UW Rome Center

Sending & Receiving Mail

Receiving mail

You may receive mail at the UWRC while studying abroad. If family and friends want to send you letters or packages, please make sure they include your name, program name and the UWRC in the address information.

Student mail should be addressed as follows:

YOUR NAME
PROGRAM NAME
c/o University of Washington Rome Center
Piazza del Biscione 95
00186 Roma Italia

Students are advised to not change your official mailing or billing address for voting materials, credit card or bank statements, etc., as the process to change your address back again to the US once you leave Rome is quite laborious. If you would like assistance with voting abroad, please visit VoteFromAbroad.org.

Receiving packages 

The U.S. Postal Service is the best way for your family and friends to send non-urgent packages to Italy. Please keep in mind that it typically takes between two to four weeks – and often longer – for packages mailed from the U.S. to arrive at the UWRC. FedEx, UPS or DHL are recommended for more urgent shipments. Students are responsible for any applicable Customs tax when claiming packages. This charge ranges between €10 to €70 or more.

Important Customs Information

  • Customs fees on packages arriving in Italy from the U.S. are based on the value of the contents as determined by the Italian Post Office and Customs regulations PLUS the cost of shipping. These charges can be quite expensive, even for items marked “Used Personal Effects”.
  • Since insuring a package calls attention to its possible value, senders might consider not insuring the package and/or declaring only a minimal value (e.g., $30) of the contents.
  • Sender should clearly indicate the cost of shipping; otherwise, Italian Customs will estimate this cost and their estimate is often higher than the actual cost.
  • Packages may be opened by Customs at random. Those not stopped for duty will be delivered to the UWRC. If Customs has questions about the contents of a package, they will send correspondence to your attention at the address provided.
  • NO MEDICATIONS SHOULD BE MAILED, including over-the-counter medications and vitamins. Such items, if declared or detected, may not be delivered. If you urgently need prescription medications while in Rome, please contact the UW Rome Center Office.
  • Packages containing FOOD OF ANY TYPE (e.g., packaged, processed, homemade) or COSMETIC PRODUCTS are subject to Customs inspection. A handling fee is automatically charged, and you must complete a complicated payment process in order for the package to be released. We know that favorite foods are a staple of the traditional “care package”, but please be forewarned of the potential costs and slow delivery time of such packages. (And remember, you can buy peanut butter and Doritos in Italy!)

Receiving express courier shipments

  • Courier packages (FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc.) should be addressed as indicated above. Sending them “c/o of the UW Rome Center” allows the UW Rome Center Office to receive your package on your behalf.
  • Include the Rome Center’s phone number on the courier waybill (06-686-8807).

Mail received after you leave Rome

  • Letters will be forwarded to students’ departments for 1 quarter only. After this, mail will be refused and will be returned to sender.
  • The UWRC Office cannot receive packages on your behalf after your program has ended. Packages received after your program will be refused or discarded in the event that they are accepted by the building porter. We suggest that friends and family not to send packages during the last 4 to 5 weeks of your program.