Post Office Announces Last Posting Dates for Sending Christmas Presents

Wednesday 10^th December- New research reveals 67 per cent of Brits have received festive cards and presents in the post after Christmas Day. To ensure the nation’s presents make it on time for the big day, Post Office has released this year’s last posting dates.

With a third (33 per cent) of people sending gifts via the Post Office, Postmasters are urging the public to send early to avoid being part of the 17 per cent of Brits who’ve previously left it too late and missed the final posting date.

For the 58 per cent who admit to leaving their Christmas admin, including shopping and posting, to the last-minute, they have up until 23^rd December to send their gifts and cards with Royal Mail’s Special Delivery Guaranteed® or DPD Gold which both guarantee a next day delivery or your money back.

Postmaster, Arif Matadar, shares his top tips on how to ensure packages get to loved ones on time this Christmas: “Just like you, Postmasters across the country are getting ready to help deliver your gifts and cards safely and on time for Christmas. After 15 years as a Postmaster, I’ve seen it all when it comes to festive sending, and a little preparation really helps everything go smoothly so here are my top tips to ensure precious gifts arrive on time. When you’re posting a parcel, we’ll always ask what’s inside as we need to find out if it’s safe to post and make sure your item can be sent to its destination. For example, perfume can be sent within the UK, but not overseas. We’ll also check the value, how quickly you want it delivered and what tracking you want which helps us recommend the best delivery option. It’s also important to package your parcel securely so it’s protected on its journey, and to write addresses as clearly as possible to help it get to where it needs to go and a return address just in case there are any problems. With delivery carriers especially busy at this time of year, these small steps make a big difference to ensure your gifts arrive safely and spreading a little extra Christmas cheer along the way. If sending aboard you’ll also need to provide details about the contents to ensure we can include the right customs information to meet international regulations.

“I was surprised to see from the research that almost a quarter (24 per cent) of Brits didn’t know that Post Office offers delivery options from carriers other than Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide. You can also send with Evri and DPD in selected branches and we can advise you on the best carrier to use for your sending needs. If you’re unsure about anything then always pop into your local branch and your Postmaster will be happy to help.”

Post Office reminds customers to check latest recommended last posting dates and requirements well in advance to stay organised this Christmas season. Whilst the majority of last international posting dates have now passed, some carriers can still offer Christmas delivery to select countries up until 15^th December. Postmasters will be able to advise on options to send abroad for those really last-minute gifts.

Candice Ohandjanian, Mails and Parcels Director at Post Office commented: “We’re at that time of year when celebrations are in full swing, but we still have important last minute present buying to do. We know customers want to make the most of the festive season - not wait at home for deliveries. That’s why our convenient Pick Up and Drop Off service continues to be a favourite, especially during this busy period. By choosing your local Post Office branch as a delivery address, customers can collect parcels at a time that suits them, with the reassurance that we’ll keep everything safe and secure. It’s all part of our commitment to being the one-stop shop for all your posting and parcel needs this festive season.”

Last posting dates and carriers include:

• Last Royal Mail 2^nd Class: Wednesday 17^th December
• Last Parcelforce express48 date: Friday 19^thDecember
• Last Royal Mail Tracked 48 date: Friday 19^thDecember
• Last Evri Standard date: Friday 19^th December
• Last Royal Mail 1^st Class date: Saturday 20^th December
• Last DPD 2Day date: Saturday 20^thDecember
• Last Parcelforce express24 date: Monday 22^nd December
• Last Royal Mail Tracked 24 date: Monday 22^nd December
• Last Evri Next Day date: Monday 22^nd December
• Last DPD Next Day date: Monday 22^nd December (some postcode exceptions)
• Royal Mail’s Special Delivery Guaranteed: Tuesday 23^rd December
• DPD Gold: Tuesday 23^rd December

Last International Posting Dates for Christmas 2025

Last UK Posting Dates for Christmas 2025

For more information visit postoffice.co.uk/christmas.

-ENDS-

Research was conducted by Post Office ‘Hot Topics’ in October 2025 with 2,000 nationally representative UK adults using a sample provided by Dynata.