---
title: Introducing International Address Cleanse
description: Ideal Postcodes' International Address Cleanse supports accurate address cleansing worldwide, recognising local languages and formats.
image: https://blog.ideal-postcodes.co.uk/hubfs/Global%20Address%20Network%20Globe.png
---

[![logo-white](https://blog.ideal-postcodes.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/logo-white.png?width=220&height=37&name=logo-white.png "logo-white")](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk)

[![Ideal Postcodes Logo](https://blog.ideal-postcodes.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/logo-inverted.png?width=2154&height=361&name=logo-inverted.png "Ideal Postcodes Logo")](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk)

- [Blog](https://blog.ideal-postcodes.co.uk/)
- [Pricing](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/pricing)
- Products 
    - [Address Finder](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/address-finder)
    - [Postcode Lookup](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/postcode-lookup)
    - [Address Cleansing](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/address-cleanse)
    - [Address Database](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/address-database)
    - [Geocoding](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/geocoding)
    - [UPRN](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/uprn)
- [Support](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/support)
- [Documentation](https://docs.ideal-postcodes.co.uk/)
- [Dashboard](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/account)

# International Address Cleanse

Our Cleanse API now supports global addresses, recognising local languages and address formats

![hero-jobbies-7](https://f.hubspotusercontent00.net/hubfs/395201/hero-jobbies-7.svg)

[Doaa Kurdi](https://blog.ideal-postcodes.co.uk/author/doaa-kurdi)

 Oct 26, 2026, 9:00:01 AM

> Our Cleanse API now supports global addresses, recognising local languages and address formats

![Global Address Network Globe](https://blog.ideal-postcodes.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Global%20Address%20Network%20Globe.png?width=505&height=284&name=Global%20Address%20Network%20Globe.png)

 

**TL;DR:** International Address Cleanse is now available through our existing Cleanse API, supporting address cleansing across countries worldwide. Built using country-specific address data and matching rules, it recognises local languages, abbreviations, postcode formats and address conventions. 

## Why international address cleansing is different

Global cleanse involves more than matching an address against another country's data. It requires an understanding of how people write their addresses, including local abbreviations, official languages, postcode formats, special characters and country-specific conventions.

Our International Address Cleanse is built country by country, using national address datasets and local matching rules to recognise addresses as they're written in the real world.

Here's how it works, and why those local details make a difference.

## One request for every country covered

International cleansing runs through the same current Cleanse API. The country is specified per request, and the response follows the same consistent structure, so a Swiss address and a UK address are structured the same way for the systems that receive them.

The original national address record is also preserved alongside the standardised result. That means country-specific identifiers, such as a Dutch Kadaster reference, a French commune code or a Swiss building identifier, remain available in their original form.

For more details on requests and response structures, visit our [Cleanse Address API reference.](https://docs.ideal-postcodes.co.uk/docs/api/address-cleanse)

## Addresses recognised in their own language

Our international cleanse picks up local characters, common abbreviations and multiple official languages, so addresses can be entered naturally and matched against the correct national records.

### Local characters and official spelling

The API recognises addresses even when local characters are missing from the input, returning the official spelling in the standardised result. For example:

![Address examples 1](https://blog.ideal-postcodes.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Address%20examples%201.png?width=604&height=316&name=Address%20examples%201.png)

### Common abbreviations

Common local abbreviations are recognised and matched to their full forms. For example:

- **France:** *bd* for *boulevard*
- **Austria:** *str* for *Straße*
- **Spain:** *c/* for *calle*

### Punctuation and special characters

The API also handles punctuation used in different writing systems, including the characters and punctuation conventions found in Japanese, Chinese and Korean addresses.

### Countries with multiple official languages

The API supports addresses written in different official languages, using language-specific indexes to match them against the appropriate address data.

Switzerland, for example, has four national languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh. Our international cleanse supports all four through separate language indexes.

Belgium supports French, Dutch and German indexes, while Spain covers Castilian, Catalan, Basque and Galician.

Our International Address Cleanse is designed to recognise addresses as customers naturally write them, without requiring them to change their language or formatting to fit a system.   
 

## Understanding how addresses are written locally

Address formats vary between countries, including how people write building numbers, floors and individual apartments.

In Denmark, for example, *3 th* means third floor, door on the right. Our international cleanse understands this convention and can distinguish a floor reference from a building number.

Country-specific matching also considers which words are meaningful in an address. A word like *de* might be considered insignificant in general French text, but it's part of a legitimate street name such as *Rue de Rivoli*.

Rather than relying on generic language rules, our matching rules are developed using the address data and conventions of each country.

## Built on authoritative national address data

The international cleanse uses country-specific indexes built from national address datasets and other established address data sources.

Some of the data sources include:

| **Country** | **National address dataset** |
| --- | --- |
| France | Base Adresse Nationale (BAN) |
| Switzerland and Liechtenstein | swisstopo |
| Netherlands | Kadaster BAG |
| Denmark | SDFI DAR |
| Norway and Svalbard | Kartverket |
| Austria | BEV |
| Belgium | FOD BOSA BeSt |
| Ireland | ECAF and ECAD |

Coverage extends well beyond Europe, including Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, the USA and around 200 additional countries. For the complete list of supported countries and their underlying datasets, see our [data documentation](https://docs.ideal-postcodes.co.uk/docs/data).

## Recognising country-specific postcode formats

Postcode formats vary between countries, from their structure and permitted characters to the geographic areas they represent.

We use country-specific rules to recognise postcode formats and identify invalid combinations.

For example:

- **Netherlands:** Recognises the Dutch postcode structure and rejects invalid letter combinations.
- **Canada:** Applies Canadian postcode rules, including restrictions on which letters can appear.
- **France:** Checks postcode formats against valid département numbering conventions.

When a recognised postcode is found, the API uses it to narrow the address search before matching the remaining address information.

![NLD](https://blog.ideal-postcodes.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/NLD.png?width=539&height=282&name=NLD.png)

For example, entering *1012LG 1* can return *Damrak 1, 1012 LG Amsterdam,* recognising the Dutch convention of using a postcode and house number to identify an address.

## The benefits of international address cleansing

![urban](https://blog.ideal-postcodes.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/urban.png?width=587&height=307&name=urban.png)

### More accurate data across international markets

Improve the quality of address information captured and stored across different markets, helping reduce errors and manual corrections.

### Simpler integration as your business expands

Extend address cleansing into international markets through your existing Cleanse API integration, without needing separate solutions for each country.

### A better customer experience

Allow customers to enter addresses as they're used to writing them, while helping reduce failed deliveries, returned mail and the administrative work associated with inaccurate address data.

## Global address cleansing available now

International [Address Cleanse](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/address-cleanse) is available now through our Cleanse API.

Explore the [cleanse documentation](https://docs.ideal-postcodes.co.uk/docs/api/address-cleanse/)or [speak to our team](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/support)about your international address cleansing requirements.

 

 

[Address Cleansing](https://blog.ideal-postcodes.co.uk/tag/address-cleansing), [News](https://blog.ideal-postcodes.co.uk/tag/news)

## Read On

[![logo](https://blog.ideal-postcodes.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/logo.png?width=300&height=49&name=logo.png "logo")](https://www.ideal-postcodes.co.uk)

International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct

London, EC1A 2BN

[Follow us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/idealpostcodes/) [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/ideal-postcodes) [Follow us on Twitter](https://twitter.com/IdealPostcodes) [Follow us on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/idealpostcodes/)

### Products

- [Address Finder](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/address-finder)
- [Postcode Lookup](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/postcode-lookup)
- [Address Cleansing](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/address-cleanse)
- [Address Database](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/address-database)
- [Geocoding](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/geocoding)
- [UPRN](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/uprn)

### Products

- [Ideal Postcodes](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/)
- [Contact](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/support)

### Products

- [Documentation](https://docs.ideal-postcodes.co.uk/)
- [Guides](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/guides)

Copyright © Ideal Postcodes 2021. All Rights Reserved. | [Privacy Policy](https://ideal-postcodes.co.uk/privacy_policy)

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Doaa Kurdi",
    "url" : "https://blog.ideal-postcodes.co.uk/author/doaa-kurdi"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2026-10-26T09:00:01.391Z",
  "datePublished" : "2026-10-26T09:00:01.000Z",
  "headline" : "Introducing International Address Cleanse",
  "image" : [ "https://blog.ideal-postcodes.co.uk/hubfs/Global%20Address%20Network%20Globe.png" ],
  "mainEntityOfPage" : {
    "@id" : "https://blog.ideal-postcodes.co.uk/international-address-cleanse",
    "@type" : "WebPage"
  },
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "url" : "https://blog.ideal-postcodes.co.uk/hubfs/logo-inverted.png"
    },
    "name" : "IDDQD Limited"
  }
}
```