Last Christmas posting dates 2026

Updated On:
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Allan Chester
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News

We’ve listed your last chance to post in the UK using the Royal Mail to deliver to various locations worldwide.

Please note that these dates are subject to change, and we encourage you to post as soon as you can.

Posting to the UK

Date Postage option
Friday 18th December 2026 2nd Class
2nd Class Signed For
Saturday 19th December 2026 Royal Mail Tracked 48®
Monday 21st December 2026 1st Class
1st Class Signed For
Monday 21st December 2026 Royal Mail Tracked 24®
Wednesday 23rd December 2026 Special Delivery Guaranteed®

‍Posting internationally

Please note that the latest information will be provided via the Royal Mail Country sending guides for the following services:

  • International economy
  • International Tracking and Signature services
  • International Standard (Untracked)

HM Forces Mail - British Forces Post Office (BFPO)

Last posting date Location
24th October 2026 Static Firm Base/PJOBs
17th November 2026 Operations
17th November 2026 HM Ships

‍Courier last delivery dates for Christmas

We've provided the last Christmas posting dates for the leading UK courier providers.

DPD

We will provide the Christmas Delivery Schedule for DPD below.

Date Delivery status
TBC 2026 Deliveries Only. No Collections
TBC 2026 Closed
TBC 2026 Closed
TBC 2026 Closed
TBC 2026 Closed
TBC 2026 Normal Business Day
TBC 2026 Normal Business Day
TBC 2026 Deliveries only.
TBC 2026 Closed
TBC 2026 Closed
TBC 2026 Closed
TBC 2026 Normal Business Day

Parcelforce

Parcelforce's last posting dates for UK services are below.

Date Postage option
Monday 21st December 2026 express48
Tuesday 22nd December 2026 express10, AM and 24

DHL UK

DHL's pre-Christmas UK delivery schedule will be below. You can also visit the DHL website for New Year collection and delivery news.

Collection date Delivery date
TBC 2026 TBC 2026
TBC 2026 TBC 2026
TBC 2026 TBC 2026
TBC 2026 TBC 2026
TBC 2026 TBC 2026
TBC 2026 TBC 2026
TBC 2026 TBC 2026
TBC 2026 TBC 2026
TBC 2026 TBC 2026
TBC 2026 TBC 2026

DHL International - Europe

DHL's pre-Christmas international delivery schedule for Europe will be below. Note that these loom much sooner than the UK.

Country Last date for International Economy
Germany TBC 2026
France TBC 2026
Spain TBC 2026
Italy TBC 2026
Netherlands TBC 2026
Sweden TBC 2026
Portugal TBC 2026
Finland TBC 2026
Belgium TBC 2026
Republic of Ireland TBC 2026

DHL International - Rest of the World

DHL's pre-Christmas international delivery schedule for the Rest of the World will be below. Note that these are mostly towards the start of December!

Country Last date for International Economy
Australia TBC 2026
New Zealand TBC 2026
Canada TBC 2026
Japan TBC 2026
China TBC 2026
Hong Kong TBC 2026
Saudi Arabia TBC 2026
South Africa TBC 2026
Taiwan TBC 2026
Thailand TBC 2026
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Use UK Postbox to send letters and forward parcels

We offer a solution to send letters and parcels internationally without ever having to leave your home. Just use our platform or iOS and Android apps to manage where your mail is going and who it’s going to.

Send letters online

To send a letter online, upload a PDF to our platform and tell us where it’s being delivered to. We’ll then print and post it on your behalf from our UK location. Send individual letters or post them to multiple addresses at once.

Shop & ship

Sign up for a virtual address to use for your online shopping and use our shop & ship service to forward them anywhere else worldwide. We’ll receive parcels on your behalf and store them free for 30 days. When you’re ready to send them elsewhere, just provide us with the delivery information and we’ll handle everything for you. If you choose a Tracked or Signed For option, you can follow tracking updates directly in your account.

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Allan Chester
Allan Chester
Allan Chester is the founder and CEO of UK Postbox. He launched the company in 2008 with just a scanner on his dining room table and a big idea. Today, UK Postbox has grown into a global platform that helps individuals and businesses manage both their mail and parcels, no matter where they are in the world.Originally from Canada, Allan spotted a gap in the market for digital mail services, especially for expats, remote workers, and privacy-conscious businesses. His vision was to create a virtual UK address service that could scan, forward, and manage post digitally—a concept that’s now central to modern mail handling.
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