Royal Mail Recommended Last Posting Dates for Christmas Delivery (2022) – Revised on 5 December

Royal Mail has published its recommended last posting dates for parcels and letters to arrive by Christmas this year (before December 25, 2022).

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Unfortunately, this year, the national Royal Mail worker strike action has added an additional dimension of uncertainty about the timely delivery of posted items.

And there does not seem to be much hope for a solution soon as the union has rejected Royal Mail’s “Best and Final Offer.”

Therefore, unless there is an unexpected breakthrough in labor talks, Royal Mail’s 115,000 unionized workers are expected to walk out on:

• Thursday, December 1
• Friday, December 9
• Sunday, December 11
• Wednesday, December 14
• Thursday, December 15
• Friday, December 23
• Saturday, Christmas Eve, December 24

On these strike days, Royal Mail says it will prioritize deliveries of Special Delivery, Tracked 24 parcels, COVID test kits, and medical prescriptions.

However, letters (unless Special Delivery) will not be delivered, which could impact last-minute Christmas card or gift card deliveries, for example.

Therefore, senders should allow plenty of time for posting, especially for international deliveries.

“We recommend you post as early as possible to ensure your Christmas letters and parcels reach their destination in good time,” Royal Mail warns.

On Monday, 5 December, Royal Mail adjusted its recommended last posting dates to accommodate the anticipated disruption the national strike action will cause to its system.

However, considering other factors, such as weather and the unknown size of backlogs of mail to clear after strike days, it would be wise to pad even these recommended deadlines by a few extra days to ensure timely delivery before Christmas.

Recommended Last Posting Dates for Delivery in the UK (revised)

Wednesday 7 December (was 16 December)

• Royal Mail Bulk Mail Economy

Monday 12 December (was 19 December)

• 2nd Class
• 2nd Class Signed For
• Royal Mail 48

Friday 16 December (was 21 December)

• 1st Class
• 1st Class Signed For
• Royal Mail 24
• Royal Mail Tracked 48

Monday 19 December (was 22 December)

• Royal Mail Tracked 24

Wednesday 21 December (was 23 December)

• Special Delivery Guaranteed

Recommended Last Posting Dates to International Destinations

Last posting dates for sending holiday gifts and letters internationally will vary greatly by destination.

We have included popular destinations in this list that still have deadlines in December, but suggest checking Royal Mail’s website for the latest information.

HM Forces Mail – British Forces Post Office (BFPO)

• Operational and Static HM Forces – Friday 2 December

International Standard

• Eastern Europe – Saturday 3 December
• USA and Canada – Monday 5 December
• Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Poland, Sweden – Monday 5 December
• Most other western Europe – Wednesday 7 December
• Belgium, France, Luxembourg – Friday 9 December

International Tracking and Signature Services

• Australia and New Zealand – Thursday 1 December
• China – Friday 2 December
• Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Far and Middle East, Caribbean (except the British Virgin Islands, Dominica and Anguilla) – Monday 5 December
• Cyprus and Malta – Tuesday 6 December
• Greece, Eastern Europe (except Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia) and Turkey – Thursday 8 December
• Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Poland, Sweden, USA and Canada – Friday 9 December
• Austria, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland – Saturday 10 December
• Belgium, France, Luxembourg – Monday 12 December

Again we cannot emphasize, these are recommended last posting dates, and with the national strike action affecting on-time deliveries, delays are to be expected.