Royal Mail Redirection: The Complete Guide to Redirecting Your Mail
Need to redirect your mail with Royal Mail? Find out the costs, timings and process, then update the rest of your address in one go with SlothMove.
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How To Redirect Mail: Royal Mail Redirection Guide
Moving home means updating your address with dozens of organisations, and it rarely happens on the exact day you move in. Royal Mail redirection acts as a safety net during that gap: it catches any post still addressed to your old home and forwards it to your new one, so nothing important slips through while you work through your change-of-address list. This guide covers how Royal Mail redirection works, what it costs, how long it takes, and where SlothMove fits in if you’d rather update your address with your other providers at the same time.
What is Royal Mail postal redirection?
Royal Mail redirection does exactly what it sounds like. It re-routes any post sent to your old address to your new one for a period you choose. When Royal Mail receives an item addressed to a registered redirection customer, their team matches the old address against your new details and forwards it on automatically.
Using the service means you won’t miss important mail after you’ve moved in but before you’ve had a chance to update your address everywhere else, including with the DVLA, your utility providers, your bank and your pension provider.
How does Royal Mail redirection work?
Once you’ve registered, Royal Mail does the rest. Any post addressed to your old home gets matched against your new address and forwarded on, so there’s nothing further for you to do once it’s set up. The service covers both UK and overseas addresses, so it works whether you’re moving across the country or emigrating.
When is mail redirection useful?
Redirection is worth setting up any time your post needs to follow you somewhere new, including if:
- You’re moving house
- You’re moving abroad or working abroad
- You’re on an extended holiday
- You’ve relocated for business
How do I redirect my mail to a new address?
There are three ways to set up Royal Mail redirection.
Apply at a Post Office branch
Pick up a Mail Redirection form at your local branch, fill in your old and new addresses along with the names of everyone whose post needs redirecting, and hand it in with the required identification and payment.
Apply online with Royal Mail
You can apply directly on Royal Mail’s website. It’s worth creating an account while you’re there, since it makes renewing the service later much quicker than filling in the form from scratch again.
Redirect your mail with SlothMove instead
Royal Mail’s redirection service isn’t the only way to make sure your post finds you. SlothMove’s home address updating service notifies the organisations you choose (banks, utilities, DVLA, pension providers and more) of your new address in one go, so your mail starts going to the right place directly rather than being forwarded from the old one. Many people use both: SlothMove to update accounts permanently, and Royal Mail redirection as a short-term safety net while those updates go through.
How long does it take, and how long can I redirect mail for?
The student exemption ends when your course ends. Once you graduate and move into a new property, you are liable for council tax from the date your tenancy or occupation starts. You will no longer be disregarded, and neither will any other graduates in the same position.
Notify your new council when you move in. If you are the only adult at the property, apply for the single-person discount. If you are sharing with other non-student adults, the standard rate applies, and the bill is split between the liable adults.
Can I extend or renew my Royal Mail redirection?
Yes. When your 12-month redirection period ends, you can renew it, up to a maximum of four years in total. You won’t be able to renew beyond that point.
How to renew your redirection
- Log into your Royal Mail account and select ‘Royal Mail Redirection’
- Enter your reference number and renewal code
- Check that your details are correct
- Choose how long you’d like to renew for (3, 6 or 12 months)
- Confirm the billing address for your card (it must be registered at the new or old address)
- Enter your card details
- Select ‘Confirm and Pay’
You can also renew by post or by phone using Royal Mail’s automated renewal line on 03457 777888. Renewals can’t be done in person at a Post Office.
Finding your redirection reference number
You’ll need your 9-digit redirection reference number to renew. It’s printed on the confirmation letter Royal Mail sent you when you first set up the redirection.
Does Royal Mail redirection include parcels?
Parcels are included if you’re moving within the UK. If you’re redirecting overseas, parcels aren’t covered by the standard service, though they can be redirected to a UK Postbox Courier Point Address as a workaround.
How much does Royal Mail redirection cost?
Cost depends on the duration, the destination and whether it’s for personal or business use.
Personal redirection costs
Within the UK
Duration | Price |
3 months | £33.99 |
6 months | £46.99 |
12 months | £66.99 |
Internationally, within the EU
Duration | Price |
3 months | £144.99 |
6 months | £204.99 |
12 months | £292.99 |
Internationally, outside the EU
Duration | Price |
3 months | £120.99 |
6 months | £169.99 |
12 months | £243.99 |
Business redirection costs
Within the UK
Duration | Price |
3 months | £204 |
6 months | £303 |
12 months | £490 |
Internationally, within the EU
Duration | Price |
3 months | £285 |
6 months | £442 |
12 months | £755 |
Internationally, outside the EU
Duration | Price |
3 months | £238 |
6 months | £369 |
12 months | £629 |
If cost is the main concern, updating your address directly with your providers through SlothMove’s home address updating service is often cheaper than a long redirection period, since you’re not paying Royal Mail to keep forwarding post indefinitely.
How reliable is Royal Mail redirection?
Before your redirection starts, Royal Mail sends a confirmation letter showing your start date, destination address and the names covered. It’s worth checking this carefully, since it’s your chance to catch any errors before the service goes live. If something does go wrong once it’s running, Royal Mail has a dedicated process for resolving redirection issues.
If you’d rather not rely on Royal Mail forwarding your post at all, updating your address directly with each sender through SlothMove means your mail is sent straight to your new address from the start, rather than via redirection.
Can I cancel my Royal Mail redirection?
Yes, at any time. What you get back depends on timing:
- If you cancel before the redirection has started, you’ll receive a full refund.
- If you cancel within the cancellation period and it hasn’t started yet, you’ll also receive a full refund.
- If you cancel within the cancellation period and it has already started, you’ll be refunded the fee minus £10 to cover costs.
- If you cancel after the cancellation period and the redirection has started, no refund is provi
If you’d rather not rely on Royal Mail forwarding your post at all, updating your address directly with each sender through SlothMove means your mail is sent straight to your new address from the start, rather than via redirection.
Royal Mail redirection vs. updating your address with SlothMove
Royal Mail redirection | SlothMove | |
What it does | Forwards post from your old address to your new one | Notifies your chosen providers directly of your new address |
Best for | A short-term safety net right after you move | Getting your address updated everywhere, permanently |
Cost | From £33.99 for 3 months (UK, personal) | Flat £30 fee |
Set up via | Royal Mail or the Post Office | SlothMove, using a signed Letter of Authority |
SlothMove helps you notify your new council of your move-in date as part of a wider address update that also covers energy, water, your bank, and more. If you are a student moving into a new property, getting the council notified quickly gives you time to submit your exemption certificate before a bill is issued.
Here’s why over 75,000 people have chosen SlothMove:
- Save 14+ hours of admin time: based on data from over 75,000 completed moves.
- One form updates everything: DVLA, NHS, HMRC, councils, utilities, and more.
- Cheaper than mail redirection: Just £30 versus up to £87 for mail forwarding.
- Secure and trusted: ICO-registered, GDPR compliant, with 256-bit SSL encryption, backed by Taylor Rose MW (one of the UK’s largest conveyancing firms).
Related articles and Guides
See our main guides to council tax change of address. You may also find our guides to single-person council tax discount when moving and council tax empty property when moving useful.
What our customers say
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to redirect mail?
Royal Mail recommends allowing up to three weeks, though redirections can be processed in as little as five working days.
Does Royal Mail redirection include parcels?
Yes, for moves within the UK. International redirections don’t include parcels, though they can be sent to a UK Postbox Courier Point Address instead.
Can I redirect my mail without going through Royal Mail?
Not in the sense of physically forwarding post, since that’s a Royal Mail service. But you can avoid needing redirection at all for most of your accounts by updating your address directly with each provider through SlothMove.
How much does it cost to redirect post in the UK?
Personal redirection within the UK starts from £33.99 for 3 months, rising with duration and for international addresses.
Can I cancel a mail redirection once it's started?
Yes, though if you cancel after it’s already started you’ll only be refunded the fee minus a £10 charge, and no refund is available if you cancel after the official cancellation period.
About SlothMove
SlothMove has helped over 75,000 UK residents update their address across government and private organisations since 2019. We are an ICO-registered data controller, GDPR compliant, and backed by Taylor Rose MW, one of the UK’s
leading conveyancing firms.