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Last posting dates for Christmas 2025

2-minute read

Red Royal Mail van on a UK street
Photograph: Mino21/stock.adobe.com

Royal Mail has published the last recommended postage dates for international and UK parcels to arrive in time for 25 December 2025. 

See all the dates to remember along with tips for communicating with your customers during this busy time of the year.

Last posting dates for Christmas 2025

The table below shows the dates to remember if you’re using Royal Mail services.If you’re using an alternative courier service then some companies are offering collections up until 22 December – but be sure to check with individual couriers for exact dates.

Deliveries in the UK

These are the last posting dates for delivering parcels and letters in the UK:

Date

Postage option

Wednesday, 17 December


2nd Class
2nd Class Signed For

Friday, 19 December


Royal Mail Tracked 48


Sunday, 21 December

Royal Mail Tracked 24
1st Class
1st Class Signed For

Tuesday, 23 December
Special Delivery Guaranteed

International deliveries 

You’ll need to leave more time if you’re posting internationally.

These are the last posting dates for using standard international shipping:


Royal Mail business account customers

Destination

Sunday, 7 December


Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Eastern Europe (except Czech Republic and Poland), France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey

Monday, 8 December

Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Poland, Sweden, USA

Thursday, 11 December


Africa, Asia, Australia, Bulgaria, Caribbean, Central and South America, China, Cyprus, Far and Middle East, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain

Bear in mind there are many express options available that allow you to ship later than these dates. The Royal Mail has a country selector that shows you the different options. 

Tips for communicating with your customers

Keeping your customers informed about when they can expect to receive parcels is particularly important during December.

Here are some things to keep in mind to keep online shoppers happy:

  • use a tracked service – this helps customers follow their parcel and reduces the risk of something going missing
  • update your website – include a ‘last order’ date for items to arrive in time for Christmas (this could be a banner or an update on your homepage, as well as on your delivery page)
  • be transparent in order confirmation emails – make sure it’s clear when deliveries are expected

Small business guides and resources

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Written by

Catriona Fuller

Catriona Fuller is a content and marketing professional with 12 years’ experience across the financial services, higher education, and insurance sectors. She’s also a trained NCTJ Gold Standard journalist. As a Senior Copywriter at Simply Business, Catriona has in-depth knowledge of small business concerns and specialises in tax, marketing, and business operations. Catriona lives in the seaside city of Brighton where she’s also a freelance yoga teacher.

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