Christmas delivery times 2026: last posting dates for Royal Mail and every major courier

The last posting dates for Christmas 2026 run from Friday 18 December for Royal Mail 2nd Class to Wednesday 23 December for Special Delivery Guaranteed. Most businesses should plan around 18, 19 and 21 December, when 2nd Class, Tracked 48 and 1st Class close. This guide puts every carrier’s Christmas posting dates in one place, with the shutdown days and planning notes you need to set your own Christmas delivery times.

In this article, we’ll cover:

• Every confirmed Royal Mail, Parcelforce, DPD, Evri, FedEx and UPS cut-off, in date order
• Why Royal Mail 2nd Class closes three days before 1st Class this year
• Which days carriers won’t collect or deliver over Christmas and New Year
• How to work back from a carrier cut-off to your own last order date
• What the Tracked Returns 48 deadline means for Christmas returns

What are the key Christmas delivery dates for 2026?

The earliest cut-off is Monday 14 December for FedEx Regional Economy Freight, and the last is Wednesday 23 December for Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed and DPD Gold. Every date below comes from the carrier’s own website, checked between 9 and 12 November 2026.

If you post on the last date for a service, you’re relying on that service hitting its normal transit time during the Christmas rush. Build in a day where you can.

What are Royal Mail’s last posting dates for Christmas 2026?

Royal Mail’s last posting dates for Christmas 2026 start with 2nd Class on 18 December and end with Special Delivery Guaranteed on 23 December. Tracked 48 closes on 19 December, and 1st Class and Tracked 24 close on 21 December. The full list of Royal Mail Christmas posting dates is on Royal Mail’s Christmas last posting dates page.

Why does 2nd Class close earlier this year?

2nd Class closes three days before 1st Class because Royal Mail is moving 2nd Class letters to delivery every other weekday, with the rollout due to finish by December 2026. Royal Mail explains the change on its letter deliveries page. If you still send cards, statements or invoices by post, anything that misses 18 December needs to go 1st Class.

When are the Parcelforce Christmas dates?

Parcelforce’s last dates are Monday 21 December for express48 and express48large, and Tuesday 22 December for express24, expressAM and express10. Check Parcelforce’s Christmas dates again on the day you book, as carriers can revise them during December.

Which days is Royal Mail closed over Christmas?

Royal Mail Christmas delivery and collections stop from Friday 25 December to Monday 28 December. Its service updates page carries the latest closure information, so check it before you plan your last collection.

What about international and BFPO post?

Royal Mail hasn’t given country-by-country Christmas dates for international post this year. Instead, it recommends posting overseas items as early as possible and lists delivery aims in its international country guides. For BFPO addresses, the last posting date for Operations and HM Ships is Tuesday 17 November.

When are the courier Christmas cut-offs?

The confirmed courier cut-offs run from 14 December (FedEx) to 23 December (DPD Gold via the Post Office). Some carriers hadn’t confirmed their dates on their own websites when we checked on 12 November, but we’ll add them as they appear.

DPD Christmas delivery and Evri dates via the Post Office

If you send DPD or Evri parcels over a Post Office counter, the Post Office’s last posting dates apply. DPD 2 Day and Evri Standard Tracked close on Saturday 19 December. DPD Next Day and Evri Next Day Tracked close on Monday 21 December, and DPD Gold closes on Wednesday 23 December.

These are counter dates. If you hold a DPD business account with collections, check your account dates with DPD, as they may differ.

Evri Christmas dates for collections, ParcelShops and lockers

Evri’s own Christmas last posting dates apply if you book an Evri collection or drop parcels at an Evri ParcelShop or locker. The last day for courier collections is Friday 18 December. Standard parcels need to be dropped off by 11am on Saturday 19 December, and Next Day parcels by 11am on Monday 21 December.

Evri’s international cut-offs come much earlier. Its popular European destinations close between 2 and 9 December for ParcelShop drop-offs, with courier collections a day earlier. The USA, Canada and Australia close on 2 December at a ParcelShop, and New Zealand on 25 November.

FedEx Christmas dates

FedEx’s earliest cut-off is Monday 14 December for Regional Economy Freight, followed by Regional Economy on Wednesday 16 December. International Connect Plus and International Priority Freight close on Friday 18 December, and International Priority (Europe) closes on Monday 21 December. FedEx won’t collect or deliver from 25 to 28 December and stays closed from 1 to 3 January. The full list is on the FedEx UK holiday schedule.

UPS Christmas dates

The UPS UK holiday schedule lists no service on Friday 25 December or Monday 28 December. Check it for service-level cut-offs before you book your final December collections.

Which bank holidays affect Christmas deliveries in 2026?

Three bank holidays fall over Christmas and New Year in England and Wales: Christmas Day, the Boxing Day substitute and New Year’s Day. Because Boxing Day lands on a Saturday, the bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December, according to GOV.UK’s bank holidays page.

Scotland also has a 2 January bank holiday, which moves to Monday 4 January in 2027 because 2 January falls on a Saturday. Factor it into Scottish rotas and collection plans.

What does the shutdown mean in the warehouse?

This means anything your carrier doesn’t collect on Thursday 24 December stays on your dock until Tuesday 29 December at the earliest. Orders keep coming in online over the long weekend, so you’ll restart with a backlog on the same day returns begin to arrive.

Book your final December collections early, and confirm whether your carrier is collecting on Christmas Eve at all. Then plan a 29 December shift around clearing that backlog rather than normal picking volumes.

How do you set your own last order date for Christmas?

Your last order date is the carrier’s cut-off minus your pick, pack and collection time. The last posting dates UK carriers publish are the day a parcel must leave you, not the day your customer must order.

Say you ship on Tracked 48 and need one working day to pick and pack. The last posting day for Christmas on that service is Saturday 19 December, so your customer-facing cut-off is Friday 18 December at the latest. If your carrier collects only once a day, move it earlier again to match your collection time.

Set a separate cut-off for each service you offer, and show them on your checkout and order confirmation emails. A single ‘order by’ date tends to be either too cautious for next-day customers or too late for economy ones.

Check your collection limits and remote postcodes

If you use a Royal Mail business account, check how your collection limit works in December before you promise dates. Our guide to Royal Mail business collections covers this in detail. Check your courier’s transit times for the Scottish Highlands and Islands, Northern Ireland and offshore postcodes too, as these can sit outside standard next-day services.

Stock up on packaging before your suppliers’ cut-offs

Running out of boxes or mailing bags in December stops despatch, however well you’ve planned your dates. Count what you’ll need through to January, including returns, and order it before suppliers close for Christmas.

Our range of cardboard boxes for posting and polythene mailing bags covers most e-commerce orders. If you’re sending gifts, our retail and gift packaging range includes gift boxes and bags.

Get your Christmas packaging in before the cut-offs

The last posting dates for Christmas only help if your own cut-offs, collections and packaging stock line up behind them. Set a customer-facing order date for each service now, book your final collections and check every carrier’s page again in mid-December.

Need to top up before the rush? Order your postal boxes before our Christmas cut-off so they’re on site when your volumes peak.

Key takeaways

• Royal Mail’s last posting dates for Christmas 2026 are 18 December for 2nd Class, 21 December for 1st Class and 23 December for Special Delivery Guaranteed.
• Royal Mail 2nd Class closes three days before 1st Class this year because 2nd Class letters are moving to delivery every other weekday.
• Royal Mail, UPS and FedEx won’t collect or deliver from Friday 25 to Monday 28 December, so uncollected parcels wait until 29 December.
• Your customer-facing last order date should be the carrier cut-off minus your pick, pack and collection time, set separately for each service.
• Royal Mail Tracked Returns 48 closes on 19 December, and B2B returns follow your terms of sale rather than consumer cancellation rights.

FAQ: Christmas posting dates 2026

When is the last day for posting Christmas cards?

The last day for posting Christmas cards is Friday 18 December by Royal Mail 2nd Class, or Monday 21 December by 1st Class.

Does Royal Mail deliver on Christmas Eve?

Yes. Royal Mail’s Christmas closures run from 25 to 28 December, so Thursday 24 December is a normal delivery day.

Does Royal Mail deliver on Boxing Day?

No. Royal Mail doesn’t collect or deliver from Friday 25 December to Monday 28 December, which covers Boxing Day on Saturday 26 December.

When is the last posting day for Christmas?

The last posting day for Christmas is Wednesday 23 December, using Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed or DPD Gold via the Post Office.

What are Royal Mail’s Christmas opening times?

Royal Mail has no collections or deliveries from 25 to 28 December. Post Office branch hours over Christmas vary, so check your local branch before you go.

Can I send parcels between Christmas and New Year?

Yes. Royal Mail, UPS and FedEx resume on Tuesday 29 December, although FedEx closes again from 1 to 3 January.

About the author

Caroline Anderson: eCommerce Marketing Leader with a proven track record in B2B and B2C digital growth. Specialises in data-driven strategies, campaign optimisation, and customer lifecycle marketing.

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