The Christmas 2026 last posting dates for the UK are Friday 18 December for 2nd Class, Monday 21 December for 1st Class and Wednesday 23 December for Special Delivery Guaranteed. Here is the full list from Royal Mail and Parcelforce, with the bank holidays and a few tips if you sell online.
Royal Mail and Parcelforce last recommended posting dates, Christmas 2026
These are the last recommended dates for posting within the UK so that items arrive by Christmas. We checked them on the Royal Mail Christmas page on 6 November 2026.
| Post by | Service |
|---|---|
| Fri 18 Dec | Royal Mail 2nd Class, 2nd Class Signed For |
| Sat 19 Dec | Royal Mail Tracked 48 |
| Mon 21 Dec | Royal Mail 1st Class, 1st Class Signed For, Tracked 24 |
| Mon 21 Dec | Parcelforce express48 and express48large |
| Tue 22 Dec | Parcelforce express24, express10 and expressAM |
| Wed 23 Dec | Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed |
Royal Mail says dates can change, so check the official Royal Mail last posting dates page ↗ before you post. Royal Mail does not give one date for international post. It asks you to post as early as possible and to look up your destination in its Country Guides.
Bank holidays around Christmas 2026
- Monday 30 November: St Andrew’s Day (Scotland)
- Friday 25 December: Christmas Day
- Monday 28 December: bank holiday in place of Boxing Day (Saturday 26 December)
- Friday 1 January 2027: New Year’s Day
- Monday 4 January 2027: bank holiday (Scotland)
Dates are from gov.uk. Collections and deliveries can be limited on these days.
Tips if you sell online
- Set your own last order date a few days before the carrier’s last posting date, to allow for busy weeks.
- Post early in the week, and ahead of the dates above, rather than on the last day.
- Keep proof of postage, and use a tracked service for anything valuable.
- Tell buyers clearly which dates you can still post by, so they know what to expect.
- Work out your postage cost before you list. Our free eBay fee and profit calculator includes postage in the profit sum.
Keep it all in one place
The dates above are built into our UK Christmas Planner 2026, which has a posting planner, a card list, a budget and a Christmas Day timeline. To decide how much to spend, see how to set a Christmas budget per person. You can also browse everything in the shop or our other guides.