International mail & Global Forever stamps: what you need to know
By Justin Winter · Updated August 22, 2026
A Global Forever stamp is a USPS stamp that covers First-Class postage to any international destination at one fixed price, no matter how the price of a Global Forever stamp changes after you buy it. It's the international counterpart to a domestic Forever stamp — but international mail also comes with its own rules on customs forms and delivery times. paperplane mails US-domestic addresses only right now, so for anything headed outside the US, USPS.com or your local post office is the right place to send it today.
What a Global Forever stamp actually is
A domestic Forever stamp is a familiar idea: buy it today, use it years from now, and it still covers one First-Class letter within the US no matter how much postage prices have gone up in the meantime. A Global Forever stamp works on the same principle, but for a different job — it covers First-Class postage on a standard letter (up to 1 oz.) to essentially any country USPS serves, at one fixed price per stamp, regardless of the destination.
The two are not interchangeable. A domestic Forever stamp will not get a letter out of the country — it will come back or get held up in the mail stream. A Global Forever stamp, meanwhile, is priced for international use and typically costs more than a domestic Forever stamp, since it's covering longer transit and international handling. We're intentionally not printing an exact price here: USPS adjusts postage rates from time to time, and a specific dollar figure written today could easily be wrong by the time you're reading this. USPS.com always has the current price.
International mail plays by different rules than domestic mail
- Customs forms. A plain letter-sized envelope with just paper inside can often go out without one, but anything with any bulk, weight, or enclosure — and the exact line where that kicks in — depends on the destination country and mail class. USPS.com's international mail lookup and your local post office can confirm what a specific piece needs.
- Delivery time. International mail almost always takes longer than domestic mail, and the range is wide: a letter to a nearby, well-connected country might arrive in a week or so, while one to a country with slower customs processing can take several weeks. There's no single number that applies across all destinations.
- Rates and restrictions by country. Some countries have additional restrictions on what can be mailed, extra paperwork for certain contents, or different expected transit times even at the same USPS mail class. Always check the destination country's specifics rather than assuming your last international letter's experience will repeat.
Where paperplane fits today
To be direct about it: paperplane currently mails US-domestic addresses only. Every price on this site — including First-Class at $1.99 all-in, Certified Mail at $12.99, Certified with electronic Return Receipt at $14.99, and Priority Mail at $24.99 — is for mail sent to an address within the United States. We don't generate customs forms, and we can't currently print a Global Forever stamp or hand a letter to USPS's international mail stream on your behalf.
This isn't a workaround or a fine-print catch — it's just where the product is today. If you need to send a letter, card, or document outside the US right now, the most reliable path is USPS.com (which sells Global Forever stamps and has country-specific customs guidance) or your local post office counter, where staff can weigh your item, tell you exactly what customs paperwork it needs, and sell you the right postage on the spot.
International mailing is a request we hear and it's something we're thinking about for paperplane's future — but we don't have a launch date to share, and we'd rather tell you plainly that it's not here yet than leave it ambiguous. For anything that has to cross a border today, use USPS directly.
Quick reference: domestic vs. international
| Detail | Domestic (US-to-US) | International |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp / postage | Domestic Forever stamp, fixed rate | Global Forever stamp, fixed rate (different price than domestic) |
| Customs form | Not required | Often required beyond a basic letter — varies by country |
| Typical delivery time | A few business days (First-Class) | About a week to several weeks, depending on destination |
| Can paperplane send it? | Yes — from $1.99 | Not yet — use USPS.com or a local post office |
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Common questions
What exactly is a Global Forever stamp?
It’s a USPS stamp sold specifically for international First-Class mail. Like a domestic Forever stamp, its price is locked in at the moment of purchase for its intended use — it will always cover a 1 oz. international letter’s First-Class postage, even if USPS raises Global Forever prices later. It does not cover domestic mail, and a domestic Forever stamp does not cover international mail — they are separate products.
How much does a Global Forever stamp cost right now?
USPS sets and periodically adjusts the price, so any number printed here could be stale by the time you read it. Check USPS.com or ask at a post office counter for the current price before buying.
Do I need a customs form to mail internationally?
A single sheet or two of paper in a standard envelope generally does not need a customs form. Anything with a bit of thickness, a small enclosure, or that isn’t plainly “documents only” often does, and the threshold varies by destination country. USPS.com’s international mail tools and your local post office can tell you definitively what a specific item to a specific country requires.
How long does international mail take to arrive?
Meaningfully longer and less predictable than domestic mail. Where a domestic First-Class letter typically takes a few business days, an international letter can take anywhere from about a week to several weeks depending on the destination country, its customs processing, and the mail class you choose. There is no single answer that applies to every country.
Does paperplane mail internationally?
Not yet. paperplane mails to US-domestic addresses only today. International mailing is something we’re aware people want and it’s on our radar for the future, but we don’t have a date to share. If you need to mail something internationally right now, USPS.com or a local post office is the right place to do it.