In the latter part of the 19th and early part of the 20th century, a number of countries maintained post offices in foreign countries, arranged by treaty. Most such offices were operated by European powers in the Middle and Far East. They were partly motivated by the desire to provide reliable postal service for merchants and other foreign nationals in major cities, and partly by suspicion of the local postal service. The currency in use could be either the local currency, or that of the home country.
Additionally, it became the practice of occupying military powers to establish postal services in the occupied country.
List
- Austrian Post Abroad
- Italy (Austrian Occupation) 1918 only
- Lombardy-Venetia 1850–1866
- Montenegro (Austrian Occupation) 1917 only
- Romania (Austrian Occupation) 1917–1918
- Serbia (Austrian Occupation) 1916 only
- Austro-Hungarian Post in China 1904–1919
- Crete (Austro-Hungarian Post) 1903–1914
- Austro-Hungarian Post in the Ottoman Empire 1867–1915
- Palestine (Austrian Post Offices) 1854–1914
- Austro-Hungarian Military Post 1915–1918
- Belgian Post Abroad
- Eupen and Malmedy (Belgian Occupation) 1920 only
- German East Africa (Belgian Occupation) 1916–1918
- Germany (Belgian Occupation) 1919–1920
- British Post Abroad
- British post offices abroad
- British post offices in Africa various issues
- Baghdad (British Occupation) 1917 only
- Bangkok (British Post Office) 1882–1885
- Batum (British Occupation) 1919–1920
- British Levant 1885–1923
- Bushire (British Occupation) 1915 only
- Cameroons (British Occupation) 1915 only
- China (British Railway Administration) 1901 only
- China (British Post Offices) 1917–1930
- Crete (British Post Offices) 1898–1899
- East Africa Forces 1943–1948
- Eastern Arabia (British postal agencies) 1948–1966
- Egypt (British Forces) 1932–1943
- Eritrea (British Military Administration or British Administration) 1948–1952
- German East Africa (British Occupation) 1917 only
- Iraq (British Occupation) 1918–1923
- Japan (British Post Offices) 1859–1879
- Japan (British Commonwealth Occupation Force) 1946–1949
- Long Island (British Occupation) 1916 only
- Madagascar (British Consular Mail) 1884–1895
- Mafia Island (British Occupation) 1915–1916
- Malaya (British Military Administration) 1945–1948
- Middle East Forces 1942–1947
- Morocco Agencies 1898–1957
- North Borneo (BMA) 1945 only
- Salonika (British Field Office) 1916 only
- Sarawak (British Military Administration) 1945 only
- Somalia (British Military Administration or British Administration) 1948–1950
- Tangier 1927–1957
- Tripolitania (British Military Administration or British Administration) 1948–1952
- Chinese Post Abroad
- Chinese post offices in Tibet 1911–1912
- Egyptian Post Abroad
- Gaza (Egyptian Occupation) 1948–1967
- Jaffa (Egyptian Post Office) 1870–1872
- Finnish Post Abroad
- Aunus (Finnish Occupation) 1919 only
- Eastern Karelia (Finnish Occupation) 1941–1944
- French Post Abroad
- Andorra (French Offices) 1931 –
- Arad (French Occupation) 1919 only
- Castelrosso (French Occupation) 1920–1921
- Cilicia (French Occupation) 1918–1921
- Ethiopia (French Post Offices) 1906–1908
- Japan (French Post Offices) 1865–1880
- Klaipėda 1923 only
- Korce (Koritza) 1917–1919
- Madagascar (French Post Offices) 1885–1896
- Majunga (French Post Office) 1895 only
- Memel (French Administration) 1920–1923
- Morocco (French Post Offices) 1862–1914
- Syria (French Occupation) 1919–1923
- Tangier (French Post Office) 1918–1942
- Saar (French Administration) 1920–1935
- French post offices abroad
- China (French Post Offices) 1894–1922
- Tientsin (French Post Office) 1903–1922
- Crete (French Post Offices) 1902–1913
- Egypt (French Post Offices) 1899–1931
- Alexandria (French Post Office) 1899–1931
- Port Said (French Post Office) 1899–1931
- Zanzibar (French Post Office) 1889–1904
- Ottoman Empire (French Post Offices) 1885–1923
- Beirut (French Post Office) 1905 only
- Dedeagatz (French Post Office) 1893–1914
- Kavalla (French Post Office) 1893–1914
- Port Lagos (French Post Office) 1893–1898
- Vathy (French Post Offices) 1893–1914
- Palestine (French Post Offices) 1854–1914
- Postage of the Free French Forces in the Levant 1942–1946
- German Post Abroad
- German Ninth Army Post 1918 only
- Albania (German Occupation) 1943–1944
- Alsace-Lorraine (German Occupation) 1870–1871
- Alsace (German Occupation) 1940–1941
- Belgium (German Occupation) 1914–1918
- Dalmatia (German Occupation) 1943–1945
- Dorpat (German Occupation) 1918 only
- Estonia (German Occupation) 1941 only
- Laibach (German Occupation) 1943–1945
- Latvia (German Occupation) 1941 only
- Lithuania (German Occupation) 1941 only
- Lorraine (German Occupation) 1940–1941
- Luxembourg (German Occupation) 1940–1944
- Macedonia (German Occupation) 1944 only
- Montenegro (German Occupation) 1943–1945
- Ostland (German Occupation) 1941–1945
- Poland (German Occupation WWI) 1915–1918
- Poland (German Occupation WWII) 1939–1945
- Romania (German Occupation) 1917–1918
- Serbia (German Occupation) 1941–1944
- Ukraine (German Occupation) 1941–1944
- Zante (German Occupation) 1943–1945
- Zanzibar (German Postal Agency) 1890–1891
- China (German Post Offices) 1886–1917
- Morocco (German Post Offices) 1899–1917
- German post offices in the Ottoman Empire 1884–1914
- Postage of German Occupation Forces (WWI) 1914–1918
- Postage of German Occupation Forces (WWII) 1939–1945
- Eastern Command Area 1916–1918
- Western Command Area 1916–1918
- Palestine (German Post Offices) 1898–1914
- Germany (Allied Occupation)
- Baden (French Zone) 1947–1949
- Postage of Berlin-Brandenburg in the Russian Zone 1945 only
- Postage of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the Russian Zone 1945–1946
- Postage of North West Saxony in the Russian Zone 1945–1946
- Saxony (Russian Zone) 1945–1946
- Postage of South East Saxony in the Russian Zone 1945–1946
- Thuringia (Russian Zone) 1945–1946
- Württemberg (French Zone) 1947–1949
- American, British and Russian Zones 1946–1948
- Anglo-American Zones (Civil Government) 1948–1949
- Anglo-American Zones (Military Government) 1945–1946
- French Zone (General Issues) 1945–1946
- Postage of the Rhineland – Palatinate in the French Zone 1947–1949
- Russian Zone (General Issues) 1948–1949
- Saar (French Zone) 1945–1947
- Greek Post Abroad
- Greek Post Offices in the Turkish Empire 1861–1881
- Albania (Greek Occupation) 1940–1941
- Kavalla (Greek Occupation) 1913 only
- Khios (Greek Occupation) 1913 only
- Lemnos (Greek Occupation) 1912–1913
- Lesbos (Greek Occupation) 1912–1913
- Dodecanese Islands (Greek Occupation) 1947 only
- Indian Overseas Forces
- Gaza (Indian UN Force) 1965 only
- Indo-China (Indian Forces) 1954–1968
- Korea (Indian Custodian Forces) 1953 only
- Mosul (Indian Forces) 1919 only
- Congo (Indian UN Force) 1962 only
- China Expeditionary Force 1900–1923
- Indian Expeditionary Forces 1914–1922
- Indo-Chinese Post in China
- Canton (Indo-Chinese Post Office) 1901–1922
- China (Indo-Chinese Post Offices) 1900–1922
- Hoi-Hao (Indo-Chinese Post Office) 1902–1922
- Kouang-Tcheou 1898–1943
- Mong-Tseu (Indo-Chinese Post Office) 1903–1922
- Pakhoi (Indo-Chinese Post Office) 1903–1922
- Tchongking (Indo – Chinese Post Office) 1903–1922
- Yunnanfu (Indo-Chinese Post Office) 1903–1922
- Israeli Post Abroad
- Golan (Israeli Post Offices) 1967 –
- Sinai (Israeli Post Offices) 1967–1982
- West Bank and Gaza (Israeli Post Offices) 1967 –
- Italian Post Abroad
- Albania (Italian Occupation) 1939–1943
- Benghazi (Italian Post Office) 1901–1912
- Cephalonia and Ithaca (Italian Occupation) 1941 only
- Corfu and Paxos (Italian Occupation) 1941 only
- Corfu (Italian Occupation) 1923 only
- Dalmatia (Italian Occupation) 1919–1923
- Ethiopia (Italian Occupation) 1936 only
- Lubiana (Italian Occupation) 1941 only
- Montenegro (Italian Occupation) 1941–1943
- Saseno (Italian Occupation) 1923 only
- Trentino (Italian Occupation) 1918–1919
- Tripoli (Italian Post Office) 1909–1912
- Venezia Giulia (Italian Occupation) 1918–1919
- Fiume and Kupa Zone 1941–1942
- Ionian Islands (Italian Occupation) 1941–1943
- Italian post offices in Africa
- Italian post offices in China
- Pechino (Italian Post Office) 1917–1922
- Tientsin (Italian Post Office) 1917–1922
- Italian post offices in Crete
- Khania (Italian Post Office) 1900–1912
- Italian post offices in Egypt
- Italian post offices in the Ottoman Empire 1873–1923
- Constantinople (Italian Post Office) 1908–1923
- Durazzo (Italian Post Office) 1902–1916
- Jannina (Italian Post Office) 1909–1911
- Salonika (Italian Post Office) 1909–1911
- Scutari (Italian Post Office) 1909–1915
- Smirne (Italian Post Office) 1909–1911
- Valona (Italian Post Office) 1909–1916
- Palestine (Italian Post Offices) 1908–1914
- Japanese Post Abroad
- Brunei (Japanese Occupation) 1942–1945
- Burma (Japanese Occupation) 1942–1945
- Central China (Japanese Occupation) 1941–1944
- Honan (Japanese Occupation) 1941
- Hong Kong (Japanese Occupation) 1945 only
- Hopei (Japanese Occupation) 1941
- Inner Mongolia (Japanese Occupation) 1941–1943
- Japanese Taiwan (Formosa) 1945 only
- Java (Japanese Occupation) 1943–1945
- Kelantan (Japanese Occupation) 1942–1945
- Korea (Japanese Post Offices) 1900–1901
- Kwangtung (Japanese Occupation) 1942–1945
- Malaya (Japanese Occupation) 1942–1945
- Manchukuo 1932–1945
- Mengkiang (Japanese Occupation) 1942–1945
- Nangking and Shanghai (Japanese Occupation) 1941–1945
- North Borneo (Japanese Occupation) 1942–1945
- North China (Japanese Occupation) 1942–1945
- Sarawak (Japanese Occupation) 1942–1945
- Shansi (Japanese Occupation) 1941
- Shantung (Japanese Occupation) 1941
- South China (Japanese Occupation) 1942
- Sumatra (Japanese Occupation) 1943–1945
- Supeh (Japanese Occupation) 1941
- Japanese post in occupied China 1941–1942
- Philippines (Japanese Occupation) 1942–1945
- China (Japanese Post Offices) 1900–1922
- Japanese Naval Control Area 1942–1943
- Jordanian Post Abroad
- Egypt and Jordan 1948–1967
- North Korean Post Abroad
- South Korea (North Korean Occupation) 1950 only
- Polish Post Abroad
- Central Lithuania (Polish Occupation) 1920–1922
- Constantinople (Polish Post Office) 1919–1921
- Danzig (Polish Post Office) 1924–1939
- Polish post offices in the Turkish Empire
- Polish Army in Russia 1942 only
- Polish Corps in Russia 1918 only
- Polish Government in Exile 1941–1945
- Romanian Post Abroad
- Banat Bacska (Romanian Occupation) 1919–1920
- Constantinople (Romanian Post Office) 1896, 1919–1922/23
- Debrecen (Romanian Occupation) 1919–1920
- Hungary (Romanian Occupation) 1919–1920
- Temesvar (Romanian Occupation) 1919 only
- Transylvania (Romanian Occupation) 1919 only
- Romanian post offices in the Turkish Empire 1896–1919
- Russian Post Abroad
- North Korea (Russian Occupation) 1946–1948
- South Lithuania (Russian Occupation) 1919 only
- Russian post offices abroad
- China (Russian Post Offices) 1899–1920
- Crete (Russian Post Offices) 1899 only
- Russian post offices in the Ottoman Empire 1863–1914
- Beirut (Russian Post Office) 1879–1910
- Constantinople (Russian Post Office) 1909–1910
- Dardanelles (Russian Post Office) 1909–1910
- Kerrasunde (Russian Post Office) 1909–1910
- Mount Athos (Russian Post Office) 1909–1914
- Mytilene (Russian Post Office) 1909–1914
- Rizeh (Russian Post Office) 1909–1910
- Salonika (Russian Post Office) 1909–1914
- Smyrne (Russian Post Office) 1909–1910
- Trebizonde (Russian Post Office) 1909–1910
- Palestine (Russian Post Offices) 1868–1914
- Serbian Post Abroad
- Baranya (Serbian Occupation) 1919 only
- Hungary (Serbian Occupation) 1919 only
- Temesvar (Serbian Occupation) 1919 only
- Spanish Post Abroad
- Andorra (Spanish Offices) 1928 –
- Morocco (Spanish Post Offices) 1903–1914
- Tangier (Spanish Post Offices) 1921–1957
- Tetuan (Spanish Post Office) 1908–1909
- Thai Post Abroad
- Malaya (Thai Occupation) 1943–1945
- Togo (Allied Occupation)
- Togo (Anglo-French Occupation) 1914–1919
- Turkish Post Abroad
- Thessaly (Turkish Occupation) 1898 only
- US Post Abroad
- Guam (US Administration) 1899–1901
- US post in Japan 1867–1874
- Shanghai (US Postal Agency) 1919–1922
- Philippines (US Administration) 1899–1945
See also
- Extraterritorial Office of Exchange
- List of postal entities
- Articles about postal systems by country, postal organisations by country
Philately portal
References
Bibliography
- Stanley Gibbons Ltd, various catalogues
- Stanley Gibbons Ltd, Europe and Colonies 1970, Stanley Gibbons Ltd, 1969
- Rossiter, Stuart & John Flower. The Stamp Atlas. London: Macdonald, 1986. ISBN 0-356-10862-7
- XLCR Stamp Finder and Collector's Dictionary, Thomas Cliffe Ltd, c.1960