter-via-air-mail-usa-germany/106359/4 "2002-04-29T22:15:02Z")
thanks! Dropping it off now… ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2002, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-do-i-need-special-postage-to-send-a-letter-via-air-mail-usa-germany/106359/5 "2002-04-30T03:45:32Z")
It has been my experience that when there’s a price hike in stamps, quite often the first stamps under the new price are domestic (to be mailed in the US only), and one must purchase stamps which are clearly marked with the new price in order to mail internationally. Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Frink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Mr.Frink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Frink)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2002, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-do-i-need-special-postage-to-send-a-letter-via-air-mail-usa-germany/106359/6 "2002-04-30T04:50:03Z")
I’ve mailed things overseas for years, and always just used regular domestic stamps. So now your queston makes me wonder: Are there such things as **Airmail** stamps? I never even thought that there were a separate class of stamps for international postage. Is this true? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2002, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-do-i-need-special-postage-to-send-a-letter-via-air-mail-usa-germany/106359/7 "2002-04-30T04:54:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr. Frink \* > \*\*I’ve mailed things overseas for years, and always just used regular domestic stamps. So now your queston makes me wonder: > > Are there such things as **Airmail** stamps? I never even thought that there were a separate class of stamps for international postage. Is this true? \*\* I’m pretty sure there are airmail stamps, but it’s not necessary to use them for airmail. The benefit of using them would be that they come in the appropriate monetary denomination. As far as international mail, my understanding is that there is international agreement to accept and deliver mail that has proper postage from the country of origin. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2002, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-do-i-need-special-postage-to-send-a-letter-via-air-mail-usa-germany/106359/8 "2002-04-30T12:39:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Quasimodem \* > \*\*It has been my experience that when there’s a price hike in stamps, quite often the first stamps under the new price are domestic (to be mailed in the US only), and one must purchase stamps which are clearly marked with the new price in order to mail internationally. > > Quasi \*\* That used to be the rule, but at the last price hike, the PO let me mail things overseas using the letter-denomination stamp. Everything arrived OK. There must have been a change in International rules. And nowadays, nearly all mail overseas is sent airmail.