Mail & Courier Services in Medellin
Until recently Colombia never had a government-run postal service like many other countries. This is why you're unlikely to see a mailbox or mailman whilst in Medellin. Because of this, sending postcards, or any type of mail for that matter, tends to be a costly and time-consuming process.
The government’s new postal service is called 4-72 but they operate pretty much the same as the international shipping companies Fedex, UPS, DHL which all have offices here. There are also a couple of local companies, one called Deprisa which is owned by Avianca (Oviedo mall) and Servientrega (Hotel Diez). If you’re in Poblado there is a Fedex office on Calle 10 (between Carrera 41a & 42).
If you’re looking to ship a package to Colombia you might be charged very high import taxes (depending on what the goods are and how many) and secondly high shipping costs (especially anything having weight).
You can sometimes order products from Amazon.com and ship them to Colombia. Usually the taxes are included in the order, although generally it's an over-estimate and you might actually receive a refund.
If you want to order something online where there is no delivery service to Colombia, there are many companies that will accept deliveries in the US and then ship them to you in Colombia. Here are some options, which we have heard about but not used:
Because postcodes were only introduced recently you're unlikely to see them listed on the address of any Colombian business. Even today many people and even businesses are still unsure what their postcode is. However you will need to know if you are planning on sending mail or courier to Colombia. Luckily there is a very convenient website that enables you to find Colombian postcodes quickly and easily.
