Last Posting Dates for Christmas 2026: When to Send Your Cards
Every year, the same thing happens: the cards are bought, the list is written, and then December arrives faster than anyone expected. If you want your Christmas cards and parcels to land in time, it helps to know exactly when the last posting dates are - and to aim to beat them by a few days.
Here are the last recommended posting dates for Christmas 2026, as published by the Post Office.
Last Posting Dates for Christmas 2026: Royal Mail
| Service | Last recommended posting date |
|---|---|
| Royal Mail 2nd Class | Friday 18 December |
| Royal Mail Tracked 48 | Saturday 19 December |
| Royal Mail 1st Class | Monday 21 December |
| Royal Mail Tracked 24 | Monday 21 December |
| Royal Mail Special Delivery | Wednesday 23 December |
For most Christmas cards, 2nd Class is all you need - as long as they're in the post by Friday 18 December. Leave it later and you'll need 1st Class by Monday 21 December, or Special Delivery by Wednesday 23 December as a last resort.
Parcel Couriers
If you're sending gifts rather than cards, the main courier deadlines through the Post Office are:
- DPD: 2 Day by Saturday 19 December, Next Day by Monday 21 December, DPD Gold by Wednesday 23 December
- Evri: Standard Tracked by Saturday 19 December, Next Day Tracked by Monday 21 December
- Parcelforce: express48 by Monday 21 December, express24 by Tuesday 22 December
Remote postcodes usually need to be sent earlier, and branch acceptance times vary, so it's worth checking with your local Post Office before you go.
Sending Christmas Cards Abroad
International post needs far more time, and the deadlines vary by country and service. As a rule of thumb, cards to Europe should go by early December, and cards further afield - Australia, New Zealand, the Americas - should go in late November.
You can check the exact date for any country using the Post Office last posting dates checker.
How to Beat the Christmas Post
Write your list early. Most people underestimate how many cards they need until they sit down and count. A list written in November makes everything that follows easier.
Buy in packs or boxes. One purchase covers the whole list, with a consistent design throughout. Our boxed Christmas cards come in sets of eight, and our packs of six make it easy to buy one design in quantity.
Write a few each evening. Ten cards a night through the first week of December gets a long list done without the last-minute rush - and the messages are better for it. If you're stuck on the words, our guide to what to write in a Christmas card has ideas for everyone on the list.
Get the address right. Clear handwriting, the full postcode and a return address on the back all help cards arrive on time. Our guide to how to address an envelope properly covers the details.
Sending to clients or colleagues? Business cards need to land before offices close for the holidays, which usually means posting by mid-December. See our guide to business Christmas cards.
The Most Important Thing
The last posting date is a deadline, not a target. Aim to have your cards in the post a few days before it, and you'll avoid the queues, the worry and the card that arrives on Boxing Day. Order early, write a few each evening, and enjoy being the person whose card arrives first.
Shop our Christmas cards - designed in our North London studio, printed on sustainably sourced card and completely plastic-free. Katie Leamon is stocked at Liberty, Harrods and Fortnum & Mason. Free UK delivery on card orders over £20.
Posting dates are the Post Office's recommended last posting dates for Christmas 2026 and may be subject to change. Always check with your local branch before posting.