I’ve been nomadic since 2015. I started out getting my mail delivered to a family member’s address, but then switched to a mail service. It is physically located in Portland, OR (my home base), giving me a local mailing address for when I need one (if something requires a physical, residential address, I still use a family member).
For $10 per month they send me a photo of any mail I receive. I can then request they discard it, open it and scan it, shred it or forward it to me wherever in the world I am. There are small fees attached to all services other than just discarding mail, but I seldom need the other services and it’s worth it to me.
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Thanks for the link. Could have done it while freelancing. Full-time employer has said that we cannot reside outside of the U.S. because of taxation and business reg issues. Short-term stints are OK.
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I am going through Malta now. It’s super quick and easy with beneficial rules. They’re still working some kinks out, but it’s worth it to have a long term visa to a schengen country.
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I am nomadic sitter in the U.S. My passport card expired last year. I would like to get a full passport but not sure how to do that since I don’t have a permanent address. Help?
Every country has different rules but you haven’t indicated what country you’re a citizen of. Why not check their website and see what their rules are? Or contact their embassy in the US and ask?
I read that as you are currently sitting in the US, but maybe you are a US citizen? If so, here is the website with all the info you need on renewing your passport.
Go to the official government website.
There you will find the requirements based on your individual circumstances which will vary if you are a national, citizen, a legal resident, in the country or abroad. You may have to go to the local embassy if you are abroad.
As for an address, you will find the answer there as well. Again based on your circumstances they will provide a passport no matter where you are if you meet the requirements.
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Thanks, I am a U.S. citizen and have looked on the official site…it basically says that I have to list my home address…I don’t have a home address…I guess I will try to talk to someone on the phone…but that’s not easy!
Do you have a mailing address, or a family or friend in the US where you can have your new passport sent? You don’t have to contact the passport office if you move/change addresses so my uninformed thought is that you just need a current address or mailing address.
Update: OK I just looked at the renewal form online. It specifically says “Mailing address”. And it says if you don’t live at that address, you need to put “in care of…”.
You have to provide a mailing address. You don’t have to live there. I am a nomad as well and as @Kelownagurl suggests, try a family member, trusted friend.
On the form, #18, requires a permanent address if a p.o. box is listed as my mailing address. That’s the problem. In the past, I would have used my mom’s address but she is now in assisted living and her house is for sale so I don’t think that will work anymore…but I guess I’ll try it! I don’t have anyone else in that area that I would feel comfortable asking and if I use an address out of that area, it messes with my social security and medicare…been down that road once already!
I wonder if your mom still has an actual address even if she’s in assisted living? That might work? Does she get mail sent to her?
Haha! That may work! Her mail goes to my brother and I won’t use his address…family issues.
For those who use THS full-time what do you do for your mailing address? I don’t have an option to send it “home” or to a family member. so I’m wondering what life hacks others are using?
Thanks in advance 
Hi. We use virtualpostmail.com since we are outside the US and still need to receive mail there. They scan the front of each mailpiece and send it to us. We can have them open and scan something like 50 pieces of mail to us per month. They charge extra to actually forward physical pieces of mail (we haven’t had to do that yet).
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Hi @Crk824. Welcome to the forum.
My husband and I use myrvmail.com which is based in northern Florida. We love them. Their target market is rv’ers, boaters, traveling nurses and military folks.
Will you be changing your domicile in addition to getting a mail handler? Many nomads do both at the same time.
We started our search for a mail service by deciding which states we might like to be “domiciled” in (meaning being our official residence even though we’re on the road most of the time, and we don’t have a house or apartment anywhere.) Then we identified the mail handling services that had operations in those states. We narrowed our search from there based on pricing, reviews and the ability to get health insurance that we could use anywhere in the US. Here’s an overview of how we selected our mail handler.
Regardless of who you pick, it helps to look closely at every piece of mail you receive before switching over. Could you go paperless with that account? Could you get off of their mailing list? It took some work, but we now get very little mail. Just one bank that refuses to let us be paperless, voting information, packages we have sent there and held until we get a chance to pick them up, tax forms, etc. We have the contents of most of what we receive scanned to us and then shredded.
Best wishes in your search!
We are now sitting full time, mainly in the UK, and to get going we redirected our post to a PO Box with Royal Mail. But it’s quite pricey to do so, so I need a different option for next year. So what do other sitters do with mail, when they don’t want to inconvenience their family?
Thanks
Hi @HappyDeb
Doing a quick look at the cost of the Royal Mailbox I can see what you mean about it being pricey.
I use a service in the US called iPostal1 that appears to offer services in the UK according to a quick check on their website, and it looks like it would be a lot cheaper than the PO box offered by the national mail service.
There are a number of such services available online so you might look into different ones to see if any others offer service in the UK and compare prices. I use the most basic package as I don’t receive a lot of mail at all and it cost me less than 11 USD a month.
I receive a scanned image of the envelope of all pieces, and it is an extra cost to have the contents scanned–about a dollar I believe. And I am able to have things forwarded as well for an additional cost if necessary.
That’s interesting, I’ll definitely look into that, thanks.
Hi @HappyDeb
I used a service for years in the UK that worked great. It cost me £50 a year for the residential mailing address then 50p per scanned letter over 5 (first 5 each month where included).
Unfortunately they closed the service down. Still searching for a cost saving replacement.
Hi @HappyDeb - I gave my brother’s address to anyone that I thought may ever need to use snail mail. He opens everything that comes and lets me know if he thinks anything needs my attention. I get on average one letter every couple of months!
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