Christmas 2026
Christmas last posting dates 2026 (UK)
The last recommended date for Royal Mail 1st Class is Monday 21 December 2026, and for 2nd Class it’s Friday 18 December. Special Delivery Guaranteed runs until Wednesday 23 December. Posting to France, Germany or Spain? Royal Mail International’s last date is Tuesday 15 December.
Days left to post
- 37 days left (counted on 11 November 2026)Royal Mail 2nd Class: Friday 18 December
- 38 days left (counted on 11 November 2026)Royal Mail Tracked 48: Saturday 19 December
- 40 days left (counted on 11 November 2026)Royal Mail 1st Class: Monday 21 December
- 41 days left (counted on 11 November 2026)Parcelforce Worldwide express24: Tuesday 22 December
- 42 days left (counted on 11 November 2026)Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed: Wednesday 23 December
Check with the carrier. Last recommended posting dates are guidance from the carriers and the Post Office, not guarantees of delivery by Christmas Day. Dates shown are for posting in a Post Office branch unless stated; branch final acceptance times vary, remote postcodes can need extra time, and carriers can change dates. Check the carrier’s own page before you post. Where we say “Not published yet”, the date was not published, or could not be confirmed from an official source, as of 10 November 2026.
UK posting dates by carrier
Royal Mail
| Service | Last recommended date | Countdown | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Mail 2nd ClassCheck royalmail.com to confirm. | 37 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk | |
| Royal Mail Tracked 48 | 38 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk | |
| Royal Mail 1st Class | 40 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk | |
| Royal Mail Tracked 24 | 40 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk | |
| Royal Mail Special Delivery GuaranteedListed as ‘Royal Mail Special Delivery’ on the Post Office page. | 42 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk | |
| Royal Mail 2nd Class Signed For | Not published yet | Check the source | royalmail.com |
| Royal Mail 1st Class Signed For | Not published yet | Check the source | royalmail.com |
Royal Mail (BFPO)
| Service | Last recommended date | Countdown | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| BFPO (all services) | Not published yet | Check the source | royalmail.com |
Parcelforce Worldwide
| Service | Last recommended date | Countdown | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parcelforce Worldwide express48 | 40 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk | |
| Parcelforce Worldwide express24 | 41 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk | |
| Parcelforce express10 / expressAM / other services | Not published yet | Check the source | parcelforce.com |
Evri
| Service | Last recommended date | Countdown | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evri Standard Tracked (Post Office branch)Post Office page notes ‘subject to change’ and that remote postcodes should be sent earlier. | 38 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk | |
| Evri Next Day Tracked (Post Office branch)Post Office page notes ‘subject to change’ and that remote postcodes should be sent earlier. | 40 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk | |
| Evri ParcelShop / courier collectionNo official Evri 2026 Christmas page found as of 2026-11-05 (evri.com/christmas redirects to a not-found page). | Not published yet | Check the source | evri.com |
DPD
| Service | Last recommended date | Countdown | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| DPD 2 Day (Post Office branch)Post Office page: remote postcodes should be sent earlier. | 38 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk | |
| DPD Next Day (Post Office branch)Post Office page: remote postcodes should be sent earlier. | 40 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk | |
| DPD Gold (Post Office branch)Post Office page: remote postcodes should be sent earlier. | 42 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk | |
| DPD Pickup shop / courier collectionNo official DPD UK 2026 Christmas page found as of 2026-11-05 (dpd.co.uk/christmas returned 404). | Not published yet | Check the source | dpd.co.uk |
Yodel (now InPost)
| Service | Last recommended date | Countdown | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| All servicesyodel.co.uk now says Yodel has moved to InPost and points to inpost.co.uk. No Christmas last posting dates were published there as of 10 November 2026. | Not published yet | Check the source | inpost.co.uk |
International posting dates
Overseas deadlines come earlier, often by a week or more. Here are the last recommended dates for popular destinations.
| Destination | Royal Mail International | Parcelforce Global Priority | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 34 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | 34 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk |
| Ireland | 34 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | 34 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk |
| France | 34 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | 34 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk |
| Germany | 34 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | 34 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk |
| Spain | 34 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | 34 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk |
| Poland | 30 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | 30 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk |
| Greece | 28 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | 28 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk |
| Cyprus | 29 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | 29 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk |
| Canada | 31 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | 31 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk |
| United States | 31 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | 31 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk |
| Australia | 30 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | 30 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk |
| New Zealand | 31 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | 31 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk |
| South Africa | 21 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | 21 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk |
| India | 31 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | 31 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk |
| Japan | 31 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | 31 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk |
| United Arab Emirates | 31 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | 31 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk |
| Hong Kong | 31 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | 31 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk |
| Brazil | 28 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | 28 days left (counted on 11 November 2026) | postoffice.co.uk |
Royal Mail International covers Standard, Economy, Tracked, Signed, and Tracked and Signed, which share one date per country on the Post Office list. We’ve recorded a sample of countries; for anywhere else, pick the country on the Post Office last posting dates page.
- Royal Mail, Royal Mail International (other countries): not published yet. royalmail.com
- Evri, Evri international: not published yet. evri.com
- DPD, DPD international: not published yet. dpd.co.uk
Ordering online instead?
Shops set their own Christmas cut-offs, and they change with stock and demand. Check the estimated delivery date at checkout before you order. We don’t list shop delivery dates because we can’t confirm them.
Questions people ask
When is the last day for Christmas post in 2026?
For Royal Mail, the last recommended days are Friday 18 December 2026 for 2nd Class, Monday 21 December 2026 for 1st Class and Wednesday 23 December 2026 for Special Delivery Guaranteed. They’re recommendations, not guarantees, so post earlier if you can.
What is the last posting date for Christmas 2026 with 1st Class?
Monday 21 December 2026 is the last recommended date for Royal Mail 1st Class to UK addresses, according to the Post Office’s 2026 list. Post earlier if you can, and check your branch’s last collection time.
When is the last 2nd Class posting date for Christmas 2026?
Friday 18 December 2026 is the last recommended date for Royal Mail 2nd Class within the UK. It’s the cheapest option, so it’s the one to beat.
What’s the very last day to post something in the UK before Christmas?
Wednesday 23 December 2026 for Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed, the latest service on the Post Office list. It costs more, so check the price in branch.
Are these dates a guarantee?
No. They’re the carriers’ and the Post Office’s recommended last dates, not promises. Remote postcodes, weather and branch cut-off times can all add delay, so check the carrier’s own page before you post.
What does “Not published yet” mean?
It means the carrier hadn’t published a date for that service when we last checked, or we couldn’t confirm it from an official source. We link to the right page so you can check it yourself, and we never fill gaps with last year’s dates.
Sources
- Post Office: Christmas Last Posting Dates (Last posting dates 2026) Checked 10 November 2026
- Post Office: Last posting dates 2026, country pages (e.g. ?country=france) Checked 5 November 2026
- Royal Mail: Christmas last posting dates (the carrier’s own page: check it before you post) Checked 5 November 2026
- Parcelforce Worldwide: Christmas (the carrier’s own page: check it before you post) Checked 5 November 2026
Last updated .