Mail

I live about 20 minutes from you. We have received post 5 weeks after being posted in the UK, but also post that has arrived within about a week.

Royal Mail and the Post Office both quote 5 days for International Standard letters, but add that due to Covid, transport problems and extra customs checks, delays can be expected.

I received a small jiffy bag with a bracelet in it, which was a present for my daughter's birthday from family in the UK. They had paid just under £4.00 postage to send it.  It took almost 6 weeks to get to me and the postman announced I had to pay over €12.00 before he could give it to me! 

Spanish post is notoriously bad, always has been.

Further to my initial post. I have received a card from Moonpig which is in the Channel Isles and that only took a few days. So it seems to be only UK mail which is affected.

I must be very lucky never had a problem with the Spanish postal system. there was a delay of two days from a small package from the uk and the problem was in the Essex postal system.

However I do always ensure the address is written in the correct manor ie the postal code after the town name not the region 

You must be very lucky.

All our friends have our correct address (spanish way) as you stated.  Even Moonpig cards have recently taken up to two weeks to arrive.  I still am not sure why the package for my daughter took so long to arrive and why we had to pay 12 euros...

However, everytime I have posted from Spain to UK, (with the exception of the one time I posted from the card shop in Camposol), all post has arrived bery fast in UK. Sometimes within 2 days! 

Since Brexit, same rules apply to posting packages from as have always done posting abroad, eg to Australia , the US, etc etc.  namely, the sender needs to complete and attach to the outside, a customs declaration stating what the item is and the approximate value.  This applies whether it is goods being ordered from outside the EU or a gift from one person to another.  Doing this correctly means that your items are far less likely to be delayed by being opened and checked by customs authorities  

Since Brexit, the same rules apply to posting packages from the UK to elsewhere as they have always been when posting abroad, eg to Australia , the US, etc etc.  namely, the sender needs to complete and attach to the outside, a customs declaration stating what the item is and the approximate value.  So for sending to Spain this applies whether it is goods being ordered from outside the EU or a gift from one person to another.  Doing this correctly means that your items are far less likely to be delayed by being opened and checked by customs authorities.  The additional charge you incurred would have been excise duty, not postage. Hope this explains 

That’s perfectly correct but how do you fill a customs form for a greetings card which is 

one item I’ve now been waiting seven weeks for. It’s BREXIT sour grapes.