Traveling Mailbox Review: How I Get My US Mail in Colombia

One of the first problems I ran into after moving to Colombia was a surprisingly mundane one: what happens to my mail?

Tax documents from the IRS. Bank statements. Insurance renewal notices. That random check from an old refund you forgot about. It all still goes to your old US address — which you no longer have.

I tried asking family to forward things. That lasted about two months before it became a hassle for everyone. Then I found Traveling Mailbox, and it genuinely solved the problem. I've been using it for over a year now from Medellín and it's one of those services I wish I'd signed up for before I left the US.

What Is Traveling Mailbox?

Traveling Mailbox is a virtual mailbox service that gives you a real US street address. Mail arrives at their facility, they scan the envelope, and you see it in your online dashboard or mobile app from anywhere in the world. From there you decide what to do with each piece: open and scan the contents, forward it to you internationally, deposit a check, or shred it.

It's not a PO Box — it's an actual street address that you can use for banking, business registration, tax filings, the IRS, your LLC, driver's license renewals, and anything else that requires a legitimate US mailing address.

How It Works (Step by Step)

• Sign up and choose an address — pick from 50+ real street addresses across the US. You fill out a USPS Form 1583 to legally authorize them to receive your mail.
• Update your address — with the IRS, your bank, insurance, subscriptions, etc. Use your new address going forward.
• Mail arrives and gets scanned — the outside of every envelope is automatically photographed and uploaded to your dashboard.
• You decide what to do — open & scan the contents, forward it to Colombia (or anywhere), deposit a check, or shred junk mail.

The whole process is fast. I usually get a notification within a day of something arriving, and scanned contents are available in minutes after I request them.

Why Expats in Colombia Need This

If you're living in Colombia and still have any financial, legal, or tax ties to the US (which is almost every American abroad), you need a reliable US address. Here's what I use mine for:

• IRS correspondence and tax returns — the IRS doesn't email you. If they send a notice, you need to see it.
• Bank and credit card statements — some banks require a US address on file
• Check deposits — I've had tax refund checks and insurance reimbursements deposited directly to my US bank account through Traveling Mailbox ($4.95 per check)
• Driver's license renewals — most US states mail your new license to a US address
• LLC registered agent alternative — if you run a US-based business from Colombia
• Insurance, subscriptions, legal documents — anything that requires a US mailing address

Pricing

Plans start at $15/month, which is honestly cheap for the peace of mind:

• Basic — $15/month: 40 envelopes, 35 page scans. Perfect for personal mail.
• Extended — $25/month: 100 envelopes, 80 page scans. Best for most expats.
• Small Business — $55/month: 200 envelopes, 180 page scans. For business owners.

Standard addresses (like Sanford, NC) are included. Premium addresses in major metros cost $4.95-$9.95/month extra. Check depositing is $4.95 per check. International mail forwarding costs vary by weight and destination.

What I Like About It

• Real street address — not a PO Box, which many banks and government agencies won't accept
• 50+ address locations — choose a state with no income tax (Florida, Texas, Nevada) if you're strategic about it
• Accepts all carriers — USPS, FedEx, UPS, DHL. Not just USPS like a PO Box.
• Check deposit — this alone has saved me multiple times. No more asking someone in the US to deposit a check for me.
• Cloud storage integration — syncs with Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote for automatic backup of all scanned mail
• Mobile app — manage everything from your phone
• HIPAA compliant — handles sensitive medical documents securely
• 24/7 security — barcode tracking on every piece of mail, surveillance cameras, two-factor auth

What to Know Before Signing Up

• US addresses only — this is a US virtual mailbox service, not for Colombian mail
• You need to notarize USPS Form 1583 — can be done at a US embassy/consulate in Colombia or online via notary service
• International forwarding costs extra — but honestly I rarely forward physical mail. I just scan and shred most things.
• Plan ahead before leaving the US — set this up and update your addresses BEFORE you move. Trust me, it's much harder to do after.

My Recommendation

If you're an American living in Colombia — or planning to move — Traveling Mailbox is one of those services that solves a problem you don't realize you have until it's too late. The $15/month Basic plan covers most people's needs. I use the Extended plan because I run a business, but for personal mail the Basic is plenty.

Set it up before you leave. Update your address with the IRS, your bank, insurance, and any subscriptions. Then forget about US mail stress forever.

Need to manage finances too? See our guide to sending money to Colombia.

Get Started

Sign up for Traveling Mailbox here — plans start at $15/month. Use a no-income-tax state address (Florida, Texas, Nevada, South Dakota) if you want to be strategic about your US tax domicile.