The Democratic Republic of the Congo is in Central Africa, straddling the Equator. There is a significant difference between how people communicate within the country, especially when sending mail. The nation doesn’t have a consistent, universally adopted national address system like in some Western countries. Formal street names and house numbers are either missing, unused, or inconsistently marked in many areas. This means people often describe addresses using landmarks. In larger cities, addresses follow a semi-structured format (like street name, commune, city). In rural or less developed areas, addresses are even more flexible — they may include just a village name or refer to a chief’s compound or a notable place. Moreover, there are different types of addresses, each with a specific element requirement. If you want to send mail to a client or customer in the Democratic Republic of the Congo but don’t know the correct address format, we will help you. We have listed all the different types of addresses, as well as the format and examples for each.

Recipient Name

In the first line, start by writing the recipient’s name. You can also add honorific titles like Monsieur for Mr. and Madame for Mrs. If you are sending the mail to a business, the company’s name will come 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.

Street Address

Write the house number, name of the street, and building number. If the recipient uses a P.O. box, write B.P. (Boîte Postale is French for P.O. box) and then the box number.

Postal Code and Locality

Write the seven-digit postal code and add the locality, city, or town name. Some famous cities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Goma, and Bukavu.

Country Name

Write the name of the country on the last line. If you send international mail to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, write the name in capital letters.

Residential Address Format

Write the recipient’s name, street address, P.O. box number, postal code, locality, and country name. Every address element except the postal code and locality will come in separate lines.

Rural Address Format

Typically, the streets in rural areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo do not have formal names. Write the village’s name and the nearest larger town, in this case. Add the rest of the address elements in the same way 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 in the second line and add their department in 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

Instead of the street address, write the term “B.P.” and then the P.O. box number in the residential address.

Military Address Format

Except for the first two lines, the military address format follows the same structure as the residential address format. 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 to multiple people in the same household or business, write each name on separate lines of 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.

The Congolese Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (SCPT) is the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s national postal service provider. The organization provides various services, including mail delivery, parcel handling, post office box rentals, express courier services, and money transfer solutions. Despite decades of political and economic instability, SCPT has continued operating in urban and remote areas. In recent years, it has begun modernizing its operations by introducing digital tracking systems, enhancing logistics networks, and establishing partnerships with international courier and postal organizations.

So you have learned how to structure the address format for a recipient in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. But to ensure your address reaches the intended recipient, you need a verified address. PostGrid’s Address Verification solution verifies, standardizes, and offers address autocomplete suggestions in real time. Whether you want to verify a single or bulk address, we provide correct, complete, and up-to-date addresses in sync with the official postal service provider for over 245 countries and territories. 

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