Christmas Post: These Are The Last Dates To Send Your Cards

Make sure your mail arrives on time, whether you're posting in the UK or internationally.
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Sending a Christmas card is one of the cheapest ways to spread festive cheer. No matter how digital our lives may be, receiving a handwritten card is a festive tradition we’ll never get bored of.

We’ve even done the hard work for you and picked out the best eco-friendly cards so you can minimise your plastic pollution this year.

But as the 25th December draws nearer, you’re running out of time to make the postage cutoff. Rather than risk them arriving too late, these are the dates you need to know.

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Royal Mail’s latest posting dates for Christmas delivery in the UK are:

  • 18 December for second class and second class signed for post

  • 20 December for first class, first class signed for and tracked 48 hours post

  • 21 December for tracked 24 hours post

  • 22 December for special delivery (to guarantee delivery on Christmas Eve)

The Royal Mail doesn’t deliver from 24 December to 26 December, and normal service will resume on 27 December.

If you’re looking to post a card or gift to friends and family abroad, below are the last dates to post international standard and signed for deliveries.

  • 9 December for Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Central and South America, Far and Middle East

  • 10 December for Cyprus, Malta

  • 11 December for Eastern Europe (except Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia)

  • 12 December for Australia, Greece, New Zealand and Turkey

  • 14 December for Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Poland, Sweden, USA

  • 16 December for Austria, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland

  • 18 December for Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg.

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