Address formats vary significantly around the world. Understanding these differences is crucial for global applications handling international addresses.
European Formats
UK puts building number before street, city on separate line, with alphanumeric postal codes (SW1A 2AA). Germany puts street name before number, postal code before city (12345 Berlin). France puts number before street, postal code before city in uppercase (75002 PARIS).
Asian Formats
Japan writes addresses largest to smallest: prefecture, city, block, building, with postal code starting with a postal mark. This is opposite from Western conventions. Recipient name typically comes last. Other Asian countries have similar patterns with variations.
Common Patterns
Number before street: US, UK, France, Australia. Number after street: Germany, Netherlands, Spain. Postal code before city: Germany, France, Italy. Postal code after city: US, UK, Canada. Country name in uppercase on the last line for international mail.
Standards and Limits
ISO 19160 defines international addressing standards with component definitions and exchange formats. International recommendations: maximum 5-6 address lines, 35-40 characters per line. These limits ensure compatibility with postal systems worldwide.