USPS international shipments use integrated labels if a separate customs form is not required. Integrated labels display the customs information directly on a single label. These labels are transmitted to ShipStation from the postage provider already formatted with the fields and information required by the carrier, and there is no need to print additional forms for these packages.
Basically, you'll see two types of integrated customs labels:
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A single-part label (a.k.a. "single ply")
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A three-part label (1 - Proof of Payment, 2 - Customs Declaration, 3 - Dispatch Note)
The single-part label is easy to use - it's like any other shipping label.
The three-part label requires you to put the labels, in order, inside a USPS-provided window pocket. These window pockets are free and can be ordered from your local post office or from the USPS website.
Note
ShipStation doesn't control which international shipments get the single-part labels and which get the three-part labels. The USPS postage providers determine this according to USPS requirements (e.g., declared value and destination country), which are subject to change.
For example, USPS recently decided that shipments to Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, and US Military destinations no longer require three-part labels (see Appendix D of this USPS document).
For more information on shipping internationally, review the International Shipping section of our help guide.
Alerts, Disruptions, and Suspensions to Service
USPS provides updated service alerts on their website for any situation affecting USPS parcel delivery.
Unless otherwise noted, service suspensions to a particular country do not affect the delivery of military and diplomatic mail.
International Mail Service Suspensions - Effective: March 3, 2026
The Postal Service™ is temporarily suspending acceptance of items destined to the following countries, due to logistics impacts resulting from the conflict in the Middle East. Customers, please refrain from mailing items addressed to the countries listed here until further notice:
Algeria, Armenia, Bahrain, Djibouti, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Libya, Madagascar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Seychelles, Syria, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates
USPS International Shipping Update: HS Codes Required
As of September 1, 2025, the U.S. Postal Service will require all international commercial shipments to include a six-digit Harmonized System (HS) code on customs declarations for each item, regardless of mail class.
The HS code system, created by the World Customs Organization, is used by customs authorities worldwide to classify goods and assess tariffs. This update aligns USPS mailing standards with new Universal Postal Union (UPU) regulations, also taking effect Sept 1, requiring all member countries to enforce six-digit HS codes for commercial goods.
For a full list of Harmonization Codes, use the Harmonized Tariff Schedule search.