This is the deadline to send a letter to Santa – and what to do if you miss it

We may only be in November but it’s starting to feel a lot like Christmas. The festive ads are on the telly, the supermarket delivery slots are open, and Santa is hard at work prepping for the big day.

It’s a very busy time of year for Father Christmas and his elves, what with all the toys to make and the reindeer to train. So if your children want to send him their Christmas lists, it’s best to do it sooner rather than later.

In order to get a reply, the deadline for letters to reach the big man via Royal Mail is Wednesday 10 December 2025. To be on the safe side, it’s best to send them by the first week of December. Santa will start sending out replies from today, Tuesday 18 November.

“The elves are busy making toys. The reindeer are practising their sleigh runs. And I’m busy preparing my list of who’s been good,” Santa says.

“I will be getting my sleigh ready for the long journey on Christmas Eve. In between I will try and reply to as many of you as possible.”

Santa can reply in English, Welsh or Braille. Replies are free and all it will cost you is the price of a stamp. A standard first-class stamp costs £1.70, while a second-class stamp is 87p.

How to write to Santa

• Children can send letters to Santa via Royal Mail and will receive a free reply if their letter arrives by 10 December.

• They should include their Christmas wishlist as well as their name and address on the back of the envelope so he knows where to send his reply.

• You’ll need to put a stamp on the envelope to make sure it gets there, but the reply is free.

To get your reply in English, the address is:

Santa/Father Christmas

Santa’s Grotto

Reindeerland

XM4 5HQ

For a Welsh reply, send your letter to:

Sion Corn

Ogof Sion

Corn Gwlad Y Ceirw

XM4 5HQ

And to get a reply in Braille:

Email santamail@royalmail.com

Or write to the English or Welsh address and request a Braille reply.

What to do if you miss the deadline

If your children aren’t sure what they want yet, or you don’t have time to get to the Post Office before the deadline, don’t worry, there are other ways to get a reply.

There are a number of free letter templates online that Santa is quite happy for parents to download and complete when he’s busy. Canva has a large selection to choose from, for example.

For a small donation, you can get a letter or personalised email from Santa via some charities such as Alder Hey Children’s Hospital (£5) and The Childhood Trust (free but there is the option to donate). The NSPCC usually offers this service, but is taking a break this year.

You can also get personalised cards from Santa via Moonpig, with prices from 99p. Private companies such as Lapland Letters and Santa’s Post Office also offer letters from Santa from around £7-£7.99 respectively.

If you’re using a private company, it’s always best to check out the reviews or ask friends and family for recommendations so that you’re not disappointed.