Cayman Postal Services

In this chapter we discuss how the postal system works in the Cayman Islands: Where you can receive your mail, what the postage rates are, how to properly address mail to Cayman (with the correct postal code etc), and then we list the courier companies and finally how you can import general shopping into Cayman that has been purchased overseas.

POSTAL SERVICES

Local postal services in Cayman are fast and efficient with turnaround time for local mail usually being 24 hours. There is no mail delivery to houses and businesses however, so PO Boxes are used instead. There are nine post offices and many blue mailboxes located throughout the Islands for the posting of stamped mail. Post office opening hours at all branches are 8.30am-5pm Monday-Friday and Saturday 9am-12.30pm. The largest post office branches are the Airport (called APO), central George Town (GT) and Seven Mile Beach (SMB) but there are also post offices in Savannah, Bodden Town, North Side, East End, Hell and West Bay.

Postage Costs:
Local mail: CI$0.25 per ounce.
Overseas Mail: Airmail is zoned according to its destination and charged by weight.
US/Canada: CI$0.75 per half ounce.
UK: CI$0.80 per half ounce.
Asia, South Africa, Australia: CI$1 per half ounce.

There is also a ‘printed matter only’ rate available for overseas mail. It is much cheaper than regular mail, but there are restrictions and they may not offer it unless you request it!

Mail goes to the US and Canada daily but must be in the mailbox by 1pm the day before to catch the next morning’s flight. Mail to the UK and Europe only goes on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, but also must be mailed by 1pm the day before to make that day’s post.

All incoming parcels may be subject to duty being applied to them and if so you will receive a notice in your mailbox when a parcel has arrived. You must take a photo ID and CI$2 (package tax) to the Airport Post Office (APO) to collect the package and have it assessed for duty. In the event a package arrives in the name of a family member such as your child or spouse, collecting the package is more complicated. For a child, you will need to take proof you are their parent (i.e. your child’s birth certificate that has your name on it). For your spouse, you will need to take proof of your marriage (i.e. your marriage certificate or a letter of permission), your photo ID and their photo ID. When friends or family send you a parcel or parcels for your birthday or Christmas, you will be charged 22% duty on dutiable items after the first CI$50 has been allowed, regardless of the fact it is a gift. It is recommended that the sender write ‘gift’ on the package and put the minimum value of the item(s) enclosed to avoid being stung. The customs desk at the Airport Post Office is open from 8.30am-4pm Monday-Friday and 9am-12 noon on Saturdays.

Post Office Boxes
Since there is no mail delivery to homes and businesses, PO Boxes are always in demand. The cost of renting a small box that can be accessed at any time is CI$75, a medium sized box is CI$100, and a large box is CI$250 per year. You can also rent a small box inside the George Town post office for CI$30, but bear in mind they are only available when the post office is open. The only locations with post boxes available at press time are Savannah, East End, Bodden Town, North Side, West Bay and Hell, with a few large boxes still available at the Airport Post Office. There are no post boxes available at the George Town or Seven Mile Beach post offices. You can ask to be put on a waiting list, though the wait may be a long one. Although it is not ideal, many people do use their work PO Box number to receive mail if allowed.

An alternative to renting a mailbox from the post office is to rent with a private company. PostNet rents small and large post office boxes from CI$120 per year, in addition to providing virtual addresses, mail holding and mail forwarding services. Mail Boxes Etc. in Camana Bay also offer private mail boxes starting at CI$119 per year. They give you a physical street address and a mailing address all in one, which means that it can double as a delivery address for courier packages.

Post to Cayman must have a PO Box number and a postal code written on the envelope. If you see a suffix after the PO Box number (SMB, APO, GT, SAV, etc.), this is no longer correct and the mail will be delayed. You can look up the correct postal code at www.caymanpost.gov.ky. Mail arriving in Cayman with only a street address (and no PO Box number) will eventually be returned to the sender.

An example of the correct way to address an envelope is as follows:
Mr. Cayman Resident
PO Box 31403
Grand Cayman KY1-1206
CAYMAN ISLANDS

Note: Use of the old suffix of B.W.I. (British West Indies) on mail to Cayman has been discontinued. We also advise not to write George Town on the envelope, as there are dozens of George Towns around the world and its use has caused much confusion.

Courier Services
International courier services to and from the Island are extremely good. A CI$2 government tax is charged on all packages leaving via courier.

DHL Worldwide Express
Thompson Building, 68 Mary Street
Tel: (345) 949 8575 Fax: (345) 949 8384

FedEx Express
321 Dorcy Drive (new location)
Tel: (345) 949 5911

UPS (United Parcel Service)
226 Dorcy Drive
Industrial Park, Grand Cayman
Tel: (345) 949 8771

Private Mailbox Services
Mail Boxes Etc.
Corner of Market Street and Forum Lane
Camana Bay, Grand Cayman KY1-9006
Tel: (345) 745 1400
Services include: Private mail boxes (with a local Cayman address which are accessible 24/7), mail holding and forwarding, packing and shipping, a US address service, passport photos and printing services such as digital colour and black and white copies, binding and laminating. They are also an authorised shipping centre for DHL, FedEx and UPS. They are open from Monday-Friday 8.30am-6pm and Saturday from 9am-5pm.

PostNet
Unit 13, Galleria Plaza , 638 West Bay Road,
Tel: (345) 945 POST (7678)
PostNet rents small and large post office boxes from CI$120 per year, in addition to providing virtual addresses, mail holding and mail forwarding services. Also shipping and packaging services for FedEx, DHL, UPS as well as cargo import/export services through Seaboard and Tropical Shipping for larger items. They are open from Monday-Friday 10am-6pm and on Saturdays from 10am-4pm.

PURCHASING OVERSEAS

Unfortunately, we all know that you cannot buy everything you need in Cayman. So your options vary: you can shop when off-Island, have visitors bring what you need, or purchase online and get the items shipped to the Island. If you take the latter route, you will find most overseas companies will not ship to the Cayman Islands.

For large bulky items (like furniture), you are better off using a freight forwarder or consolidator (who all have addresses in the US) to consolidate the items for you in Miami and forward them to Cayman. See the Preparing to Move chapter for options. For smaller items (clothes, letters, magazines, etc.) you can use either NCI’s Shop America Service, Mail Boxes Etc, PostNet or US Link. They will give you your own PO Box in Miami and will then forward the items to Cayman, clear them through Customs and either deliver them to your door or call you when they are ready for collection.

If you choose to shop when off-Island, remember you are limited to bringing back CI$350 worth of goods duty-free. After that you can expect to pay about 22% duty on almost everything you bring in, with the exception of books, leather (excluding footwear and furniture), musical instruments and watches, which are duty-free. Make sure to keep all your receipts: you will be expected to show the receipts to customs officers who will cross reference them with what you have declared on your filled out customs form.