Royal Mail advises posting gifts early, particularly for International deliveries.
Christmas is almost here and that means presents will soon be flying all over the country to make people’s festive season a more joyful one – 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.
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 2025:
Domestic Services
- Wednesday 17 December: 2nd Class, 2nd Class Signed For
- Friday 19 December: Royal Mail Tracked 48*
- Saturday 20 December: 1st Class, 1st Class Signed For
- Sunday 21 December: Royal Mail Tracked 24*
- Tuesday 23 December: Special Delivery Guaranteed
* Friday 19 December is the last posting date for Royal Mail Tracked Returns® 48 to arrive back with the sender before Christmas.
Parcelforce Worldwide – UK inland services
- Friday 19 December: express48
- Monday 22 December: express10, expressPM, express24
HM Forces Mail – British Forces Post Office (BFPO)
- Monday 27 November: To Operational HM Forces
- Monday 4 December: To Static HM Forces
