With the festive season just around the corner, millions of cards and parcels will be posted across the UK and beyond. To ensure your gifts and cards arrive on time, Royal Mail has a detailed listing of Christmas last posting dates for sending your parcels and stamped letters within the UK and abroad.
Royal Mail, the UK’s largest parcel delivery service by volume, is gearing up for the annual December rush. Read on for all the key Christmas last posting dates this year.
Christmas last posting dates 2024
Royal Mail recommends sending your parcels and letters out as early as possible to avoid potential delays. You can view final posting dates if you plan to send parcels through one of the 11,500-plus Post Office branches across the country.
To ensure your Christmas parcels and letters arrive on time, here’s a look at international and domestic Christmas last posting dates for customers using Royal Mail’s online services.
Inland UK Consumer Online Services*
| Deadline | Parcel/Mail Type |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, 18 December | 2nd Class, 2nd Class Signed For, |
| Friday, 20 December | 1st Class, 1st Class Signed For, Royal Mail Tracked 48** |
| Saturday, 21 December | Royal Mail Tracked 24** |
| Monday 23, December* | Special Delivery Guaranteed |
International Economy Posting*
| Deadline | Destination |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, 9 October | All non-European destinations (except South Africa, Canada, Middle and Far East, USA) |
| Monday, 21 October | Hong Kong, Middle and Far East, Singapore and South Africa |
| Wednesday, 6 November | Canada and USA |
| Monday, 2 December | Cyprus, Eastern Europe, Greece, Iceland, Malta, Turkey and Western Europe |
International Tracking and Signature Services*
| Deadline | Destination |
|---|---|
| Saturday, 7 December | Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Finland, Greece, Israel, Italy, Malta, Mexico, Norway, Portugal, Romania and Sweden |
| Monday, 9 December | Czech Republic, Malaysia, New Zealand, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey and United Arab Emirates (UAE) |
| Wednesday, 11 December | Austria, Denmark, India, Lithuania, Philippines, Qatar, Slovakia and Slovenia |
| Friday, 13 December | Belgium, Canada, China (People’s Republic), Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Luxembourg, South Korea, Thailand and USA |
| Monday, 16 December | France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, Pakistan, Russia, Singapore, Switzerland and Taiwan |
International Untracked*
| Deadline | Destination |
|---|---|
| Tuesday, 3 December | Africa, Asia, Australia, Caribbean, Central and South America, China (People’s Republic), Far and Middle East and New Zealand |
| Wednesday, 4 December | Cyprus, Malta, Portugal and Spain |
| Thursday, 5 December | Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Eastern Europe (except Czech Republic and Poland), France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway,, Slovakia,, Switzerland, Turkey |
| Friday, 6 December | Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Poland, Sweden, USA |
HM Forces Mail – British Forces Post Office (BFPO)*
| Deadline | Destination |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, 27 November | Operational HM Forces |
| Wednesday, 4 December | Static HM Forces |
There will be no Royal Mail deliveries or collections on these dates:
- Christmas Day – Wednesday, 25 December
- Boxing Day – Thursday, 26 December
- New Year’s Day – Wednesday, 1 January
- Public Holiday (Scotland only) – Thursday 2 January
* Editor’s note: All Christmas last posting dates are current as of article publish date, but may be changed at any time by Royal Mail. Visit Royal Mail’s incident page for up-to-date information.
** Royal Mail Tracked 24 and Royal Mail Tracked 48 are not available to purchase at Post Office branches.
What to do if your parcels are delayed or missing
It’s the nightmare scenario no one wants to envision when they’re sending gifts or cards to family and friends for Christmas.
However, if your post or parcels do go missing or are delayed, there are certain legal protections you have as a consumer, said Alex Neill, co-founder of Consumer Voice, a pro-consumer advocacy and information website, in an email to NerdWallet UK.
“If your festive parcels go astray or end up being late, don’t put up with it. You should be refunded the postal costs as a minimum and may well be entitled to compensation,” Neill said.
“Check the terms and conditions of the delivery service you used and get in touch with them directly to get back what you’re owed.”
According to the Consumer Rights Act of 2015, a late delivery is a violation of the law because the service wasn’t provided as agreed upon with “reasonable care and skill”.
If your parcel does get delayed or goes missing, follow the reporting and claim process for your specific delivery service. Royal Mail, like other delivery providers, offers an online claims centre.
“When you’re choosing who to send your parcel with, be aware that there are several alternatives to Royal Mail. You should compare the costs and protections of each and see what their customer reviews are like,” Neill added.
If all else fails you may be able to make a chargeback claim to at least get back the cost of postage, if you paid for it by debit or credit card.
Seven tips to avoid holiday delivery mishaps
To ensure your holiday parcels arrive on time, safe and sound, follow these helpful tips from Consumer Voice:
- Shop around when looking to send a parcel. There are several alternatives to Royal Mail, including: Parcelforce Worldwide (part of Royal Mail Group), DPD, Evri, FedEx, Yodel, UPS, and DHL.
- Compare the costs and levels of guarantees or protections each courier service offers.
- Check out online reviews from other customers, paying special attention to the bad reviews and specific issues that users cite.
- Be aware of the protection you do (and don’t) get for the delivery service you’re paying for.
- Keep your receipts and confirmation details handy if there are issues with your deliveries.
- Pay for extra protection when you’re sending high-value items in case parcels are damaged or lost.
- Send your parcels out as early as you can (before Christmas last posting dates, if possible) to avoid potential delays or other hiccups.
Image source: Getty Images
About the Author
Dive even deeper
When Do I Get My Cold Weather Payment?
by Amy Knight
Autumn Budget 2024: What Tax Rises Mean for You
by Sam Bromley