The government of Tuvalu established their own postal administration on January 1, 1976, the day that full administration of the colony was transferred from Tarawa, the capital of the old Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony. On this day, a set of provisional overprinted definitive stamps and a commemorative set of three stamps were placed on sale. These were the first stamps inscribed for specific use in the post offices of Tuvalu. Stamps of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands remained valid for postage until the end of 1976.

Tuvalu Stamp Studies:

Definitive Stamps

1. Tuvalu Overprints on Gilbert & Ellice Stamps (1976)
   • Details
   • Printing Varieties
2. Maps and Scenes (1976-1979)
   • Regular Issue
   • Independence Overprints
3. Fish I (1979-1983)
   • Regular Issue
   • Border Types
   • 45c on 50c Surcharge
   • Official Overprints
4. Handicrafts (1983-1988)
   • Regular Issue
   • Surcharges
   • Official Overprints
5. Birds (1988-1992)
   • Regular issue
   • Official Overprints
   • Singpex 94 Overprints
   • Kosovo Overprints 1999
6. Fish II (1992-1997)
   • Kuala Lumpur 92 overprint
   • Tapei 96 overprint
7. Fish III (1997 - 2001)
   
   • Hong Kong 97 souvenir sheet
8. Insects (2001 to 2006)
   
9. Corals (2006 to current)
   

Commemorative Stamps

• List by year
• N.B. This yearly listing includes stamps issued with approval by the Tuvalu Stamp Advisory Committee. The demonetized Leaders of the World and thematic issues produced in the 1980's by two different philatelic agencies will be covered separately. These stamps were issued with approval of the Tuvalu government, but were produced at the discretion of the agencies involved, without requiring approval of the Stamp Advisory Committee. They are no longer valid for postage (see below).

Leaders of the World (see note above)

• Leaders of the World - A Philatelic Scandal
• Database of LOW stamps [PDF file, 106 kb, 40 pages, sorted by date of issue]

Postage Due Stamps

• 1981 Coat-of-Arms
• 1982 Reprints
• 1983 Reprints

Aerogrammes

• Standard aerogrammes
• Official aerogrammes

Tuvalu Philatelic Bureau

• Contact Information
• Ordering Stamps
• TPB Newsletter

Other Tuvalu Philatelic Information:

• Kiribati and Tuvalu Philatelic Society
• Pacific Islands Study Circle
• Tuvalu Stamps on eBay
• Fakes and Forgeries