Managing mailboxes or PO boxes in Malta

We have a letter box box by the front door, unlike the UK we don't have letter

boxes in the front doors.  Post seems to take ages to get to Gozo I don't know whether it's caused by the service this end or where letters etc were posted from.

if you are not at home and Malta Post have a parcel they take it to the Post Office for you to collect.

Yep...sounds about right... hopefully  the posty leaves a note  in the mailbox to collect  at the postoffice. 🤞🏻

@DP4 He usually does.

Malta post is very reliable. When it comes to parcel delivery you can sign up for tracking and they notify you when the parcel is on the way to you. In some places people share mail boxes and I can imagine it is confusing for the mail man to find the right letter box. Another problem is the address system. Many houses use names, but do not have  a house number outside the building. In such a case it happened that the mailman delivered the mail to the wrong address because another street is having an identical building name. Here I would recommend to have a PO Box.   

Malta post is very reliable. When it comes to parcel delivery you can sign up for tracking and they notify you when the parcel is on the way to you. In some places people share mail boxes and I can imagine it is confusing for the mail man to find the right letter box. Another problem is the address system. Many houses use names, but do not have a house number outside the building. In such a case it happened that the mailman delivered the mail to the wrong address because another street is having an identical building name. Here I would recommend to have a PO Box. - @hanselmar5

Doesn't Malta have Postcodes as well? In Wales, out in the countryside, most houses have names and not numbers. No one needs a P.O. box.

@SimCityAT

We do have postcodes you do not need a PO Box.

@SimCityAT
We do have postcodes you do not need a PO Box. - @GozoMo

That's what I thought.

@SimCityAT

Unfortunately it does not work as it should. Every second week I have mail in my box which does not belong to me. Obviously Malta is not as perfect as Wales.

@SimCityAT
Unfortunately it does not work as it should. Every second week I have mail in my box which does not belong to me. Obviously Malta is not as perfect as Wales. - @hanselms

OMG, I've had that in England, Wales, France and Austria. It happens at the sorting office, and a rogue letter gets mixed up with the mail. No need for a P.O. Box.

P.O. Boxes are for people who want to keep their home address private. There can be many reasons. They work from home, or they have a fan club.

Other reasons can be because they dont have a fixed address, they are travelling.

@SimCityAT
Unfortunately it does not work as it should. Every second week I have mail in my box which does not belong to me. Obviously Malta is not as perfect as Wales. - @hanselmar5

Unfortunately Malta Post are not very good at sending your mail on to a new address if you have moved.  This has happened twice in a year to us even though you have completed the necessary forms.

@Cheryl

I have been in Malta now just a little over 2 weeks, and although I have not received any postal mail yet (nor am I expecting any just now), I have learned that even if you live in an apartment block with a secure lobby, no deliveries will ever be left for you.  You must be home to accept any delivery, even a local one for example from one of the department stores, like The Atrium, Homemate, etc.  So you will get a window, say between 10 and 4, and then you are sort of a prisoner in your flat until they arrive.  Many of the delivery services the store uses will send a link, to show you when the driver is on her/his way, and a live location.  Although it says "live", and from time to time you see the delivery vehicle moving on the map, it is not accurate.  The other day, I was waiting for a delivery in St. Julians.  The message I received was that the driver was in Balluta Bay, and had 2 drop-offs ahead of me.  I continued to refresh the map - which showed the vehicle in the vicinity of Balluta.  Then the door buzzer rang, with the delivery. The point being, you could be out grabbing a coffee or some groceries, thinking you had time to get back before the delivery arrived - but not the case.  So I would not trust the "live" map they provide.  Also, they will request ID - I ran down multiple flights and the driver asked for my passport, so when receiving a delivery, have some sort of ID with you I hope this is helpful.  This is NOT a complaint - just passing along some learnings...

@edcampanaro

You have been asked for your ID number (residency number)  for ages, most people know theirs so that is not a problem. The common sense thing is not to go out when a delivery is due, why not purchase items from shops the day before.

In my experiences  when I've ordered stuff, I get an  email from Malta post asking if I want to collect it from.a depot, or have it  delivered  to my address,

Of you choose  delivery an email is  sent when it's going to be delivered, if your out a note is left to pick it up from your local post office.