Royal Mail schedule for all UK and international postage this year

Christmas is going to be a little different this year.

With all the uncertainty still surrounding the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions across the UK, and whether they will be lifted in time for the 25 December, many families are preparing for what could be a rather more remote celebration.

As Government advisers continue to weigh up the pros and cons of allowing a “near-normal” holiday period, the chance of multi-generational get-togethers being allowed in time is growing slimmer.

This could result in more people relying on the postal service to deliver gifts and cards than in previous years – particularly the new bookable doorstep-to-doorstep delivery service the Post Office launched recently.

How long have we got to make sure gifts and cards reach the required destinations in time? And what about post sent internationally? Here’s a rundown of all the final post dates you need to know ahead of time.

What are the last dates for posting mail in the UK?

The Post Office offer a range of delivery and post services that vary in cost, depending on how securely you wish to send an item, and how quickly.

To ensure your items get there in time, these are the very last dates you should send them by:

Royal Mail 2nd Class & 2nd Class Signed For – Friday 18 December

Royal Mail 1st Class & 1st Class Signed For – Monday 21 December

Parcelforce Worldwide express48, express48 large (only available in certain branches, so check before you opt for this) – Tuesday 22 December

Royal Mail Special Delivery GuaranteedParcelforce Worldwide express24, AM, 9 & 10 – Wednesday 23 December

What if I am posting something internationally?

As a general rule of thumb, if you are sending a package or a card overseas, send it as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

There are numerous services you can use to post items internationally. Here are the final dates for the main ones.

Royal Mail International Standard and International Tracking and Signature Services

For sending to: Africa, Middle East, Asia, Far East, Caribbean, Central and South America – Wednesday 9 December

For sending to: Cyprus and Malta – Thursday 10 December

For sending to: Eastern Europe (except Poland, Czech, Slovakia), Greece, Turkey – Friday 11 December

For sending to: Australia and New Zealand – Friday 4 December

For sending to: Finland, Sweden, Czech Republic, Poland, Italy, Canada and the USA – Saturday 12 December

For sending to: Austria, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland – Wednesday 16 December

For sending to: Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg – Friday 18 December

Royal Mail International Economy

The last dates for this entire service to arrive in time for Christmas have already passed, with the final one being on 16 November for 2020.

HM Forces Mail BFPOs

Airmail to Operational BFPOs – Monday 30 November

Airmail to Static BFPOs – Monday 7 December

Parcelforce Worldwide: Global Express

For sending to: Australia – Tuesday 15 December

For sending to: Russia, New Zealand, China – Wednesday 16 December

For sending to: Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, USA – Friday 18 December

There are also cheaper services, Global Priority and Global Express. Check the Post Office website for further last date before Christmas details.