**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Communications has notified the Post Office (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2026, which amends the Post Office Regulations, 2024. Effective from July 15, 2026, these regulations introduce new protocols for the cancellation of bookings, postage refunds, and the recall or redirection of international postal items. The document defines the rights of senders and addressees regarding service adjustments and provides a framework for refunds during service suspensions.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Cancellation and Refunds**
* **Self-Booked Items:** Senders can cancel items booked through the web portal or mobile application provided the item has not yet been accepted by the Post Office.
* **Counter-Booked Items:** Senders may request cancellation of items booked at Post Office counters.
* **Error Correction:** The Post Office may cancel a booking on the same day it was made if there was an incorrect data entry.
* **Postage Refunds:** Refunds for canceled bookings are admissible based on administrative instructions issued by the Department.
**Recall and Redirection of International Mail**
* **Sender Recall:** The sender of an accountable outward international item can recall it from the office of booking for any reason; no fee is collected for this specific request.
* **Addressee Redirection:** The addressee of an accountable inward international item can redirect the item by paying a prescribed postal fee.
* **Free Redirection:** Redirection is free of charge if both the original and substitute addresses are within the delivery area of the same Post Office.
* **Foreign Destinations:** Recalling or redirecting items from foreign destinations is permitted subject to the policies of the concerned foreign postal administration.
**Service Suspensions and Administrative Provisions**
* **Suspension Refunds:** If services are suspended, senders are eligible for refunds of postage, special fees, and air surcharges.
* **Formal Requests:** To avail of recall or redirection facilities, the sender, addressee, or an authorized person must submit a written request to the relevant Post Office.
* **Regulation Omissions:** Specific phrases regarding "international inward items" and certain provisos have been omitted from Regulations 55 and 57.
**Impact Analysis**
**Senders of Postal Items**
**Impact**
Senders gain the authority to cancel digital or counter bookings before processing and can recall international shipments. They are also entitled to refunds for postage and surcharges in the event of service suspensions.
**Action Required**
Senders must submit written requests to the concerned Post Office to initiate a recall and follow departmental administrative instructions to claim refunds.
**Addressees of International Mail**
**Impact**
Addressees are empowered to redirect inward international mail to a new address, providing greater flexibility for receiving items.
**Action Required**
To redirect an item, the addressee or an authorized representative must submit a written request and pay the required postal fee, unless the redirection is within the same delivery area.
**Department of Posts / Post Office Officials**
**Impact**
The Department is responsible for managing new cancellation workflows, correcting data entry errors on the day of booking, and processing refunds according to administrative instructions.
**Action Required**
Officials must implement the revised procedures for international mail recall/redirection and ensure that no fees are collected for initial recall requests as per the new sub-regulations.
Key Entities Referenced
Post Office (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2026: The primary regulatory document introducing new rules for the cancellation of bookings, refund of postage, and the recall or redirection of international postal items.
Post Office Act, 2023: The principal legislation, specifically Section 13, which grants the Director General the power to make regulations with the prior approval of the Central Government.
Post Office Regulations, 2024: The baseline regulatory framework for postal services that is being amended by the 2026 regulations.
Department of Posts: The department within the Ministry of Communications responsible for issuing this notification and managing the administrative instructions for postal services.
रजिस्ट्री स.ं डी.एल.- 33004/99 REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99
सी.जी.-डी.एल.-अ.-16072026-274553
CG-DxLx-xEG-I1D6H0x7x2x0 26-274553
xxxGIDExxx
असाधारण
EXTRAORDINARY
भाग II—खण् ड 3—उप-खण्ड (ii)
PART II—Section 3—Sub-section (ii)
प्राजधकार स ेप्रकाजित
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
स.ं 3728] नई दिल्ली, बधु िार , िुलाई 15, 2026/आषाढ 24, 1948
No. 3728] NEW DELHI, WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2026/ASHADHA 24, 1948
सचं ार मत्रं ालय
(डाक जिभाग)
अजधसचू ना
नई दिल् ली, 15 िुलाई, 2026
का.आ. 3891(अमहाजनिेिक, केंद्रीय सरकार के पूिव अनुमोिन से, डाकघर अजधजनयम, 2023 (2023 का 43) की
धारा 13 द्वारा प्रित्त िजियों का प्रयोग करते हुए, डाकघर जिजनयम, 2024 का और संिोधन करने के जलए जनम्नजलजखत
जिजनयम बनाते ह,ैं अर्ावत् :-
1. सक्षं िप्त नाम और प्रारंभ - (1) इन क्षिक्षनयमों का संक्षिप्त नाम डाकघर (चौर्ा संशोधन) क्षिक्षनयम, 2026 ह।ै
(2) य ेरािपत्र में उनके प्रकािन की तारीख को प्रिृत्त होंगे।
2. डाकघर क्षिक्षनयम, 2024 (क्षिसे इसम ें इसके पश्चात उि क्षिक्षनयम कहा गया ह)ै के, क्षिक्षनयम 23 के पश्चात ्
क्षनम्नक्षिक्षित जिजनयम अंतःस्थाक्षित ककया िाएगा, अर्ावत:-
“23क. रद्द करना और डाक िुल्क िापस करना.- (1) प्रेषक, डाकघर द्वारा स्ट्िीकार दकए िाने से पहले िेब पोर्वल या मोबाइल
एजललकेिन के माध्यम से स्ट्ियं बुक की गई दकसी िस्ट्तु को रद्द कर सकेगा।
(2) डाकघर काउंर्र पर बुक की गई िस्ट्त ुके मामल ेमें, प्रेषक डाकघर म ेंबुककंग रद्द करन ेका अनुरोध कर सकेगा या डाकघर,
उसी दिन गलत डार्ा प्रजिजि के जलए बुककंग रद्द कर सकेगा।
5405 GI/2026 (1)2 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART II—SEC. 3(ii)]
(3) इस प्रकार रद्द होने पर डाक िुल्क िापस करना, समय-समय पर जिभाग द्वारा िारी प्रिासजनक अनुिेिों के अनुसार
स्ट्िीकायव होगा।”
3. उि जिजनयमों म,ें - (i) जिजनयम 55 में, उप-जिजनयम (1) में, “और अतं रावष्ट्रीय आिक डाक िस्ट्तु” िब्िों का िोि ककया
िाएगा।
(ii) जिजनयम 57 म,ें उप-जिजनयम (1) के परंतुक का लोप दकया िाएगा;
(iii) जिजनयम 119 म,ें उप-जिजनयम (2) के स्ट्र्ान पर, जनम्नजलजखत उप-जिजनयम रखा िाएगा, अर्ावत:् -
“(2) समय-समय पर िारी प्रिासजनक अनुििों के अनुसार, सिे ाओं के जनलंबन की जस्ट्र्जत म ें प्रेषक को डाक िल्ु क, जििेष
फीस और हिाई अजधभार िापस दकया िा सकेगा।”;
(iv) जिजनयम 119 के पश्चात्, जनम्नजलजखत जिजनयम अतं ःस्ट्र्ाजपत दकया िाएगा, अर्ावत:् -
“119क. अंतरराष्ट्रीय डाक िस्ट्तओंु को िापस मंगाना और पुनर्नविेिन और अनरु ोध करने की प्रदिया.- (1) लेखािेय िािक
अंतराष्ट्रव ीय डाक िस्ट्त ु का प्रेषक, समय-समय पर िारी प्रिासजनक अनुिेिों के अनुसार, दकसी भी कारण स े बुककंग कायावलय
से डाक िस्ट्त ुको िापस मगं ा सकेगा।
(2) लेखािेय आिक अतं रराष्ट्रीय डाक िस्ट्त ु का प्रेजषती, अनुसचू ी I की सारणी 6 म ें उजल्लजखत डाक िल्ु क का भुगतान कर
दकसी भी कारण से जडलीिरी कायावलय से डाक िस्ट्तु को पुनर्नविेजित कर सकेगा, िो मलू और िसू रे पत े के एक ही डाकघर
के जडलीिरी क्षेत्र के भीतर होन ेके मामले म ेंजनःिल्ु क होगा।
(3) प्रेषक या प्रेजषती या उनका अजधकृत व्यजि, उप-जिजनयम (1) और (2) म ें उजल्लजखत सुजिधा का लाभ उठान े के जलए
संबंजधत डाकघर में जलजखत अनरु ोध करेंगे।
(4) उप-जिजनयम (1) के अधीन अनरु ोध करन े के जलए कोई िल्ु क नहीं जलया िाएगा।
(5) समय-समय पर िारी प्रिासजनक अनुिेिों के अनुसार प्रषे क को डाक िल्ु क, जििेष फीस और हिाई अजधभार िापस
दकया िा सकेगा।
(6) लेखािेय अंतरराष्ट्रीय डाक िस्ट्तु का प्रेषक समय-समय पर िारी प्रिासजनक अनुिेिों के अनुसार, इस संबंध में संबंजधत
डाक प्रिासन की नीजत के अधीन जििेिी गंतव्य से डाक िस्ट्तु को िापस मंगा या पनु र्नविेजित कर सकेगा।”
[फा.सं. डीए-26/3/2020-डीए]
लक्ष्मीकांत िाि, उप महाजनिेिक
टर्लप ण :- डाकघर जिजनयम, 2024, भारत के रािपत्र, असाधारण, भाग 2, खंड 3, उप-खंड (ii) म ें संखयांक का.आ. 5440
(अ.), तारीख 16 दिसंबर, 2024 द्वारा प्रकाजित दकए गए र् े और इसम ें अंजतम बार संखयाकं का.आ. 1595 (अ.), तारीख
25 माच,व 2026 द्वारा संिोधन दकया गया र्ा।
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS
(Department of Posts)
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 15th July, 2026
S.O. 3891(E).— In exercise of the powers conferred by section 13 of the Post Office Act, 2023 (43 of
2023), the Director General with the prior approval of the Central Government, hereby makes the following
regulations further to amend the Post Office Regulations, 2024, namely:-
1. Short title and commencement.- (1) These regulations may be called the Post Office (Fourth
Amendment) Regulations, 2026.[भाग II—खण् ड 3(ii)] भारत का रािपत्र : असाधारण 3
(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
2. In the Post Office Regulations, 2024 (hereinafter referred to as the said regulations), after regulation
23, the following regulation shall be inserted, namely:-
“23A. Cancellation and refund of postage.- (1) The sender may cancel an item self-booked through the web
portal or mobile application prior to its acceptance by the Post Office.
(2) In case of item booked at the Post Office counter, the sender may request cancellation of the booking at
the Post Office or the Post Office may cancel the booking for incorrect data entry, on the same day of the
booking.
(3) Upon such cancellation, the refund of postage shall be admissible in accordance with the administrative
instructions issued by the Department from time to time.”.
3. In the said regulations,- (i) in regulation 55, in sub-regulation (1), the words “and international inward
item" shall be omitted.
(ii) in regulation 57, in sub-regulation (1), the proviso shall be omitted;
(iii) in regulation 119, for sub-regulation (2), the following sub-regulation shall be substituted, namely:-
“(2) The postage, special fee, and air surcharges may be refunded to the sender in the event of suspension of
services in accordance with the administrative instructions issued from time to time.”;
(iv) after regulation 119, the following regulation shall be inserted, namely:-
“119A. Recall and Redirection of International Postal Items and the Procedure for Making Requests.- (1)
The sender of an accountable outward international postal item may recall the item from the office of
booking, for any reason, in accordance with the administrative instructions issued from time to time.
(2) The addressee of an accountable inward international postal item may redirect the item from the office
of delivery for any reason by paying a postal fee as mentioned in Table VI of Schedule I, which shall be free
of charge in case of original and substitute address are within delivery area of same Post Office.
(3) The sender or addressee or their authorized person shall make a written request in the concerned Post
Office, for availing the facility referred to in sub-regulations (1) and (2).
(4) No fee shall be collected for making a request under sub-regulation (1).
(5) The postage, special fee and air surcharges may be refunded to the sender in accordance with the
administrative instructions issued from time to time.
(6) The sender of an accountable international item may further recall or redirect the item from foreign
destination subject to the policy of the concerned postal administration in this regard, in accordance with the
administrative instructions issued from time to time.”.
[F.No. DA-26/3/2020-DA]
LAKSHMIKANTA DASH, Dy. Director General
Note: The Post Office Regulations, 2024 were published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II,
section 3, sub-section (ii) vide number S.O. 5440 (E), dated the 16th December, 2024 and was last
amended vide number S.O. 1595 (E), dated the 25th March, 2026.
Uploaded by Dte. of Printing at Government of India Press, Ring Road, Mayapuri, New Delhi-110064
and Published by the Controller of Publications, Delhi-110054.