A new €3.50 rate is being introduced for Britain and Europe, which is an increase of 85c. The cost of sending a letter to anywhere else in the world will be €3.95, which the company says is to cover significant losses on international mail.
An Post has justified the increases, which take effect on February 3, on the basis that it has to provide a service to every address in Ireland, while taking account of wage increases, higher operating costs, and the 7pc decline in letter volumes in the last year.
Garrett Bridgeman, managing director of An Post Mails & Parcels, said: “Increasingly, European countries have reduced letter delivery frequency to once or twice a week and now deliver to mail boxes outside the home or to central collection points.
“While An Post continues to design future-generation mail services to suit customers’ needs, the company is committed to retaining the option of a next-day national service to the door by trusted, trained postal staff in a growing fleet of emission-free vehicles.”
An Post says the increase is due to the declining volume of letters. Getty Images
News in 90 Seconds – January 12 2026
This year’s 12pc increase in the cost of a national stamp comes on top of the 18pc jump last year, when postage went from €1.40 to €1.65.
That, in turn, followed an increase in February 2024, when the price of a stamp went up from €1.35. It was the fourth price hike in less than three years.
In accounts An Post submitted to the regulator last November, it was noted there had been a “concerning” decline in international mail, both sent and received. That was down 10.4pc in the previous year, “and much of the causation is outside the company’s control”, it said.
An Post has a Universal Service Obligation (USO), which means it must give a mail service to every household in the country on every working day.
Losses on the delivery of inbound USO international mail were €14.2m last year, while the losses on the processing of outbound items was €10.6m, reflecting the increasingly unprofitable nature of that side of the business.
In its announcement today, An Post points out that other European postal companies are cutting back services due to falling volumes and rising costs. It claims the price of €1.85 for a stamp is still below the EU/UK benchmark of €2.04 for next-day letter service.
“More than 50pc of outgoing international mail is destined for Britain, Germany and France which is why An Post has introduced this new Europe and Britain €3.50 rate, rather than apply the higher Rest of World rate to this category,” it said.
“In the UK, the equivalent European stamp costs €3.90. Rates for large envelopes, packets, over-the-counter parcels and registered post will also rise.”
An Post says it is an entirely self-funded commercial business, and that the number of homes in the State is increasing by about 30,000 a year. As letter volumes decrease but delivery costs go up, prices must increase to ensure the service is sustainable, it argues.
The free delivery service for all letter and parcels up to 1kg posted to residents of nursing homes will continue.