Get ready for Christmas 2022

Last posting dates 2022

Sending a Christmas gift to a friend or loved one? Please continue to refer to our Last Posting Dates and live service updates as some dates have changed to accommodate the disruption due to recent CWU industrial action. We recommend you post as early as possible to ensure your Christmas letters and parcels reach their destination in good time.

All you need to make this Christmas a cracker

Here you’ll find helpful information to make this Christmas the best one yet, including the latest posting dates, seasonal job opportunities, and how to send your letters and parcels safely with Royal Mail.
Three people in Royal Mail Christmas jumpers

Latest Posting Dates

Beat the festive rush and get all your letters and parcels in the post on time.

Buy postage online now

Allow plenty of time for posting.  Please post items and gifts for Christmas early, particularly for International deliveries.

Wednesday 7 December Royal Mail Bulk Mail Economy
Monday 12 December 2nd Class
2nd Class Signed For
Royal Mail 48®
Friday 16 December 1st Class
1st Class Signed For
Royal Mail 24®
Royal Mail Tracked 48®**
Monday 19 December Royal Mail Tracked 24®**
Wednesday 21 December Special Delivery Guaranteed®

** Royal Mail Tracked 24® and Royal Mail Tracked 48® are not available to purchase at Post Office® branches.

Sending internationally?

Monday 12 September All non-European destinations
(unless listed below)
Friday 14 October Far and Middle East, Hong Kong,
Singapore, South Africa
Monday 31 October Canada and USA
Friday 25 November Cyprus, Eastern Europe, Greece,
Iceland, Malta, Turkey
Monday 28 November Western Europe

 

Buy postage online now

Friday 7 October British Virgin Islands, Dominica 
and Anguilla
Monday 28 November Australia and New Zealand, 
China (People's Republic)
Thursday 1 December Africa, Asia (except China,
People's Republic), Central
and South America, Far and
Middle East
Friday 2 December All remaining Caribbean 
destinations, Cyprus and 
Malta
Saturday 3 December Greece, Eastern Europe 
(except Czech Republic,
Poland and Slovakia) and
Turkey
Monday 5 December Czech Republic, Finland, 
Italy, Poland, Sweden, USA 
and Canada
Wednesday 7 December Austria, Denmark, Germany,
Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands,
Norway, Portugal, Slovakia,
Spain, Switzerland
Friday 9 December Belgium, France, Luxembourg

 

Buy postage online now

Friday 7 October British Virgin Islands, Dominica 
and Anguilla
Thursday 1 December Australia and New Zealand
Friday 2 December China (People's Republic)
Monday 5 December All remaining Caribbean 
destinations, Africa, Asia
(except China, People's
Republic), Central and 
South America, Far and
Middle East
Tuesday 6 December Cyprus and Malta
Thursday 8 December Greece, Eastern Europe 
(except Czech Republic,
Poland and Slovakia) and
Turkey
Friday 9 December Czech Republic, Finland, 
Italy, Poland, Sweden, USA 
and Canada
Saturday 10 December Austria, Denmark, Germany,
Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands,
Norway, Portugal, Slovakia,
Spain, Switzerland
Monday 12 December Belgium, France, Luxembourg

 

Buy postage online now

Friday 2 December Operational HM Forces
Friday 2 December Static HM Forces

 

Latest posting dates for Christmas (PDFs)

Personal customerspdf, 87.23 KB

Business customerspdf, 95.17 KB

 

Welsh versions

Personal customerspdf, 97.3 KB

Business customerspdf, 134.66 KB

Parcelforce Worldwide

Parcelforce Worldwide has a range of international delivery services to over 225 countries across the world

Go to Parcelforce.com

Christmas and New Year deliveries and collections

Date Royal Mail Services
Saturday 17 December Normal deliveries and Saturday collections
Sunday 18 December Normal Sunday deliveries and collections
Monday 19 December Normal deliveries and collections
Tuesday 20 December Normal deliveries and collections
Wednesday 21 December Normal deliveries and collections
Thursday 22 December Normal deliveries and collections
Friday 23 December Normal deliveries and collections
Christmas Eve
Saturday 24 December
Normal deliveries, ‘Eve’ collections
Collections only for customers with a regular Saturday collection
Christmas Day
Sunday 25 December
No deliveries or collections
Boxing Day
Monday 26 December
No deliveries or collections
Christmas Day Bank Holiday
Tuesday 27 December
No deliveries or collections
Wednesday 28 December Normal deliveries and collections
Thursday 29 December Normal deliveries and collections
Friday 30 December Normal deliveries and collections
New Year’s Eve
Saturday 31 December
Normal deliveries, ‘Eve' collections
Collections only for customers with a regular Saturday collection
New Year’s Day
Sunday 1 January 2023
No deliveries or collections
New Year Bank Holiday
Monday 2 January 2022
No deliveries or collections
Tuesday 3 January 2022
Public Holiday in Scotland
Normal deliveries and collections - exception for Scotland

Download the Delivery and Collection calendar for Christmas and New Year

English versionpdf, 75.96 KB

Welsh versionpdf, 116.79 KB

For more information on Christmas and New Year collections, please visit royalmail.com/collections2022

If you're planning on being away for the Christmas period, or if your business is closing for the break, we can take care of your post for you:

Get Keepsafe™
Illustration of a shop Closed sign

Preparing your post

Getting your parcels and letters to their destination safely is always our priority, especially at this time of year. Use these handy guides to help you get your items to their destinations safe and sound.

Good Addressing Guide

A handy guide to good addressing and packaging.

Some goods are restricted or prohibited from being mailed in the UK and internationally. Check before you send to make sure your item is fit for travel at royalmail.com/prohibitedgoods

Save time and print your postage at home

Buy postage online
Illustration of printer with online postage label
Going further for you this Christmas

Service updates

Information about local service issues
Find out more

Join us this Christmas

It’s one of the busiest times of the year, so we’re always looking for energetic and enthusiastic people to help us out.
Become a Christmas Casual