The history of mail and postage stamps in Vietnam includes the stages of development of postal services of various states and administrations that existed on the territory of Vietnam, which issued postage stamps. The first stamps were introduced by the French colonial administration. Stamps specially for Vietnam were issued in 1945. Decades of conflict and division of the country led to the issuance of stamps by mutually hostile governments. The reunification of Vietnam in 1976 marked the beginning of the creation of a unified postal service. Vietnam has been a member of the Universal Postal Union since 1951.