Mauritania is a country in Northwest Africa, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west. It spans vast areas of desert and sparse population centers, with urban hubs such as Nouakchott and Nouadhibou serving as major administrative and commercial centers. The nation follows a postal system that reflects both French colonial influences and local adaptations.

Addresses in Mauritania typically include a recipient’s name, a PO Box number (widely used due to the country’s limited street infrastructure), the city or locality, and the country name. In major cities, some buildings may have street names or numbered zones, though this remains inconsistent. For remote regions, mail often relies on regional post offices, and physical delivery may be limited.

Businesses and government agencies usually have designated PO Boxes for reliable correspondence. For personal mail, including village or tribal names, it may be necessary. Below, we offer structured examples to help you format Mauritanian addresses for various mailing purposes.

Recipient Name

Begin with the recipient’s full name. For professional or formal correspondence, you can include titles such as “Monsieur” or “Madame.” If sending to a company, write the organization name first. Use “ATTN:” before the individual’s name to ensure proper routing inside the organization.

Street Information or P.O. Box

In most cases, use a P.O. Box—indicated by “B.P.” followed by the box number—as home delivery is rare. In major cities like Nouakchott or Nouadhibou, some addresses may include street names or numbered zones.

City or Locality

Add the name of the city, town, or commune where the recipient is located. For rural mail, this may refer to a village or administrative region.

Postal Code

Although postal codes are not always used, some urban areas do have codes. If available, place the code before the city name on the same line.

Country Name

End with the country name in capital letters if sending from outside Mauritania.

Residential Address Format

Residential addresses typically include the recipient’s name, P.O. Box or street details (if available), the city, postal code, and country. In cities like Nouakchott, some areas may use numbered streets or zones.

Rural Address Format

In rural areas, formal addresses are rare. Use village names or landmarks, followed by the nearest town and a P.O. Box if possible.

Business Address Format

Begin with the company name, followed by the department or contact person’s name, and then the P.O. Box and location details.

International Address Format for NGOs and Organizations

Start with the organization name and department, then follow the typical address structure, which may include landmarks or P.O. Boxes.

P.O. Box Address Format

For mail sent directly to a P.O. Box, omit street details and replace with “B.P.” and the correct number.

Military Address Format

Mauritania does not maintain an extensive military mail network. However, for domestic or government military mail, use the recipient’s rank and unit name, followed by the P.O. Box and location details, similar to the residential format.

Government Office Address Format

List the ministry or government agency first, followed by the department. Then, include the street name or P.O. Box, city, and country.

Address for Multiple Recipients Format

For sending to multiple people at one location, list each recipient on its line before the full address.

Address Format for Courier Services

For private couriers like DHL or Aramex, add a phone number on the last line for final delivery confirmation.

Mauripost is the official national postal service provider in Mauritania. It operates under the authority of the Ministry of Digital Transformation, Innovation, and Modernization and plays a central role in the country’s mail, parcel, and financial services. Mauripost provides a range of domestic and international postal options, including Standard Mail, Express Mail, and P.O. Box services.

Due to limited infrastructure in many rural areas, most delivery occurs through centralized post offices and P.O. Boxes. Mauripost supports government correspondence, ecommerce logistics, and financial services, including money orders and postal banking. Internationally, Mauripost is integrated with the Universal Postal Union (UPU) network, ensuring cross-border mail exchange. Although digital transformation is in the early stages, online tracking and postal information services are being gradually introduced.

So you have learned how to structure the address format for a recipient in Mauritania. But to ensure your address is reaching the intended recipient, you need a verified address. PostGrid’s Address Verification solution verifies, standardizes, and provides real-time address autocomplete suggestions. Whether you need to verify a single address or multiple addresses, 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 of any other country, visit our international address format page and learn the format followed in countries worldwide.