Touring - Handling Permanent Address On Extended Tour

Questions for those of you who have done extended tours to various countries … and especially for those who have given up your residence in order to tour …

1) One of the common questions asked of travellers to other countries is, “What is your permanent address?”. If you’ve given up your residence, what is the answer to that question?

2) A follow-up question is usually something like, “Do you rent or own?”

3) What about mail? Where does your regularly occurring mail go? I am assuming that the answer to this question would be a Post Office Box, and if that’s the case, that’s easy enough.

4) But I would presume a person could not use a Post Office Box as a permanent address. I am presuming the border crossing people are looking for the address of a permanent structure … something to prove that you have ties to your country of origin/residence, and that you are not contemplating moving to a new country.

5) What about addresses on documents such as Driver’s Licence?

6) Bonus question – Where did you store your things?



When I did a 3-month tour of Australia in 2004, I gave up my apartment before setting off on tour, but the questions above were easily answered because I put all my things into storage in my parents’ basement, I had all my mail redirected to my parents’ house, and I changed the address of some of my documents to my parents’ address.

However, this time, things will likely be stored in a commercial storage facility, and mail will be redirected to a Post Office Box. Which presents the problem of what to do about a permanent address.

On a tour of 10 months and one of 12 months, I owned property. I found renters I could trust and gave them a good incentive to stay for the year. One of the conditions of that reduced rent was that they filter any mail and forward the most important bills to my parents where they could be paid. As much as possible, I reduced bills to 0 by pre-paying, canceling services, etc but there were still some things like property taxes and similar I couldn't avoid. I reduced what I owned as much as I could but left remainder in one room of my property. On a future trip, I might not quite be able to find renters so might end up trying a mail-drop type service.

However, for questions you ask:
1) I used either my parents address or my former property address depending on the context.
2) Not sure why this question gets asked or why they care, but if it seemed to matter I'd say own
3) I reset addresses on some mail, others that still arrived was filtered. I'm also looking at going to online bills more and getting post drop in future.
4) If the only reason border crossing looks for permanent structure - then I'd give them one of the above.
5) No changes made to drivers license.
6) Stored in former property.

In US, the post office will forward mail for up to six months. Hence, if tour isn't longer than six months I could still use old address and have it forward to the PO box. There are also mail drop services used that can take mail received and scan it to email. These get used by folks touring long term on boats or RVs and I'd look at such service if I were going much longer and didn't have local ties I could borrow. All this after reducing my belongings to the minimum.

Where are you going?

Have you considered using the address of a friend or family member as a "permanent address"?

I spent 13 months traveling. I gave up my apartment.
1. I got a post office box at a private company. I gave my address as "Suite 120", rather than "Box 120", and used the post office box address as my permanent address.
2. I've never been asked that question. I would say rent.
3. My mail went to the box office box. My brother would occasionally pick it up.
4. As I used "Suite" rather than "Box", the border agent would not know it was a post office box.
5. The address on my driver's license and other documentation was the post office box address.
6. I rented a storage locker and stored my stuff in it.

I am hoping that this thread might be a useful resource for others who are in the same sort of situation ... an extended tour and no permanent address. So keep the ideas coming of how a cycletourist, or any traveller, might handle this situation.


I'm planning to check the Grey Nomad sites to see if they have some ideas too, and if I find any, I'll pass them on.


Here's a question following on about the Post Office box usage. Suppose a person is gone for 6 months or more, and despite best efforts to reduce the quantity of mail that arrives, there is still a lot. More than would fill one of those small Post Office boxes. Have you had experience with the Post Office collecting your mail in a bag or bin or something else? You would, of course, have to notify them of the situation.

This is something I might need to talk to one of the local Post Offices about.


I have also thought of using the address of the storage facility ... after all, that's where all our household goods would be. Has anyone tried that?



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But meanwhile, in reply to comments made ...


Where are you going?

Around the world.



Have you considered using the address of a friend or family member as a "permanent address"?

Ummm .... yes. Re-read my second to last paragraph in my original post.


In our case this time ... our family is in North America and we need an Australian address. Our friends are scattered all over Australia and the world, and ideally we not only need an Australian address, but specifically a Victorian address.



I spent 13 months traveling. I gave up my apartment.
1. I got a post office box at a private company. I gave my address as "Suite 120", rather than "Box 120", and used the post office box address as my permanent address.
2. I've never been asked that question. I would say rent.
3. My mail went to the box office box. My brother would occasionally pick it up.
4. As I used "Suite" rather than "Box", the border agent would not know it was a post office box.
5. The address on my driver's license and other documentation was the post office box address.
6. I rented a storage locker and stored my stuff in it.

I have been asked whether I rent or own several times. I think it has something to do with them wanting to establish that I have a permanent residence elsewhere.

The "Suite" idea is interesting.

certainly you have a friend, there , don't you?
someone to screen out the junk mailed to you ,
if you won't want that stuff forwarded.

as to mail , I had to stay in one place for several weeks ,
to get the statements from my bank, at home, mailed to me
to learn what the uses of my debit card ,
withdrawing funds in another currency, cost me.
Direct deposit did keep going on income..

staying away does not make a tax holiday,
so those things still have to be dealt with..

retain a lawyer to act in your absence?
maybe their address will do?

I'm not really concerned about mail. I've done a bit of research and found out that the Post Office should be able to handle it.
http://auspost.com.au/personal/mail-redirection-and-mail-hold.html?cmpid=home-p1-l5-mail-redirection

One of the grey nomad sites I looked at also recommended making our arrangements with a small rural post office, if possible, because they'd be more likely to extract the junk mail. I'm guessing that sort of service would vary depending on the post office. In our case, it might be a possibility with one of the post offices not far from where we live.

And for others in this situation, I would encourage you to look at what your country's postal service has to offer. In Canada, I was able to redirect my mail for 6 months before I had to take action to change my address.

Here's the Canada Post information for holding mail:
http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/personal/productsservices/receive/holdmail.jsf

And here's the Canada Post information for redirecting mail:
http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/personal/productsservices/receive/coatemporary.jsf



We're not really concerned about receiving mail while we're out of the country. I don't think there would be anything we'd urgently need to receive. And I can't think of a reason why we would need a lawyer to manage our affairs. We don't have an estate to manage or anything like that, and taxes shouldn't be an issue.

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My parents used the Big Steel Box when they moved, and they had a very good experience with them. That company doesn't exist in Australia, but upon a Google search, I see that there are several other moving "pod"/container options in the Melbourne area.



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But that still leaves the permanent address situation unsolved.

To put the permanent address situation into context, I have had issues getting into Canada in the past, and I now need to carry documentation that indicates I have a job/income, a bank balance to cover costs of my stay, and a permanent address to return to on leaving Canada.

There's no point in offering suggestions or arguments about this. That is the way it is.

Note that there are companies that will scan or forward your mail for you. I haven't used any of these but a search finds a few easy examples:
- One in USA: http://www.mailboxforwarding.com/index.php
- One in Australia: http://www.cmca.net.au/pages/marketplace/marketplace/mail_forwarding.php
- One in the UK: http://www.my-uk-mail.co.uk/
- One that will at least forward mail from many locations: http://www.mailnetwork.com/
and undoubtedly others.

Note that there are companies that will scan or forward your mail for you. I haven't used any of these but a search finds a few easy examples:
- One in USA: http://www.mailboxforwarding.com/index.php
- One in Australia: http://www.cmca.net.au/pages/marketplace/marketplace/mail_forwarding.php
- One in the UK: http://www.my-uk-mail.co.uk/
- One that will at least forward mail from many locations: http://www.mailnetwork.com/
and undoubtedly others.

Useful for keeping on top of the mail that arrives, perhaps not so useful as an address to demonstrate to immigration officials that you have a specific base in your country of origin and a credible plan to return.

I've been browsing through Grey Nomad sites, and there are lots of suggestions regarding mail (as there have been here) ... but not much about what to do about a permanent address to satisfy immigration officials. The Grey Nomads tend to stay within Australia, so they don't have the immigration issues we'll have, but some of them seem to struggle with things like driver's licences, etc.

One suggestion that has come up on those sites is that if you're going to abandon a permanent address to hit the road, get a post office box and take care of any other paperwork like driver's licence renewals etc. before you give up your permanent address. So that's something to keep in mind.

Another suggestion was to make friends with the postmaster/mistress at a very small country Post Office, and then see if you can use the street address of that Post Office as a permanent address.

And one site did suggest that people might possibly be able to use the address of the storage facility. The storage unit would be the unit or suite number, and whole address would be much like that of an apartment. The site suggested that some storage facilities actually offer that as a service. But I've looked up several and don't see that "service" offered on their websites.

And one site did suggest that people might possibly be able to use the address of the storage facility. The storage unit would be the unit or suite number, and whole address would be much like that of an apartment. The site suggested that some storage facilities actually offer that as a service. But I've looked up several and don't see that "service" offered on their websites.

Maybe I'm stating the obvious here, would it be worth contacting them directly to see if they do offer it? If not perhaps it's because they didn't consider it rather than because they actively decided not to offer it.

Virtual Post Mail (http://www.virtualpostmail.com/)

For those who wish to have a California mailing address. You change your mailing address to their Los Angeles address. They scan your mail and post it to your account on their website. The mail is searchable. They can forward it if necessary. They can deposit checks for a small fee.

Useful for keeping on top of the mail that arrives, perhaps not so useful as an address to demonstrate to immigration officials that you have a specific base in your country of origin and a credible plan to return.

Perhaps I've had different experience with immigration asking these questions...but most of time, I've found these are folks trying to do their job. That job being to fill in the box and determine whether I have a permanent address or not. They aren't going to particularly check it, but when I confidently (and without hesitation) give them an answer and something they can fill in the box - they seem to be satisfied, even if that address was where I used to live, my parents address, my mailbox with suite instead of PO box, etc.

However, I suspect if I started to answer their questions with some hesitation. Hemming and hawing or trying to explain the nuances of how I used to live there but don't really anymore - or an explanation of why the address I'm going to give really should meet their needs in spirit if not letter, etc...or other hesitant answers, then I suspect they might probe more than conversations I've had.

Perhaps I've had different experience with immigration asking these questions...but most of time, I've found these are folks trying to do their job. That job being to fill in the box and determine whether I have a permanent address or not. They aren't going to particularly check it, but when I confidently (and without hesitation) give them an answer and something they can fill in the box - they seem to be satisfied, even if that address was where I used to live, my parents address, my mailbox with suite instead of PO box, etc.

However, I suspect if I started to answer their questions with some hesitation. Hemming and hawing or trying to explain the nuances of how I used to live there but don't really anymore - or an explanation of why the address I'm going to give really should meet their needs in spirit if not letter, etc...or other hesitant answers, then I suspect they might probe more than conversations I've had.


It's never been a problem for me, I'm just pointing out that a place you can have your mail forwarded is a very different thing from a permanent address. I don't imagine immigration will check the address but the way they often ask questions based on answers to previous questions I can see how they might handle an "address" that looks like a broom cupboard in an office block somewhere.

Perhaps I've had different experience with immigration asking these questions...but most of time, I've found these are folks trying to do their job. That job being to fill in the box and determine whether I have a permanent address or not. They aren't going to particularly check it, but when I confidently (and without hesitation) give them an answer and something they can fill in the box - they seem to be satisfied, even if that address was where I used to live, my parents address, my mailbox with suite instead of PO box, etc.

However, I suspect if I started to answer their questions with some hesitation. Hemming and hawing or trying to explain the nuances of how I used to live there but don't really anymore - or an explanation of why the address I'm going to give really should meet their needs in spirit if not letter, etc...or other hesitant answers, then I suspect they might probe more than conversations I've had.

Yes, but you probably don't have the somewhat more complicated immigration situation we do.

For a start, Rowan is Australian, I am a Canadian living as a permanent resident in Australia.


And in the past, we have both (individually and as a couple) been asked for our permanent address, and we've been asked if we rent or own, or are in some other living arrangement. I've also been asked about my job, and when I have been unemployed at my time of travel, I've been asked to produce something to convince them that I'm not trying to move into their country. Rowan has been asked to show that he has the wherewithall to support himself during his stay, so far I have not been asked that question. But I have been asked who, specifically, I will be staying with, what my itinerary might be, and to provide some details about what I intend to do in that country.

We have not necessarily been faced with the whole list of questions each time we cross a border. From my experience, you just never know what questions you're going to get. Sometimes there are hardly any questions, other times there might be just one, and other times it's like an interegation.