The web site of the postal service in Spain is: http://www.correos.es
In addition to the usual post office services, a limited range of other services
are provided including telegrams, fax , online documents( burofax) that allows
urgent mailing with recorded delivery, and telex transmissions, and domestic
and international giro money orders. The post office also
operates a savings bank (Caja Postal), which may be located in a separate
building to a post office. Telephones aren't available in most Spanish post
offices.
Unlike almost all other European post offices, the Spanish post office produces
few leaflets and brochures and you may even have difficulty obtaining a tariff.
It's advisable to send all international mail by air mail (por correo aéreo).
There's a cheaper surface mail (por barco or correo ordinario) service outside
Europe but it takes eons, e.g. six weeks or more to North America. Although
letters posted in Spain often arrive at European destinations in two to four
days, it's advisable to allow around seven days. Airmail letters between Spain
and North America usually take five to 10 days, although you should allow up
to two weeks. Sending letters by express (exprés or urgente) post isn't the
answer as there's no guarantee they will arrive earlier than ordinary post.
Open hours depend on each branch and vary between 8.30am and 10am until 2pm
or 10pm, you can find some offices open on Sunday and bank holidays (at the
Madrid Barajas airport); check on the website by clicking on "oficinas"
to find the open hours of each post office in Spain.
If you want your mail to be redirected (reexpedir) by the
post office, you must present your local post office with your name and your
old and new addresses. This service redirect national and international
mail for 1 to 6 months, depending on your subscription. There's no official
form and you shouldn't rely on any mail being redirected, but should give all
your correspondents your new address and make private arrangements for mail
sent to your old address to be redirected.
If you want to buy stamps only, it's quicker to buy them
from a tobacconist's (estanco - big brown-and-yellow "tabaco" signs),
although they don't always have postal scales, and they usually know the cost
of international mails for each countries.
Post boxes (buzones) in Spain are bright yellow and are
usually free standing. In cities, post boxes may have two slots, one
for local mail (ciudad or localidad) and the other for other provinces and international
mail (provincias y extranjero). There may also be separate boxes for Madrid
(Madrid Capital), local province or provinces (provincias), the rest of Spain
(resto España) and international (extranjero) mail. Post boxes can sometimes
be scarce and difficult to locate, although there's always one outside a post
office or railway station.