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As the festive season approaches, sending gifts, cards, and parcels on time becomes a top priority for shoppers across the UK. With millions of items in transit during December, postal services experience their busiest period of the year. Delays can happen due to high volumes, weather, or customs processes for international deliveries, so planning ahead is essential to ensure your festive mail arrives safely and on schedule.
Royal Mail, Evri, and other major carriers provide recommended final posting dates for Christmas to guide customers on when to send their parcels. These dates vary depending on the service chosen — from standard and next-day deliveries to tracked and courier options. Understanding these deadlines helps shoppers choose the right service for their needs, whether sending locally within the UK or internationally to friends and family abroad.
In addition to deadlines, many carriers have expanded services and convenient collection points to make sending parcels easier than ever. From ParcelShops and Click & Collect locations to online tracking and flexible delivery options, these services give customers peace of mind during the hectic holiday season. By keeping these posting dates in mind and planning ahead, you can make sure your gifts reach their destinations in time for Christmas celebrations.
Christmas posting dates 2025
Royal Mail encourages customers to post early at Christmas, as December brings the highest mail volumes of the year. UK last posting dates depend on the service used, with faster options like Tracked and Special Delivery giving more time for late senders.
International deadlines fall earlier, and vary by destination — European countries typically cut off in early December, while items going to the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the rest of the world often need to be posted even sooner. These dates are recommended rather than guaranteed, as overseas deliveries also rely on local postal services and customs.
Planning ahead is the best way to ensure cards and parcels arrive in time for Christmas. Here are the dates for the UK:
- Wednesday, December 17 – 2nd Class, 2nd Class Signed For
- Friday, December 19 – Royal Mail Tracked 48
- Saturday, December 20 – 1st Class, 1st Class Signed For
- Sunday, December 21 – Royal Mail Tracked 24
- Tuesday, December 23 – Special Delivery Guaranteed
As one of the UK’s busiest parcel carriers during the festive season, Evri plays a major role in keeping Christmas deliveries moving. With millions of parcels sent in the run-up to the holidays, the company publishes clear last posting dates and expands convenient drop-off options to help customers beat the seasonal rush. This year also sees new improvements to its network, including expanded ParcelShops, making it easier than ever to send, collect, and return parcels.
For UK deliveries, Evri’s final recommended posting dates for Christmas 2025 are as follows:
- Friday, December 19 – final day for courier collections
- Friday, December 19 – deadline for sending standard-delivery parcels from a ParcelShop or Evri Locker (by 11am)
- Saturday, December 20 – deadline for next-day parcels sent from a ParcelShop or Evri Locker (by 11am)
The carrier handles millions of parcels each year, with demand peaking in the run-up to Christmas as shoppers rely on its precise delivery windows and flexible pick-up options. Alongside doorstep deliveries, DPD also operates a nationwide network of Pick Up points, offering customers convenient locations to send or collect parcels.
DPD has announced the following final posting dates for Christmas 2025:
- Friday, December 12 – for deliveries to UK offshore islands
- Thursday, December 18 – for mainland UK deliveries
- Monday, December 22 – send items via the DPD Pick Up service by 11am
With higher demand throughout December, the carrier sets firm deadlines to help ensure parcels reach their destinations before the big day.
For Christmas 2025, Parcelforce’s recommended UK posting dates are:
- Friday, December 19 – final day to send parcels via express48
- Monday, December 22 – last posting date for express10, expressPM, and express24 services (including next-day and timed delivery)
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