Royal Mail Recommended Last Posting Dates for Christmas Delivery (2022)

Royal Mail has published its recommended last posting dates for parcels and letters to arrive by Christmas this year (before December 25, 2022).

Unfortunately, this year, the national Royal Mail worker strike action has added an additional dimension of uncertainty about the timely delivery of posted items.

And there does not seem to be much hope for a solution soon as the union has rejected Royal Mail’s “Best and Final Offer.”

Therefore, unless there is an unexpected breakthrough in labor talks, Royal Mail’s 115,000 unionized workers are expected to walk out on:

• Thursday, December 1
• Friday, December 9
• Sunday, December 11
• Wednesday, December 14
• Thursday, December 15
• Friday, December 23
• Saturday, Christmas Eve, December 24

On these strike days, Royal Mail says it will prioritize deliveries of Special Delivery, Tracked 24 parcels, COVID test kits, and medical prescriptions.

However, letters (unless Special Delivery) will not be delivered, which could impact last-minute Christmas card or gift card deliveries, for example.

Therefore, senders should allow plenty of time for posting, especially for international deliveries.

“We recommend you post as early as possible to ensure your Christmas letters and parcels reach their destination in good time,” Royal Mail warns.

Royal Mail says it has adjusted some of the last posting dates to accommodate the anticipated disruption the national strike action will cause.

However, considering other factors, such as weather and the unknown size of backlogs of mail to clear after strike days, it would be wise to pad these recommended deadlines by a few extra days to ensure timely delivery before Christmas.

Recommended Last Posting Dates for Delivery in the UK

Friday 16 December

• Royal Mail Bulk Mail Economy

Monday 19 December

• 2nd Class
• 2nd Class Signed For
• Royal Mail 48

Wednesday 21 December

• 1st Class
• 1st Class Signed For
• Royal Mail 24
• Royal Mail Tracked 48

Thursday 22 December

• Special Delivery Guaranteed
• Royal Mail Tracked 24

Friday 23 December

• Special Delivery Guaranteed with Saturday Guarantee

Recommended Last Posting Dates to International Destinations

Last posting dates for sending holiday gifts and letters internationally will vary greatly by destination.

We have included popular destinations in this list that still have deadlines in December, but suggest checking Royal Mail’s website for the latest information.

HM Forces Mail – British Forces Post Office (BFPO)

• Operational and Static HM Forces – Friday 2 December

International Standard

• Eastern Europe – Saturday 3 December
• USA and Canada – Monday 5 December
• Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Poland, Sweden – Monday 5 December
• Most other western Europe – Wednesday 7 December
• Belgium, France, Luxembourg – Friday 9 December

International Tracking and Signature Services

• Australia and New Zealand – Thursday 1 December
• China – Friday 2 December
• Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Far and Middle East, Caribbean (except the British Virgin Islands, Dominica and Anguilla) – Monday 5 December
• Cyprus and Malta – Tuesday 6 December
• Greece, Eastern Europe (except Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia) and Turkey – Thursday 8 December
• Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Poland, Sweden, USA and Canada – Friday 9 December
• Austria, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland – Saturday 10 December
• Belgium, France, Luxembourg – Monday 12 December

Again we cannot emphasize, these are recommended last posting dates, and with the national strike action affecting on-time deliveries, delays are to be expected.

Connect With Us And Other Small Business Owners

Please head over to our Facebook Group for Small Business Sellers and interact with other small business owners.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to stay up to date with relevant news and business insights for your online business.