‘Post early’ plea from Royal Mail as it reveals last posting dates for Christmas against backdrop of coronavirus crisis

CUSTOMERS using Royal Mail have today been given a heads up on latest recommended posting times for Christmas.

The early warning – a good two weeks before Halloween – comes against the backdrop of the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

With various restrictions still expected to be in place over the festive season, Royal Mail is encouraging its customers to post early to ensure their cards and gifts arrive with their loved ones abroad in time for Christmas Day.

The latest recommended posting date to the USA and Canada for Royal Mail’s International Economy service, is Monday, November 2.

For customers using the International Standard mail service, cards and gifts going to Australia and New Zealand will need to be posted by Friday, December 4.

Customers wishing to send festive items to Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central and South America, the Far East, and the Middle East, will need to post by Wednesday, December 9.

Those wanting to send cards or gifts to Canada, Cyprus and Malta, should post no later than Thursday, December 10.

For Eastern Europe– except Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia – Greece and Turkey, cards and gifts should be sent no later than Friday, December 11.

Letters and parcels to Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, Finland, Sweden and the USA should be posted no later than Saturday, December 12.

Items being sent to Austria, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Switzerland, will need to be in the mail by Wednesday, December 16.

Season’s sreetings going to Belgium, France, Ireland and Luxembourg should be posted by Friday, December 18.

For those wishing to send festive cards and gifts to servicemen abroad, the British Forces Post Office (BFPO) deadlines are: Thursday, November 30 for mail to Operational BFPOs and Thursday, December 7 for mail to static BFPOs.

The latest recommended posting dates apply to both International Standard and International tracking and signature services.

Andy Pickering, Royal Mail, international network director, said: “We want to make sure that our customers get the best value service to reach right across the globe when sending parcels and cards to family and friends. We have spent a great deal of time working with our overseas partners to provide the best network we can. We know what this time of the year means to people, especially during these unprecedented times, when international travel has been so restricted.”

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