Carrier pages read on 2 November 2026
Christmas shipping deadlines 2026
The last recommended days to post or ship for delivery before Christmas 2026, carrier by carrier, as Royal Mail, Parcelforce, USPS, UPS, FedEx, Canada Post, Australia Post and An Post published them. Where a carrier has no date, we say so rather than guess.
Last dates by carrier
Royal Mail
UK| Service | Route | Last date | Days left |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd Class, 2nd Class Signed For | Within the UK | – | |
| Royal Mail Tracked 48 Also the last date for Tracked Returns 48 to reach the sender before Christmas. | Within the UK | – | |
| 1st Class, 1st Class Signed For | Within the UK | – | |
| Royal Mail Tracked 24 | Within the UK | – | |
| Special Delivery Guaranteed | Within the UK | – | |
| International services No international dates on the 2026 page: Royal Mail advises posting as early as possible and lists delivery aims in its country guides. | UK to other countries | No 2026 date published |
Dates for delivery before Christmas. Source: Royal Mail, Get ready for Christmas 2026: last posting dates, retrieved 2 November 2026.
Parcelforce Worldwide
UK| Service | Route | Last date | Days left |
|---|---|---|---|
| express48, express48large | Within the UK | – | |
| express10, expressAM, express24 | Within the UK | – |
Dates for delivery before Christmas. Source: Royal Mail, Get ready for Christmas 2026 (Parcelforce Worldwide UK inland services), retrieved 2 November 2026.
USPS
US| Service | Route | Last date | Days left |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-Class Package International, Priority Mail International | US to other countries | – | |
| Priority Mail Express International | US to other countries | – | |
| USPS Ground Advantage | Within the lower 48 states | – | |
| First-Class Mail | Within the lower 48 states | – | |
| Priority Mail | Within the lower 48 states | – | |
| Priority Mail Express | Within the lower 48 states | – | |
| All services Different dates apply: see the USPS page. Ground Advantage to and from these places can take 10 days or more. | Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, territories, APO/FPO/DPO | See the USPS page |
Dates recommended send-by dates for expected delivery before December 25. Source: USPS, 2026 Holiday Shipping Deadlines, retrieved 2 November 2026.
UPS
US| Service | Route | Last date | Days left |
|---|---|---|---|
| All services UPS does not publish fixed dates: it says the last day to ship for delivery by 24 December depends on the service, the start and the destination, and points to its Calculate Time and Cost tool. | Within the US | No fixed date published |
Dates for delivery by December 24. Source: UPS Holiday Schedule (2026), retrieved 2 November 2026.
FedEx
US| Service | Route | Last date | Days left |
|---|---|---|---|
| FedEx Ground Economy | Within the US | – | |
| FedEx Ground, Home Delivery 17 December for a 5-day transit; up to 23 December for a 1-day transit. Transit times depend on the ZIP codes. | Within the US | – | |
| FedEx Express Saver | Within the US | – | |
| International Economy, International Connect Plus | US to Canada | – | |
| FedEx 2Day, 2Day AM | Within the US | – | |
| First Overnight, Priority Overnight, Standard Overnight, Extra Hours | Within the US | – | |
| International Priority | US to Canada | – | |
| FedEx SameDay | Within the US | – |
Dates scheduled to arrive by December 24, 2026. Source: FedEx, 2026 Shipping deadlines for holiday packages (PDF), retrieved 2 November 2026.
Canada Post
Canada| Service | Route | Last date | Days left |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Parcel Regional zone: 16 December. Local zone: 21 December. | Within Canada, national zone | – | |
| Tracked Packet, Small Packet | Canada to the USA | – | |
| Tracked Packet, Small Packet To Europe as a whole: 9 December. | Canada to the UK | – | |
| Expedited Parcel, flat rate box Regional zone: 18 December. Local zone: 22 December. | Within Canada, national zone | – | |
| Expedited Parcel USA | Canada to the USA | – | |
| Xpresspost International | Canada to Australia | – | |
| Xpresspost International | Canada to the UK and Europe | – | |
| Xpresspost USA | Canada to the USA | – | |
| Cards Regional: 21 December. Local: 22 December. | Within Canada, national | – | |
| Xpresspost Local zone: 23 December. | Within Canada, national zone | – | |
| Priority | Within Canada, all zones | – |
Dates recommended send-by dates between major urban centres. Source: Canada Post, Plan your holiday sending (October 2026), retrieved 2 November 2026.
Australia Post
Australia| Service | Route | Last date | Days left |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard parcels | Australia to the USA | – | |
| Standard parcels | Australia to New Zealand | – | |
| Standard parcels | Australia to the UK | – | |
| Express parcels | Australia to the USA | – | |
| Parcel Post 14 to 17 December depending on the route: check Australia Post’s table for yours. | To or from NT (metro) | – | |
| Express parcels | Australia to the UK | – | |
| Parcel Post Qld–WA: 17 December. Tas–WA: 16 December. | To or from WA (metro) | – | |
| Cards and letters | Interstate | – | |
| Parcel Post To or from Tas: 21 December, except Qld–Tas, 18 December. | Between NSW, ACT, Vic, Qld and SA (metro) | – | |
| Cards and letters | Within the same state | – | |
| Parcel Post Over the counter by 2.30pm. | Within the same state (metro) | – | |
| Express Post | To WA, to NT and from WA (metro) | – | |
| Express Post | NSW, ACT, Vic, Qld, SA, Tas and within the same state (metro) | – |
Dates for the best chance of arrival in time for Christmas Day, between metro areas. Source: Australia Post, Christmas cut-off dates and postage costs, retrieved 2 November 2026.
An Post
Ireland| Service | Route | Last date | Days left |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Post parcels | Ireland to the USA | – | |
| Standard Post letters | Ireland to the USA | – | |
| Standard Post letters and parcels | Ireland to Great Britain | – | |
| Standard Post parcels | Within the Republic of Ireland | – | |
| Standard Post letters | Within the Republic of Ireland | – | |
| Express Post letters | Within the Republic of Ireland | – |
Dates to ensure delivery before Christmas. Source: An Post, Christmas Last Postal Dates 2026, retrieved 2 November 2026.
How to read these dates
Each date is the carrier’s own last recommended day to post or hand over a parcel, copied from its official page on 2 November 2026 and linked under its table. They are recommendations, not guarantees: carriers say delivery still depends on where you post from, where it is going and when you drop it off. Some aim for delivery by 24 December, others by Christmas Day, as noted with each table.
- Pick the slowest leg. Rural, remote and island addresses take longer, and international parcels can wait in customs.
- Not published means not published. UPS gives no fixed dates and points to its time-and-cost tool; Royal Mail lists no 2026 international dates. We never fill a gap with last year’s dates.
- Get reminders. Filter to your country and download an .ics file: each deadline becomes an all-day calendar event with a reminder the day before.
Ordering online? The shop’s dispatch cut-off is usually earlier than the carrier’s, and the return deadline tracker helps once the parcels arrive.
Questions
What is the last day to post 2nd Class for Christmas 2026?
Royal Mail’s last recommended date for 2nd Class within the UK is Friday 18 December 2026, and for 1st Class it is Monday 21 December.
When should I ship USPS Ground Advantage for Christmas 2026?
USPS recommends Thursday 17 December 2026 within the lower 48 states, Friday 18 December for Priority Mail and Saturday 19 December for Priority Mail Express.
Why is there no UPS date?
UPS does not publish fixed dates. Its holiday page says the last day to ship for delivery by 24 December depends on the service, origin and destination.
Sources
- Royal Mail, Get ready for Christmas 2026: Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide UK dates. Parcelforce’s own Christmas page still showed 2025 dates on 2 November 2026, so we use Royal Mail’s 2026 page for it.
- USPS, 2026 Holiday Shipping Deadlines.
- UPS Holiday Schedule.
- FedEx, 2026 Shipping deadlines for holiday packages (PDF).
- Canada Post, Plan your holiday sending (October 2026).
- Australia Post, Christmas cut-off dates.
- An Post, Christmas Last Postal Dates 2026.
All retrieved on 2 November 2026. Carriers can change their dates; their pages always win.