Last Posting Dates for Christmas in the UK (2019)

by James Messer

October 11, 2019

Jump to deadlines for: United States | Canada | Australia

One of the most crucial parts of holiday shipping preparation is knowing which carrier services to use and when. Accommodating last-minute shoppers is vital, and knowing which services are available until which dates is crucial for cart conversions. We’ve gathered the most popular carriers and their services into one blog. Make sure that your checkout options reflect these deadlines below. When a customer doesn’t receive their gift in time, you face more headaches than losing a sell.

Royal Mail Last Posting Dates for Christmas Delivery

Royal Mail Domestic Services

Service	Last Posting Date
2nd Class; Royal Mail Signed For® 2nd Class	Wednesday, 18 December
1st Class; Royal Mail Signed For® 1st Class	Friday, 20 December
Royal Mail Tracked 48®	Friday, 20 December
Royal Mail Tracked 24®	Saturday, 21 December
Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed®	Monday, 23 December

Royal Mail International Economy

Region	Last Posting Date
Australia, New Zealand and all other non-European destinations (except Middle East, South Africa, Far East, USA, and Canada)	Saturday, 5 October
Middle and Far East (except Hong Kong and Singapore)	Saturday, 29 September
South Africa, Hong Kong, Singapore, USA, Canada	Saturday, 5 October
Eastern Europe, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Malta, Iceland	Saturday, 2 November
Western Europe	Saturday, 16 November

Royal Mail International Standard and International Tracking and Signature Services

Region	Last Posting Date
Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Central and South America, Far and Middle East	Monday, 9 December
Cyprus, Malta,	Tuesday, 10 December
Eastern Europe (except Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia)	Wednesday, 11 December
Australia, Greece, New Zealand and Turkey	Thursday 12 December
Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Poland, Sweden, USA	Saturday, 14 December
Finland, Sweden	Saturday, 15 December
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland	Monday, 16 December
Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg	Wednesday, 18 December

Royal Mail International HM Forces Mail

Service	Last Posting Date
Operational HM Forces	Monday, 25 November
Static HM Forces	Friday, 13 December

Parcelforce Worldwide Last Posting Dates for Christmas Delivery

Parcelforce Worldwide UK Last Posting Dates

Service	Last Posting Date
Timed Services Express 9, Express 10, Express AM, Express PM	Send by Monday, 23 December
Next Day Services Express 24	Send by Monday, 23 December
Two Day Services Express 48, Express 48 Large	Send by Friday, 20 December

Hermes Last Posting Dates for Christmas Delivery

Hermes Last Posting Dates UK

Service	Last Posting Date
Last day for courier collection	Friday, 19 December
Last day for Standard Parcelshop drop-off	Saturday, 21 December at 12:00pm
Last day for Next Day Parcelshop drop-off	Sunday, 22 December at 12:00pm

2019 Last Posting Days UK

With the shipping cutoff dates above, we also put together a handy timeline graphic that shows you what services are available.

If you use our holiday shipping deadlines infographic to start your holiday prep now, you’ll have plenty of time to calculate your own shipping cut off dates. And once you know your shipping schedule, you can start optimizing your shipping workflow to handle increased order volume. Plus, you’ll have more time to decide on which shipping promotions are best for your business and your customers.