Not all who wander are lost. Some are digital nomads. They may not have a permanent address, but they’re where they want to be: Free, untethered, and living by their own rules.
Living and working away from home isn’t always sunshine and daisies, however. Location flexibility does come with a price, and sometimes, you have to sacrifice a few aspects of modern life, such as no-frills mail forwarding.
If you have a permanent address and are rarely away, your mail doesn’t have to go through hoops to reach you. But the same can’t be said if you find yourself frequently on the road or living abroad.
Digital Nomad Postal Mail Challenges
- Lost or Missing Mail: Carriers often struggle to determine where to deliver your letters or parcels. This increases the risk of lost or missing mail. Mail from friends or family going missing is one thing, but the situation is more serious when the correspondence is from the government agencies, employers, or clients.
What if you miss a letter from the bank or the IRS? What if the letters end up in the wrong hands because you weren’t around to receive them? Lost or missing mail can lead to penalties or falling victim to fraud or scams.
- Paperwork Pain: Filing out a Change of Address form every six months or so can be a nightmare. Some nomads may not have a clear plan on where they’re going next, so filling out paperwork to reroute their mail can be tricky.
- Neighbor Nightmare: Some digital nomads continue to use their home address even if they move around often. Doing this is fine, especially if you have someone back home to receive your mail, but it doesn’t work for everyone. If you live alone, it’s not safe to continue getting postal mail delivery when you can’t collect it from your mailbox yourself. Mail pile-up is a signal for robbers to invade your property.
- Forwarding Fail: Without a permanent address, forwarding mail can be a pain. Imagine this: An important letter is delivered to your home address in Texas while you’re out driving in your RV in the Pacific Northwest. However, there’s no one in your home to forward this letter to you. You could lose business opportunities or miss a connection.
Mail Forwarding Solutions for Expats, RVers, and Digital Nomads
Thankfully, nomads have several options when it comes to safe and efficient mail forwarding. They can fill out a mail forwarding form to have their mail delivered to their new address or to a P.O. Box. They can also use a virtual mailbox.
- New Address: Updating your mailing address information at the Post Office is a straightforward process. Before heading out, simply fill out a change-of-address or forwarding mail form and indicate your new address.
- P.O. Box: Another mail forwarding option is to have your mail delivered to a P.O. Box. You sign up for one and have your parcels rerouted to the box. You’ll not receive mail at your current address or abroad, but the P.O. Box will keep your mail safe until you return.
- Virtual Mailbox: A virtual mailbox allows you to access, view, and manage your postal mail on your smartphone or tablet whenever, wherever. It’s a service provided by pack-and-ship centers, business solutions providers, or coworking spaces that receive your mail on your behalf. The service includes a forwarding feature where the virtual mailbox provider will send your mail to any address that you indicate.
Best Mail Forwarding Setup for Expats
An expat typically stays at one address abroad for an extended period, usually six months or more. If you’re an expat, one mail forwarding solution is the mail forwarding or change-of-address service provided by the USPS.
A virtual mailbox is another option that works perfectly for expats. It allows you to access your postal mail remotely via an app or a web portal. If you wish to receive a letter personally, simply make a request on the app, and the virtual mailbox provider will forward your mail to your current address.
Best Mail Forwarding Setup for Full-Time Vanlifers
A vanlifer can utilize either a P.O. Box or a virtual mailbox for mail forwarding. If you frequently drive by a specific Post Office location during your RV trips, consider setting up a P.O. Box and having your mail forwarded to it. When you’re in the area, simply drive by, collect your mail from the box, and then head out to your next location. Simple and convenient.
Or, if a van-lifer uses a virtual mailbox, they can have their mail forwarded to their current location with a few clicks on an app. No need to drive to a specific Post Office, you can get your mail wherever your RV takes you.
Best Mail Forwarding Setup for Digital Nomads
Do you live and work while hopping from one city to another? Do you find yourself chasing deadlines and tropical sunsets simultaneously? If you’re a digital nomad, the best mail forwarding setup for you is a virtual mailbox.
A virtual mailbox is a perfect solution for anyone who often answers the call of the horizon but still wants the security of a permanent address. As a digital nomad, you get to scratch the itch to travel, but still enjoy the peace of mind that a virtual mailbox provides. No matter where life or work takes you, your mail will be forwarded directly to you by your virtual mailbox provider.
How to Set Up Mail Forwarding for Exparts, RVers, and Nomads
- Change of Address: Contact your local post office and complete a change of address form. You can also accomplish this online.
- P.O. Box: Find a Post Office near you that offers P.O. Boxes. Select a size and duration that align with your remote living plans. Once you’ve obtained your P.O. Box, inform your bank, friends, and business partners of your new address right away.
- Virtual Mailbox: Find a virtual mailbox provider that offers forwarding services. Sign up and submit the required documents. Take note that forwarding rates may differ, depending on the provider and destination.
Closing Thoughts
A virtual mailbox simplifies remote living. It streamlines mail forwarding for expats, RVers, digital nomads, and frequent travelers.
No matter where you go or how long you may be gone, a virtual mailbox ensures you’ll never miss an important letter. A virtual mailbox is your one permanent address, providing complete security despite your spontaneous, flexible, and adventurous lifestyle.
