Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Formatting Canadian Postal Codes.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 10, 2025)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
In Canada, postal codes consist of six characters with a space in the middle: a letter, a number, a letter, a space, a number, a letter, and a final number. Thus, A1B 2C3 is a properly formatted postal code. If you are retrieving postal codes from an external database, they might not have the required space in the middle. Excel makes it easy to add such a space.
Let's assume that the improperly formatted postal codes are in column C. In column D you could use a formula such as the following:
=LEFT(C12,3) & " " & RIGHT(C12,3)
This formula uses string-manipulation functions to place a space in between the first and last three characters. Thus, if C12 contained A1B2C3, then the cell with this formula would display A1B 2C3.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (11167) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Formatting Canadian Postal Codes.
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2025-04-23 11:03:49
J. Woolley
@Kurt Holzman
"...to enforce capital letters in the formula. "
=UPPER(LEFT(C12,3) & " " & RIGHT(C12,3))
2025-04-22 11:07:04
Kurt Holzman
Thank you for this formula to correctly format Canadian Postal Codes. Of all the posts I've seen, this seems to be the most logical. One thing I may add is to enforce capital letters in the formula. I wish Microsoft would add a Special Format in Excel for Canadian Postal Codes as it has for US ZIP & ZIP+4 Codes.
2023-11-18 09:47:01
Kurt Holzman
Thank you for this tip. If you change location to 'English (United States)' to 'English (Canada)' the only options Excel offers are Phone Number or Social Insurance Number. This tip is very helpful.
2021-05-09 08:04:20
Rod Grealish
UK postcodes can have two to four characters before the space, such as L1 for Liverpool 1 and G3 for Glasgow 3. The Wikipedia article on UK postcodes states that the following are the valid formats for UK postcodes.
AA9A 9AA
A9A 9AA
A9 9AA
A99 9AA
AA9 9AA
AA99 9AA
Rod
2021-05-02 12:13:31
Willy Vanhaelen
Here is even a one-liner version of my macro:
Sub AddSpaces()
Selection = Evaluate(Replace("LEFT(@,3)&"" "" & RIGHT(@,3)", "@", Selection.Address))
End Sub
2021-04-24 12:42:28
Willy Vanhaelen
@Hazel Kohler
The formula can be shorter:
=LEFT(A2,IF(LEN(A2)=6,3,4))&" "&RIGHT(A2,3)
@TWIMC
If you prefer to do it without helper column you can use this macro which does the changes right in your postal codes column:
Sub AddSpaces()
Dim cell As Range
For Each cell In Selection.Cells
cell = Left(cell, 3) & " " & Right(cell, 3)
Next cell
End Sub
To use it, select the postal codes you which to change and run the macro.
2021-04-24 08:31:52
Hazel Kohler
Postcodes in the UK can have 3 or 4 characters in the first group, but always 3 characters in the second group, after the space (e.g. AB1 1AB, or AB12 1AB). Adding an IF condition to the formula takes this into account - in my example, the code is in AA: IF(LEN(A2)=6,(LEFT(A2,3)&" "&RIGHT(A2,3)),(LEFT(A2,4))&" "&RIGHT(A2,3))
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Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here:
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