Austrian Post Transports Packages Free of Charge to Ukraine

Due to the war in Eastern Europe, the Austrian Post is currently transporting packages with humanitarian aid free of charge to Ukraine. The addressed packages – for relatives, friends, and social institutions – must bear the clearly visible label “HUMANITARIAN AID UKRAINE” and can be dropped off in household quantities at all post offices and with postal partners.

(Wien) The following aid goods are urgently needed in Ukraine:

• Food (canned goods, pasta, flour, dried sausages, coffee, sugar)
• Clothing (women’s and children’s clothing, shoes, pants, sweaters, gloves)
• Household items (sleeping mats, blankets, thermoses)
• Hygiene products (toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo, wet wipes)
• Medical products and medications (bandaging material, antibiotics, pain relievers)

A package may weigh a maximum of 30 kilograms. The contents must not exceed a value of 100 euros; otherwise, customs fees will apply for the recipients. Each package must include a customs form (available online at: post.at/zollformular) since it is a shipment to a third country. Note: Due to the state of war in Ukraine, there may be issues with electronic tracking of shipments, and the Ukrainian postal service may not be able to deliver in some areas of the country or may experience delays.

Further information – also in Ukrainian – can be found at post.at/zusammenhelfen.

Issuance of a Special Stamp

As another aid measure, the Austrian Post, in collaboration with “Nachbar in Not” and “UNICEF,” will issue a surcharge stamp. The stamp has a nominal value of 1 euro, and the surcharge of 2 euros will go entirely to the two aid organizations. The design of the stamp features the Ukrainian flag with the inscription “HELP for UKRAINE.” The stamp has a print run of 200,000 pieces and will be available next week at all post offices and at onlineshop.post.at.

Accommodation for 300 Refugees in Linz

The currently vacant postal logistics center in Linz, where the Post City Gardens are to be built in the future, is being adapted for the accommodation of Ukrainian refugees. By modifying the premises, temporary sleeping places and accommodations for around 300 people will be created, with the operating costs for electricity, heating, and hot water shared between the Post and the city of Linz.

The Post’s Eastern European subsidiaries, Slovak Parcel Service and Express One Hungary, are already supporting the operational handling of aid actions in Slovakia and Hungary. The two logistics companies are assembling aid goods together with local NGOs and transporting them free of charge to the Ukrainian border. Aid goods that arrive in Hungary via the combined freight network EURODIS are also taken over free of charge by Express One Hungary and transported to the Ukrainian border.

Free Transfers to Poland and Ukraine

Bank99 and Ria Money Transfer, partners in the global sending and receiving of money, are also supporting people from and in Ukraine. Transfers to Ukraine and Poland, where a large number of people fleeing Ukraine are currently located, will initially be conducted free of charge until the end of March. No fees will apply for transactions to these two countries, and processing is possible at all post offices and with around 400 postal partners.

Photo: © Austrian Post AG / Image caption: The subject of the Ukraine special stamp “Together for Peace”