Royal Mail Last Posting Dates for Christmas 2026: 2nd Class Friday 18 December

Royal Mail’s last recommended posting date for 2nd Class and 2nd Class Signed For at Christmas 2026 is Friday 18 December, and for 1st Class it is Monday 21 December, according to the Royal Mail press release of 27 October 2026. Our table below adds the weekday and the days left, and a one-page printable follows.

Royal Mail calls these last recommended posting dates. They are advice on when to post, not a guarantee that an item arrives before Christmas Day.

What are the Royal Mail last posting dates for Christmas 2026?

Service	Last recommended posting date	Days before Christmas Day (by our count)	Days from 30 October 2026 (by our count)
2nd Class and 2nd Class Signed For	Friday 18 December	7	49
Royal Mail Tracked 48	Saturday 19 December	6	50
1st Class and 1st Class Signed For	Monday 21 December	4	52
Royal Mail Tracked 24	Monday 21 December	4	52
Special Delivery Guaranteed	Wednesday 23 December	2	54

Dates and services are from Royal Mail, 27 October 2026. The day counts are our calculation: Christmas Day 2026 is Friday 25 December, according to GOV.UK, and the third column counts back from it.

When is the last day to post Christmas cards in 2026?

We have no separate card date from Royal Mail, so use the date for the service you pay for: Friday 18 December for 2nd Class or Monday 21 December for 1st Class.

Royal Mail advises writing the full address and full postcode on each item and paying the correct postage. More information is at royalmail.com/greetings.

What is Royal Mail changing for the Christmas rush?

Royal Mail says it is adding extra deliveries up to 8pm in the run-up to Christmas, and more Sunday processing to handle the Monday surge after weekend online shopping.

Jamie Stephenson, Chief Operating Officer, Royal Mail, said: “This year, we’ve hired 22,000 seasonal workers to strengthen our operation during our busiest time of year.”

For delivery quality, Royal Mail reports that in its latest reporting period 85% of 1st Class letters were delivered on time, against 76% in the same period last year. For 2nd Class the figures are 91.4% and 89.3%. It adds that its new delivery model, introduced after Universal Service reform, is now in around 90% of delivery offices.

Royal Mail also warns about scam texts and emails, and about counterfeit stamps.

What is not yet confirmed?

The press release dates above cover the main domestic services. We have not confirmed the 2026 international and British Forces Post Office (BFPO) dates, because Royal Mail’s own website blocked our automated check. Check royalmail.com/christmas for those. We also have no 2026 dates for Parcelforce, and we do not know whether there are deliveries on 26 December.

Which dates should you mark?

The printable lists each service date, then Christmas Day on Friday 25 December and the Boxing Day substitute bank holiday on Monday 28 December. GOV.UK gives the substitute day for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Print it, then add the dates to the December 2026 printable calendar. The When is Christmas Day? page has the date itself.

For the bank holiday detail, see our UK Christmas bank holidays story. For other carriers, see our stories on Canada Post holiday shipping deadlines and FedEx and UPS holiday shipping deadlines.

The dates are those in Royal Mail’s press release of 27 October 2026, as of 30 October 2026. Check royalmail.com/christmas before you post.