While some of us might not want to start thinking about it, Christmas is looming, so if you’re sending presents or cards, make sure you don’t end up having to pay over the odds to get them there in time.
Here’s our rundown of Royal Mail’s last recommended postal dates this festive season, so that you can get anything you plan to send off in plenty of time.
Royal Mail last recommended postal dates
Whether you are sending gifts or Christmas cards, make sure you don’t miss the final delivery dates for the UK:
Postage type | Last recommended posting date |
2nd Class | Wednesday 18 December |
1st Class | Friday 20 December |
Royal Mail Tracked 24® | Saturday 21 December |
Royal Mail Tracked 48® | Friday 20 December |
Special Delivery Guaranteed® | Monday 23 December |
Parcelforce Worldwide express48 and express48 Large | Wednesday 20 December |
Parcelforce Worldwide express24. expressAM | Thursday 21 December |
International deliveries
If you are looking at sending something overseas, you’ll need to get your skates on, as most Royal Mail final posting dates are at the end of November.
Postage type | Destination | Last recommended posting date |
Royal Mail International Standard | Africa, Asia, Australia, Caribbean, Central and South America, China (People’s Republic), Far and Middle East, New Zealand, | Tuesday 26 November |
Royal Mail International Standard | Cyprus, Malta, Portugal, Spain | Wednesday 27 November |
Royal Mail International Standard | Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Eastern Europe (except Czech Republic and Poland), France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Switzerland, Turkey | Thursday 28 November |
Royal Mail International Standard | Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Poland, Sweden, USA | Friday 29 November |
Royal Mail International Standard | Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands, Slovakia, Switzerland | Wednesday 13 December |
Royal Mail International Tracking and Signature services | Barbados, Belgium, Finland, Lithuania, Malta, Mexico, Portugal, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Ukraine | Monday 2 December |
Royal Mail International Tracking and Signature services | Norway, Italy, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria | Tuesday 3 December |
Royal Mail International Tracking and Signature services | Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand, USA | Friday 6 December |
Remember that Parcelforce, Evri and DPD all have different final posting dates, so if you’re planning to send things via any of these services, make sure you check that they’ll arrive in time.
Last online ordering dates
If you are thinking about buying your gifts online this year, it’s worth getting a move on with your orders if you want to be certain that your gifts will arrive before December 25. Millions of Brits are collectively expected to spend billions on online purchases this festive season, which often means things take a little longer to arrive than usual.
Lots of retailers haven’t yet specifically outlined their final Christmas delivery dates, but the ones that have tend to be around Thursday 19 for standard delivery and up to Friday 20 December for express options.
Of course, always make sure you check with the retailer directly for the exact timelines on the item you are ordering to make sure it will be delivered on time. Larger items and furniture could have much longer delivery timelines, so always check to avoid disappointment. You can find out about what your rights are if items take longer than expected to arrive in our guide Online shopping – know your rights.
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