Christmas Last Posting Dates 2026: When to Post Cards and Parcels in the UK

Christmas Day 2026 falls on a Friday, which squeezes the last full posting week into 14–18 December. If you want cards and gifts to land on doormats in time, the safest plan is to post in the second week of December and treat the dates below as the absolute last chance, not the target.

Royal Mail last posting dates for Christmas 2026

These are Royal Mail's published last recommended posting dates for delivery within the UK before Christmas. They are correct at the time of publishing and can change, so check Royal Mail's website if you are cutting it fine.

If you are returning something with Royal Mail Tracked Returns 48, Saturday 19 December is also the last date for it to reach the sender before Christmas.

Parcelforce Worldwide UK dates

Posting to friends and family abroad

For international post, Royal Mail is not publishing fixed Christmas cut-off dates in 2026. Instead it points to the delivery aims in its country guides and asks everyone to post as early as possible, because international services handle far higher volumes in December. As a rule of thumb, aim to post cards to Europe by the end of November and anything going further afield — Australia, New Zealand, Asia, the Americas — by mid-November. Parcels to the USA have extra customs rules, so check Royal Mail's dedicated USA page before you send gifts there.

Posting to the Armed Forces (BFPO)

If you are sending something to a serving member of the Armed Forces, the BFPO dates are much earlier:

How to make sure your Christmas post arrives

Post earlier than the deadline. The dates are the last recommended days, not a guarantee. Weather, strikes and simple December volume all add delay, so the week before is a far safer bet.

Write the full address and postcode. Missing or wrong postcodes are one of the most common reasons cards go astray. Add a return address on the back of the envelope so anything undeliverable comes back to you.

Use the right stamp. Large or thick cards — anything with a badge, ribbon or 3D decoration — usually count as a "large letter" and need more postage than a standard stamp. If in doubt, weigh and measure it at the Post Office.

Pick tracking for anything valuable. For gifts that matter, Tracked 24, Tracked 48 or Special Delivery Guaranteed give you proof of postage and peace of mind.

Allow extra time for remote areas. Deliveries to the Scottish Highlands and islands, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands can take longer, so post a few days earlier there.

Running late?

If you have missed the dates, all is not lost. Send a digital card or a heartfelt text on Christmas morning — our Christmas messages are ready to copy — and post the card for New Year instead. Writing it is the hard part, and our guide to what to write in a Christmas card will help with that.