Moving your business, or moving house when your business runs from home? There are two ways to keep your mail coming. Australia Post mail redirection sends letters from your old address to a new one for a set period. A business address gives you an address that doesn’t change, so there’s nothing to redirect next time.
They solve different problems, and plenty of people use both.
What mail redirection does
Australia Post’s business mail redirection sends eligible letters and parcels addressed to your old address on to a new one, for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months. Under its terms, the service runs for up to 12 months at a time and can be extended.
Things to know:
- It’s temporary. It buys you time to tell everyone your new address. It doesn’t replace telling them.
- It doesn’t update any register. ASIC, the ABR, your bank and your customers still have the old address.
- Some mail won’t follow you. Australia Post may refuse to redirect an item if the sender has prohibited redirection.
- Business applications need proof of authority. For a company, a director or secretary (or someone they authorise) signs, and Australia Post asks for the company’s registration certificate.
- It takes a few days to start. Australia Post says applications take 3 to 6 business days to process.
What it costs
At the time of writing (October 2026), Australia Post lists these prices for business redirection within Australia:
| Period | Business, within Australia |
|---|---|
| Up to 1 month | $162 |
| Up to 3 months | $405 |
| Up to 6 months | $810 |
| Up to 12 months | $1,620 |
If you run your business from home, you may be eligible for Australia Post’s cheaper home office rate (listed from $81 for a month), applied for in person at a Post Office. See Australia Post’s redirection page. Check current prices before you apply; they change.
What a business address does
A business address is a permanent street address for your business that isn’t tied to where you live or work. Your mail goes there, and you see it on your phone.
- It doesn’t move when you do. Move house, change co-working spaces or go interstate, and your ASIC and ABN details stay the same.
- It can be your registered office. A company’s registered office must be a street address in Australia, not a PO Box (ASIC). We provide the occupier’s consent letter when you’re approved.
- Your mail is visible from anywhere. We photograph every envelope the day it arrives, and you choose scan, shred, forward or collect. See how mail scanning works.
Side by side
| Mail redirection | Business address | |
|---|---|---|
| How long | 1 to 12 months, then extend or stop | As long as you keep the plan |
| Changes your address with ASIC and the ABR? | No | Yes, once you update them to it |
| Registered office? | No, it's not an address | Yes |
| See mail before it reaches you | No | Yes, envelope photos and scans |
| Next time you move | Pay to redirect again | Nothing to change |
Which one?
- Moving once, and happy to receive mail at the new place? Redirect for a few months and update everyone. Our change of address checklist covers the places people forget.
- Move often, work from home, or don’t want your home on the record? Get a business address, then redirect your old address for a short time while you switch everything over.
- Only need somewhere to receive letters? A PO Box may be enough. See virtual address vs PO Box.
Your MailStreet address is released once your ID checks pass, so set it up before your move date if you can. Plans and prices are on the pricing page.