Royal Mail advises posting gifts early, particularly for International deliveries.
Christmas is coming and that means presents will soon be flying all over the world to grateful girls and boys – but Santa isn’t the only one doing the deliveries!
Royal Mail delivers hundreds of thousands of parcels in the weeks leading up to Christmas and, as the country’s leading delivery provider, they will once again be taking up the bulk of the work before auld St Nick himself finishes off the job on the night before Christmas.
With last year’s Christmas post affected by staff industrial action, Royal Mail’s 2023 schedule is back to something more like normal, but the advice from their advice is still to get your presents posted as early as possible, particularly if posting gifts overseas.
So whether you’re sending a gift in a colourful sparkling mailing bag to your eight-year-old niece, a classic paper mailing bag to your 80-year-old grandfather or an eco-friendly compostable mailing bag to your green-fingered auntie, then make sure you get them in the post by the dates below to ensure they make it before the big day.
Royal Mail’s recommended last posting dates for Christmas 2023:
Domestic Services
- Monday 18 December: 2nd Class, 2nd Class Signed For, Royal Mail 48
- Wednesday 20 December: 1st Class, 1st Class Signed For, Royal Mail 24, Royal Mail Tracked 48*
- Thursday 21 December: Special Delivery Guaranteed, Royal Mail Tracked 24*
- Friday 22 December: Special Delivery Guaranteed (Saturday delivery for an extra fee)
* Please note: Royal Mail Tracked 24 and Royal Mail Tracked 48 are available online only. These services are not available to purchase at Post Office branches.
International Tracking & Signature Services
The following recommended last posting dates are for customers purchasing international tracking and signature services at a Post Office. If purchasing this postage online, these recommended dates will be later (see notes 1-3).
- Wednesday 6 December[1]: Africa, Central & South America, Asia, Australia, Bulgaria, Caribbean, China (People’s Republic), Far & Middle East, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain
- Thursday 7 December[2]: Cyprus and Malta
- Friday 8 December[3]: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Eastern Europe, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, USA
Notes:
[1] Extended to Monday 11 December if purchased online
[2] Extended to Tuesday 12 December if purchased online
[3] Extended to Wednesday 13 December if purchased online
International Standard Service
The following recommended last posting dates are for customers purchasing international standard postage at a Post Office. If purchasing this postage online, these recommended dates will be later (see notes 4-6).
- Monday 4 December[4]: Africa, Central & South America, Asia, Australia, Caribbean, China (People’s Republic), Far & Middle East, New Zealand
- Tuesday 5 December[5]: Cyprus, Malta, Portugal, Spain
- Wednesday 6 December[6]: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Eastern Europe (except Czech Republic & Poland), France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Switzerland, Turkey
- Thursday 7 December[7]: Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Poland, Sweden, USA
Notes:
[4] Extended to Tuesday 5 December if purchased online
[5] Extended to Wednesday 6 December (Cyprus, Malta) or Thursday 7 December (Portugal, Spain) if purchased online
[6] Extended to Thursday 7 December if purchased online
[7] Extended to Friday 8 December if purchased online
HM Forces Mail – British Forces Post Office (BFPO)
- Monday 27 November: To Operational HM Forces
- Monday 4 December: To Static HM Forces
