December 18th
The last day for 2nd Class. 1st Class runs until Monday December 21st.
Royal Mail's last posting dates, UK
| Post by | Service |
|---|---|
| Friday December 18th | 2nd Class, 2nd Class Signed For |
| Saturday December 19th | Tracked 48 |
| Monday December 21st | 1st Class, 1st Class Signed For, Tracked 24 |
| Wednesday December 23rd | Special Delivery Guaranteed |
These are Royal Mail's own recommended dates for Christmas 2026. They can change, so it's worth checking again in December.
When we'd post
The last posting date is the last safe moment, not the best one. Cards posted in the final week sit in the busiest post of the year. For a card that arrives with time to be read and put on the mantelpiece:
- Cards in the UK: post by Monday December 14th.
- Parcels: post by Friday December 11th.
- Abroad: start in late November. International dates are much earlier, and Royal Mail lists them by country.
A simple plan
- End of November: write the list and check addresses.
- First week of December: buy stamps and write the cards.
- By December 14th: everything in the post.
Christmas Day falls on a Friday this year
Christmas Eve is a Thursday, and there's no post on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. Anything that misses the dates above is unlikely to arrive until the week after Christmas.
