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The Official Final Posting Dates For Christmas 2025

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Christmas can be a hectic time of year. Whether you are organising food, arranging seating plans, or trying to find that perfect gift that your kids have been talking about all year, this time of year can be stressful, messy, and difficult to navigate.

Because of all the pressure of the festive season, it isn’t surprising that some of our responsibilities and obligations can fall through the cracks. Sending Christmas cards and gifts can sometimes be left to the last minute, so it is important to know when the last day that you can send a parcel and still be received in time for Christmas. 

What is the last Posting Day for Christmas?

The last posting day for Christmas varies depending on how you arrange to send your post and which courier you use to send it. In this article, we will be exploring five of the UK’s most popular couriers and explaining what is the last day for Christmas post.

Royal Mail

Royal Mail has listed 5 different days that could serve as the final day for delivery, depending on which option you choose.

The last days for Christmas post with Royal Mail are:

  • Wednesday 17 December: 2nd Class, 2nd Class Signed For
  • Friday 19 December: Royal Mail Tracked 48®
  • Saturday 20 December: 1st Class, 1st Class Signed For
  • Sunday 21 December: Royal Mail Tracked 24®
  • Tuesday 23 December: Special Delivery Guaranteed®

This means that customers can post their Christmas cards and parcels as late as 17th December and only have to pay 2nd Class delivery charges.

However, for the forgetful festival-goers among us, you have until Saturday 20th to send parcels first-class, or Tuesday 23rd for those who leave their deliveries until the very last minute.

Parcelforce Worldwide

If you decide to send parcels via Parcelforce Worldwide, your options are slightly different.

  • Friday 19 December: Express 48
  • Monday 22 December: Express 10, Express PM, Express 24

Because Parcelforce generally has fewer delivery options, this means that their delivery schedule is not as comprehensive.

Friday 19th December is the cut-off for Express 48, but the more expensive Express options allow you to send parcels as late as 22nd December.

DPD

DPD has not yet created a list indicating when is the last day for Christmas post. However, their website indicates that the only days when they will not be running their delivery service will be Christmas Day (25th December), Boxing Day (26th December), and New Year’s Day (1st January 2026).

DHL

According to DHL’s 2025 delivery calendar, parcels can be collected as late as 23rd December 2025 for delivery on 24th December. Unfortunately, parcel collections will not be available on the weekend of the 20th and 21st, so these days are delivery only.

Even though DHL has listed the 23rd as the final day for pre-Christmas delivery, we would still recommend trying to send your parcels prior to this, as even a small delay would result in your package arriving after Christmas.

Yodel

Yodel has published an updated delivery schedule for Christmas 2025. This list indicates that their key dates are:

  • Friday 19th December: Last day to send parcels to be delivered before Christmas Day
  • Wednesday 17th – Tuesday 23rd December: Deliveries will be made to local stores, however collections made during this period may not be delivered in time for Christmas
  • Weds 24th – Sunday 28th December: Stores may be open to drop your parcels off, but staff will not be collecting or delivering during this time.

What’s the latest I should send my Parcel?

Although the last day Christmas post can be sent varies between couriers and postal options, most delivery services are indicating that Friday 19th December is the last day that parcels and cards can be sent with the expectation that it will be delivered before Christmas Day.

Although some options, like Royal Mail Special Delivery, offer the chance for a faster turnaround, these options are generally more expensive, and even a small delay runs the risk of causing these packages to arrive after Christmas.

Find the Perfect Packaging Material For Your Christmas Parcels

At Schott Packaging, we pride ourselves on providing a variety of high-quality packaging materials to help our customers send parcels with confidence.

Whether you are looking for the best cardboard boxes for making Christmas Hampers, protective packaging materials to make sure that your perfect gift arrives intact, or a durable parcel tape to prevent your parcel from being interfered with, our stock includes a variety of solutions to meet your packaging needs.

If you need help choosing packaging materials, or if you have any questions regarding our products, please contact us and a member of our staff will be happy to guide you toward a suitable packaging solution. If you are interested in placing a bulk order, please contact us via email at

info@schottpackaging.co.uk.