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All you need to know about Royal Mail’s free letter from Santa Mail service
- Royal Mail offers a charming service that allows your wee one to write a letter to Santa, outlining their Christmas wishes, and receive a free reply. However, there’s a deadline for your letter to reach Santa, which this year is Wednesday 10 December 2025. Make sure you note down all your child’s Christmas dreams in the letter and send it off to Santa/Father Christmas, Santa’s Grotto, Reindeerland, XM4 5HQ. Don’t forget to include your child’s full name and your full return address on the back of the envelope – this ensures Santa can send a reply.
- You’ll also need to stick a valid UK stamp on the envelope (1st or 2nd class). The ‘free letter’ refers to Santa’s reply – you’ll still have to pay the standard postage. However, there’s no need to include an extra stamp for his response. If needed, you can request replies in different formats: for example, in Braille or large print. This can be arranged by emailing santamail@royalmail. com.
- Royal Mail warns that due to potentially high demand, they cannot guarantee a reply; sadly, not every letter may receive a response. Here’s hoping yours will arrive in time for your child to enjoy a truly magical Christmas.
- The ‘official’ Santa Mail programme, run by Royal Mail, has been a cherished Christmas custom since 1963. During its first year, just five clerical staff were responsible for handling roughly 8,000 cards and letters sent to Father Christmas. Remarkably, around a quarter of the correspondence received in that maiden year didn’t include the child’s return address, preventing any response from being sent.
- This delightful tradition has since evolved into a countrywide Christmas phenomenon, with Royal Mail helping “Santa and his elves” process hundreds of thousands of letters each year from youngsters across the UK. Research carried out by Royal Mail, drawing from the letters they handle, shows favourite toy requests from children, featuring brands like Playmobil, Lego, and Barbie. This demonstrates that the programme offers a fascinating insight into children’s annual toy wishes.
Read the full article on Royal Mail’s Santa Service here.
