Qual­i­ty mon­i­tor­ing

• Deutsche Post AG’s letter delivery speeds
• Deutsche Post AG’s post offices
• Deutsche Post AG’s postboxes

Deutsche Post AG’s letter delivery speeds

The average times taken for Deutsche Post AG to deliver a letter are shown below.

Since 1 January 2025, Deutsche Post AG has been required by law to deliver at least 95% of domestic letters posted on a working day by the third working day after posting and 99% by the fourth working day. Up to 31 December 2024, 80% of letter-post items had to be delivered on the next working day and 95% on the working day after that.

Deutsche Post AG’s average letter delivery speeds are measured, in line with the European standard, from the operator’s perspective. This means that the time does not begin until a letter has been collected from a postbox or post office.

Letter delivery times DPAG – operator’s perspective; D+1 here means working day after deposit

Deutsche Post AG’s post offices

Universal service outlets

Postal outlets where universal servicePostG, primarily include the following postal services: transport of letters up to 2,000 grams, parcels up to 20 kilograms, goods shipments, books, newspapers and magazines, as well as the formal delivery of documents contracts can be concluded are known as universal service outlets. These are mostly the post offices and other retail outlets operated by Deutsche Post AG. There have to be at least 12,000 fixed-location facilities of this nature in Germany.

Number of DPAG universal service outlets over time

Self-service kiosks

Deutsche Post AG can operate a self-service kiosk instead of a universal service outlet to fulfil its statutory service provision obligation where the Bundesnetzagentur has authorised this on a case-by-case basis.

Number of authorised self-service kiosks by federal state (as at 30 September 2025)

Postal outlet vacancies

Deutsche Post AG is required to operate at least one postal outlet in all municipalities and in all residential urban areas with more than 2,000 residents. In addition, there must be a postal outlet no more than 2,000 metres away in all residential urban areas with more than 4,000 residents. Deutsche Post AG can operate a self-service kiosk instead of a postal outlet to meet these coverage obligations where the Bundesnetzagentur has authorised this on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the local authority concerned.

The Bundesnetzagentur regularly records the locations it is aware of where Deutsche Post AG, contrary to its statutory requirements, does not operate a postal outlet or an authorised self-service kiosk (“vacant mandatory locations”).

The list below shows the mandatory locations that are currently vacant. It is a snapshot list from 30 September 2025. Experience has shown that many of these locations are only temporarily vacant within the range of typical and anticipated fluctuation.

List of mandatory locations that are vacant (as at 30 September 2025) (pdf / 198 KB)

Deutsche Post AG’s postboxes

Postboxes must be provided so that customers in residential urban areas are, as a rule, within 1,000 metres of one. Deutsche Post AG has a total of over 107,000 postboxes across the whole of Germany. These figures only include the postboxes that were accessible to customers at the end of each year. They do not include postboxes that were out of use temporarily (for instance because of construction works or seasonal operation).

Number of DP AG postboxes over time

Deutsche Post AG’s postbox collection times

By law, postbox collection times must take the needs of the economy, in particular of consumers, into account. The Bundesnetzagentur makes regular reviews of collection times. An increasing number of Deutsche Post AG’s postboxes only show morning collection times. The figures only include the postboxes that were accessible to customers at the end of each year. They do not include postboxes that were out of use temporarily (for instance because of construction works or seasonal operation).

Number of postboxes broken down by type of collection