Mail call! For any length of period you’re abroad, your friends, family, and loved ones may want to send you a care package, important mail, debit or credit cards, or even cell phones if you need a replacement.
Beware that mail may take a little longer than you are used to in the United States. We encourage students to be cautious about mailing anything valuable as sometimes mail gets lost in customs. Always insure packages and make sure you have the tracking number. In Ghana, mail is said to generally not take too long to arrive from the States, but it might take a while to get notified about its arrival. There is a post office located on campus where students can buy stamps and send letters.
Please wait until you are on-site to have mail sent to you. Send mail to the Center for International Education:
Centre for International Education
C/O: Your Name
University of Cape Coast
Cape Coast
Ghana
Below are some resources you may use and send to your family explaining the mailing process in different countries. The USPS has a great website with the Index of Countries that included postal codes, postage prices, and mailing conditions.
When shipping internationally, please make sure that your envelope or package has everything necessary to ship.
Please note, that when shipping cell phones, hefty customs taxes may be added on before you receive it. In some locations, you may have to go to the airport to pick up your package and pay the import/customs tax before collecting your mail.
Index of Countries and their postal codes, instructions
FedEx International Resource Center
Shipping Internationally with DHL; Customs Support
Traveling after the program for an extended period? Don’t want to carry your semester’s worth of luggage around with you and pay hefty luggage overage charges? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, you may want to look into whether or not luggage shipping services fit your travel needs.
No matter how long you are abroad, you should plan ahead and try to pack light to avoid needing to ship your luggage! You will acquire plenty of souvenirs and gifts while abroad, so make sure you have space for them when you return!
Here’s a list of companies that offer shipping services: