The state postal company of Spain providing a wide range of postal services, including international delivery and courier services, with over a 300-year history and active participation in the EMS cooperative.
Correos, or "Post," is a state-owned company providing postal services in Spain and, through bilateral agreements, is also responsible for postal services in Andorra jointly with the French company La Poste.
Correos` history dates back to 1716 when a change of dynasty in Spain ended the tradition of entrusting families with postal services. On July 8, 1716, King Philip V appointed Juan Thomas de Goyeneche as the chief superintendent and general administrator of postal services, making the postal service the responsibility of the state.
The company is entirely state-owned, belonging to the State Society for Industrial Participation (SEPI). With over 53,000 employees and dispatching over 5.4 billion postal items annually, Correos is one of the largest postal services in the world. Based in Madrid, it has over 10,000 postal centers throughout Spain.
Correos Group consists of Correos itself and its subsidiaries: Correos Express, the group`s express postal service; Correos Nexea, a company providing communication and document management services to other companies, and Correos Telecom, managing the group`s telecommunication infrastructure.
The Spanish postal service provides parcel delivery services both domestically and internationally, including courier delivery. As a member of the EMS cooperative, the Spanish Postal Service is the designated operator for EMS deliveries.
International rules for postal exchange strictly prohibit the shipment of drugs, explosives, and other hazardous materials in postal items. The Correos website outlines comprehensive rules for shipping, including restrictions on size, weight, and content.
Each type of shipment from Correos has its tracking number used for monitoring. For some small packages, a tracking number may be absent. The Correos tracking number format depends on the type of shipment and includes an alphanumeric combination indicating the type and uniqueness of the shipment, as well as the country of the postal service.
Tracking international shipments from Spain can be useful for monitoring their movement. Shipments go through several stages, starting with acceptance at the Correos office, processing and distribution at the sorting center, preparation for international exchange, customs clearance, export, import, sorting in the destination country, and finally, delivery to the recipient.
