Djibouti is a small country located in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea borders it to the north, Ethiopia to the west and south, and Somalia to the southeast. It also has a strategic coastline along the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. This makes it an essential hub for international shipping and military bases. The capital city, also named Djibouti, serves as the political, economic, and cultural center of the country.

People within the country write address formats differently for sending mail. Its postal system is not as developed or standardized as in many other countries. Many areas, especially those outside the capital, lack formal street names, house numbers, or ZIP codes. This leads people to rely on local landmarks or informal descriptions when writing addresses.

In urban areas like Djibouti City, people may use a more structured format. However, in rural areas, addresses often rely on village names or even the names of local figures to help identify the recipient.

Moreover, there are different types of addresses, each with its specific element requirements. If you need to mail a client or customer in Djibouti but are unsure of the correct address format, we can assist you. We have listed all the different types of addresses, along with their formats and examples.

Recipient Name

In the first line, write the recipient’s full name. If you are sending the mail to a business, the company name will appear in the first line. Write the person’s name and department in the second and third lines. Add ATTN. in front of the person’s name to ensure the internal mail distribution system sends the mail to the correct office and desk.

What3Words Address

For precise geographic location, Djibouti uses a system that identifies any 3-meter-by-3-meter location in the world using a unique combination of three dictionary words. It is called a What3Words address. This is especially useful in places without a formal street address system (like much of Djibouti), helping pinpoint an exact location.

P.O. Box Number

Write B.P. (Boîte Postale, which is French for P.O. Box) followed by the P.O. box number. This is commonly used in Djibouti due to the limited availability of street delivery.

Postal Code and City

Write the five-digit postal code along with the name of the city where the person lives. Some of the major cities in Djibouti are Ali Sabieh, Tadjourah, Obock, and Dikhil.

Country Name

Write the name of the country in the last line. When sending international mail to Djibouti, write the name in capital letters.

Residential Address Format

Write the recipient’s name, what3words address, P.O. box number, postal code, city, and country name.

Rural Address Format

Typically, the streets in rural areas of Djibouti do not have a formal name. In this case, write the name of the village or the settlement, followed by the nearest larger town or city. Add the remaining address elements in the same manner as the residential address.

Business Address Format

Instead of the recipient’s name in the residential address, write the company’s name in the first line. Write the person’s name on the second line and add their department on the third line.

International Address Format for NGOs and Organizations

Write the organization’s name in the first line and the specific department in the second line. Place all the other address components, except the recipient’s name, in the same way as the residential address.

P.O. Box Address Format

Remove the street address from the second line and write the term “B.P..” and then the box number in the residential address.

Military Address Format

The address format follows the same structure as the residential address format except for the first two lines. In the first line, write the rank and full name of the person. In the second line, write the military unit number.

Government Office Address Format

Instead of the recipient’s name, write the office and department names in the residential address on the first and second lines.

Address Format for Multiple Recipients

If you want to mail multiple people in the same household or business, write each name on a separate line for the residential and business addresses.

Address Format for Courier Services

If you send mail using courier services like DHL or FedEx, add the recipient’s contact details in the last line of the residential address. Delivery agents can call them if they are unable to locate the address.

La Poste de Djibouti is the official national postal service provider of Djibouti. It is responsible for managing the country’s mail delivery, parcel services, and other postal operations. It offers both domestic and international services, including express mail (EMS), money transfer options, and P.O. box rentals. These are essential in a country where many areas lack formal street addressing. 

It became one of the first national postal systems to officially adopt What3Words in 2017, a digital geolocation tool that assigns three-word addresses to every 3-meter square on the globe. This innovation significantly improved delivery accuracy and accessibility across both urban and remote areas.

You have learned how to structure the address format for a recipient in Djibouti. However, you need a verified address to ensure your address reaches the intended recipient. The PostGrid Address Verification solution verifies, standardizes, and offers real-time address autocomplete suggestions. Whether you need to verify a single or bulk address, we provide accurate, complete, and up-to-date addresses in sync with the official postal service providers for over 245 countries and territories. 

If you are curious about the format used in any other country, visit our global address format page to learn about the formats followed in countries worldwide.