Receiving parcels in a Spanish flat: addresses, couriers and lockers

Terms used

• Portero — The portero is a building caretaker who may take in parcels and post for residents.
• Conserje — The conserje is a building concierge, doing a similar job to a portero.
• Buzón — The buzón is your letterbox in the building's entrance.
• Administrador de fincas — The administrador de fincas is the professional who manages a building for its owners' community.
• Citypaq — Citypaq is the Correos network of self-service parcel lockers.
• InPost — InPost is a network of parcel lockers in shops and supermarkets, used by many online stores.

Key rules

• Address order: Write street, number, escalera, piso and puerta, then the five-digit postcode and town.
• Name on the buzón: A missing name can lead to a parcel being returned, so label your buzón.
• Mobile number: Give a mobile number on every order so the courier can call you.
• Portero: A portero taking in parcels is a favour, not a duty, so send valuables to a locker.
• Lockers: Lockers hold parcels only a few days, so collect promptly.

Write the address in the Spanish order

Put the street first, then the flat details, then the postcode and town. A full example is: Calle Mayor 12, Esc. 2, 3º B, 28013 Madrid (Madrid).

The order is street type and name, number, escalera, piso and puerta, five-digit postcode, town, then province in brackets. The checklist below has the abbreviations and floor names. Copy the format exactly in every online shop, because couriers read it in this order.

Put your name on the buzón

Couriers and Correos deliver by the name on the buzón and the doorbell or intercom. If there is no name, the item can be left undelivered or returned. Stick a label with the name you use on your orders on the buzón and, if you can, on the doorbell too.

Add your mobile number to every order. Couriers often phone before they deliver, and a call is often what saves a failed delivery.

Check whether your building has a portero

Some older city buildings have a portero or conserje who takes in parcels. It is a courtesy, not a duty. It depends on the building's rules and the portero's hours, and many buildings have no one at all.

To arrange it, ask the portero or the administrador de fincas to expect your parcels. Give the courier your name and flat. Some people also give the portero a written authorisation. A portero is not responsible for a parcel the way a courier is, so use a locker or pickup point for anything valuable.

If you are out when the courier comes

The usual couriers, such as SEUR, MRW, GLS and Correos Express, make a first attempt. If nobody answers, they leave a notice or send an SMS or email with a tracking link. A second attempt usually follows on the next working day, and sometimes a third. The number of attempts depends on the service the sender chose.

Use the tracking link, the courier's app or website, or a phone call to reschedule, change the address or send the parcel to a pickup point. You can also ask the shop that sent it. The timeline below shows the steps.

Use a locker for reliable delivery

Lockers suit people who are out all day or live in a building without a portero. Two networks are common.

• Citypaq (run by Correos): lockers in streets, shops, stations and Correos offices. Registering is free. Receiving is usually free for you, and the sender pays for delivery. Parcels are typically held about 3 days, sometimes longer, then go to an office.
• InPost: lockers in shops and supermarkets, used by many online stores. Receiving is free. Parcels are usually held around 2 to 3 days. If the shop offers returns, you can drop them off there.

Choose the locker as your delivery address at checkout. You then get a code by SMS or email, or a QR code. Enter or scan it at the locker, or use the InPost app. A locker only works with shops that support that network. Collect the parcel quickly, because the holding time is short.

The comparison below sets home delivery, lockers, pickup points and the post office side by side.

Delivery options compared: home, locker, pickup point or post office

Pick a locker first, a pickup point second, and home delivery last

If your building has no doorman, a parcel locker is the option least likely to fail. Delivery does not depend on anyone being home, and the parcel waits for you. A pickup point or post office comes second. Home delivery is the riskiest, because a missed attempt sends the parcel to a branch anyway.

Lockers

Choose the locker as your delivery address at checkout. You get a code by SMS, email or app, then type it in or scan the QR code at the locker. Citypaq lockers are on streets, in shops, in stations and at Correos offices. InPost lockers are mostly in shops and supermarkets. Both are open to anyone, but only for shops that support that network.

Collect quickly. If you leave it too long, the parcel goes on to an office or back to the sender.

Pickup points and post offices

A pickup point or Correos office is the best fallback when a shop does not offer lockers. The parcel is held for several days, and you collect it with the notice and your ID. Expect queues at a post office. Correos is the better choice for registered items.

Holding periods commonly run from 7 to 15 days, depending on the courier and the service. Then the parcel goes back to the sender. Check the notice or tracking page for the exact deadline on your parcel.

Home delivery

Home delivery works if someone is usually in or the courier phones ahead. Many tenants use it without trouble. It is the option most likely to produce a "nobody home" card, so avoid it for anything urgent or valuable.

Doorman or neighbour

Many older city buildings have a doorman (portero or conserje) who takes parcels. Many buildings now have none. Accepting parcels is a courtesy, and it depends on the building's rules and the doorman's hours. Rules differ in each building.

To set it up, ask the doorman or the building's administrator (administrador de fincas). Tell them to expect the parcel, and give the courier your name and flat. Some people also leave a written authorisation. A doorman is not liable for a parcel the way a carrier is, so send valuables to a locker or pickup point instead.

How to choose

1. If the shop offers a locker near you, use it.
2. If not, choose a pickup point or Correos office you pass on your usual route.
3. Use home delivery only when you know someone will be in, or when your building has a doorman who agrees to take parcels.

Timeline and deadlines

• The courier makes a first delivery attempt and leaves a notice or sends an SMS or email with a tracking link if nobody is in: on the first delivery day

• The courier tries again, and sometimes a third time: on the next working day

• Reschedule, change the address or redirect to a pickup point in the courier's app, website or by phone: after the notice, before the next attempt

• Collect a parcel from a Citypaq locker with your code or QR: within about 3 days of the message

• Collect a parcel from an InPost locker with your code or the app: within 2 to 3 days of the message

Holding times and redelivery attempts depend on the courier and service, so check them with the courier.

Checklist for getting your Spanish address right for deliveries

• Write your address in this order: street type and name, number, escalera, piso and puerta, postcode and town, then province.

• Copy the example format: Calle Mayor 12, Esc.

• Use the usual abbreviations: C/ for calle, Avda. for avenida, Pza. for plaza, Esc. for escalera, and Pta. or a letter or number for the door (puerta).

• Write the floor as 1º, 2º and so on, or as Bajo, Entresuelo or Ático where that applies.

• Put the five-digit postcode before the town.

• Add your mobile number to every order so the courier can phone you.

• Put a label with the name used on your orders on the buzón (letterbox) and, ideally, on the doorbell or intercom too.

• If your building has a portero or conserje, ask them or the administrador de fincas to expect your parcel, and give the courier your name and flat.

Frequently asked questions

Will a portero accept my parcel if I am out?

Maybe, because a portero or conserje taking parcels is a courtesy, not a legal duty.

What happens if nobody is in when the courier comes?

The courier usually leaves a notice or sends an SMS or email with a tracking link, then tries again on the next working day. You can reschedule, change the address or redirect to a pickup point through the courier's app, website or phone line.

How long does a parcel stay in a Citypaq or InPost locker?

A Citypaq usually holds a parcel for about 3 days, and an InPost locker for around 2 to 3 days. After that the parcel goes back to an office or the sender. Receiving is free for you, and you open the locker with the code or QR you are sent.

Can I use a locker with any online shop?

No, only shops that offer Citypaq or InPost as a delivery option at checkout. Anyone can use them, with the app or the code you receive, and you pick the locker when you order.