Royal Mail Last Posting Dates Christmas 2026: Every Deadline for Cards and Parcels, Plus Evri, DPD and Parcelforce

Updated Tuesday 3 November 2026 — dates confirmed by Royal Mail and the Post Office

Royal Mail last posting dates for Christmas 2026

These are Royal Mail’s last recommended posting dates for post within the UK to arrive by Christmas Day, Friday 25 December, as published on its Christmas page. We have added a “safe side” date for each, which gives a few days’ buffer (see why below).

Source: Royal Mail, Christmas 2026 last posting dates (personal customer guide dated 13 October 2026). “Our safe-side date” is UK Daily Report’s suggestion, not a Royal Mail date.

Returns: if you are sending something back with Royal Mail Tracked Returns 48 and want it to reach the sender before Christmas, the last date is also Saturday 19 December.

These are not guarantees. Royal Mail says the dates are correct when published and can change, and it advises posting as early as possible. The only service on the list with a guarantee is Special Delivery Guaranteed, which promises next-day delivery and refunds you if it fails. You can download the dates as a Royal Mail PDF.

Why you should post earlier than the deadline this year

Most of the UK is now on Royal Mail’s new delivery model, and it changes how second class post moves. Under it, second class letters are delivered on alternate weekdays, with no Saturday second class delivery. First class post and parcels are not affected, DecisionMarketing reports.

• Where it applies: around 90% of delivery offices are already on the new model. Royal Mail agreed with the postal workers’ union to pause the switch for the last 107 offices until 11 January 2027, so it can focus on Christmas, ITV News reported.
• What that means for you: a second class card posted late in the week may sit until the next delivery day for that street. If you post second class on the last date, there is very little slack.
• Delivery targets are still being missed: in the first quarter of the year Royal Mail delivered 85% of first class post the next day, against a target of 90%, and 91.4% of second class within three working days, against 95%.
• Extra staff: Royal Mail says it has taken on 22,000 seasonal workers for Christmas, according to its chief operating officer.

Royal Mail does say the new model is helping: offices using it deliver to around 95% of addresses each day on average, up from 88%. But with performance still below target, a few days’ buffer is cheap insurance, especially for cards that matter.

Which Royal Mail service should you use?

• Christmas cards in good time: 2nd Class. It is the cheapest option, but post by mid-December.
• Cards in the last week: 1st Class, up to Monday 21 December.
• Gifts you want to track: Tracked 48 by Saturday 19 December, or Tracked 24 by Monday 21 December. Tracking also shows when a parcel has been delivered.
• Anything valuable or very late: Special Delivery Guaranteed, up to Wednesday 23 December. It costs more, but it is the only service with a delivery guarantee and higher compensation cover.

Parcelforce, Evri and DPD last posting dates 2026

If you are sending a parcel through a Post Office branch, these are the last recommended dates for the other carriers, from the Post Office, plus Parcelforce’s full list from Royal Mail:

Sources: Post Office last posting dates page (Evri, DPD, Parcelforce express48 and express24) and Royal Mail (Parcelforce expressAM and express10).

Remote postcodes: the Post Office says Evri and DPD parcels to remote postcodes should be sent earlier, and the Evri dates may change. It also warns that branch closing times for parcels vary, so check your local branch’s final acceptance time before you go.

International last posting dates for Christmas 2026

Royal Mail has not published country-by-country Christmas dates for 2026, Shopappy notes. Instead, it is asking customers to post international items as early as possible because overseas services are much busier in December, and it points to the delivery aims in its country guides. The Post Office says it will add international dates for Evri and DPD when they are available.

• As a guide: last year, Royal Mail’s recommended date for the USA, Canada and several European countries including Italy, Poland and Sweden was Friday 12 December 2025, retailers using its guide reported. Further destinations needed to go earlier.
• Our advice: post to Europe and North America by Friday 4 December, and to Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Africa in the last week of November.
• Sending gifts to the USA? Royal Mail has a dedicated page for people sending gifts or goods to the USA. Read it before you post anything other than cards.
• Fill in customs forms properly. Gifts going outside the UK usually need a customs declaration, and a missing or vague form can hold a parcel up.

BFPO (forces) last posting dates for Christmas 2026

Post to members of the armed forces abroad has much earlier deadlines. Royal Mail lists these dates:

For post coming the other way, BFPO locations worldwide, including HM Ships, are asked to send mail home by Wednesday 16 December for it to arrive in the UK before Christmas.

How 2026 compares with the last two Christmases

The dates move every year because Christmas Day falls on a different day of the week. This year it is a Friday, which pushes the first class date to a Monday.

Sources: Time Out (2024), Royal Mail via ChannelX (2025), Royal Mail (2026).

In days before Christmas, the 2026 deadlines are much the same as 2024’s. The second class deadline is seven days before Christmas this year, against eight in 2025.

Post over Christmas week

Christmas Day is on Friday 25 December and Boxing Day is on Saturday 26 December, so the Boxing Day bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December. Royal Mail does not deliver letters on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. Anything posted after the dates above is likely to arrive after Christmas, and over the bank holiday weekend it may take longer than usual. Check Royal Mail’s service update page for its Christmas and New Year collection and delivery times.

Tips to make sure your Christmas post arrives

1. Check the last collection time on your postbox. Posting on the last date only counts if your item is collected that day. Some postboxes are emptied early in the day, so a card dropped in after the collection will not leave until the next one.
2. Write the full postcode. Missing or wrong postcodes slow sorting down, and clear addresses matter even more at Christmas.
3. Use the right stamp for the size. Larger cards and thick envelopes may need a Large Letter stamp. Underpaid post can be held until the person it’s for pays a fee.
4. Get proof of postage for gifts. Ask for a free certificate of posting at the Post Office, or use a tracked service, so you can claim if a parcel goes missing.
5. Pack parcels well. A sturdy box and padding protect gifts in a busy network. Royal Mail has packaging and size guides on its Christmas page.
6. Avoid the last-day queues. Buying postage online and dropping your parcel at a Royal Mail drop-off point can save you a long wait in a branch.

Royal Mail Christmas 2026: your questions answered

What is the last day to post Christmas cards second class in 2026?

Friday 18 December 2026. To be on the safe side, aim for Monday 14 December.

What is the last day to post first class for Christmas 2026?

Monday 21 December 2026, for 1st Class and 1st Class Signed For.

What is the latest I can post for Christmas?

Wednesday 23 December, using Special Delivery Guaranteed. DPD Gold at the Post Office has the same date.

What is the last posting date for parcels?

Tracked 48 by Saturday 19 December and Tracked 24 by Monday 21 December. Parcelforce express24 goes up to Tuesday 22 December.

What are the international last posting dates for Christmas 2026?

Royal Mail has not published country-by-country dates this year and advises posting overseas items as early as possible. Last year the date for the USA, Canada and several European countries was 12 December, so early December is a sensible target.

What are the Evri and DPD last posting dates for Christmas 2026?

At the Post Office: Evri Standard Tracked and DPD 2 Day by Saturday 19 December, Evri Next Day Tracked and DPD Next Day by Monday 21 December, and DPD Gold by Wednesday 23 December.

Is second class post delivered on Saturdays?

Not in most of the UK. Around 90% of delivery offices now deliver second class letters on alternate weekdays with no Saturday delivery. First class and parcels are unaffected.

Are the last posting dates guaranteed?

No. They are Royal Mail’s recommended dates and can change. Only Special Delivery Guaranteed comes with a delivery guarantee.