When is the last Royal Mail posting date for Christmas? Deadline for first and second class cards, packages and parcels

CARDS, presents and letters to Santa need to be posted soon to make sure they arrive before Christmas day.

Royal Mail is warning that a huge surge in demand because of coronavirus restrictions is likely to cause delivery chaos.

It’s best to get ahead and get things posted as early as possible so they arrive in time.

Royal Mail warns customers on its website: “Please post items and gifts for Christmas early, particularly for International deliveries.” 

“Ongoing Covid restrictions, reduced air and freight capacity, high volumes and winter weather conditions are all impacting transportation and local delivery across the globe.”

Here are the very last posting dates you need to know about so they get there before December 25 2020.

What are the last days to send post within Britain?

For letters and parcels the following deadlines apply:

• Friday December 18 for 2nd class and 2nd class signed for
• Monday December 21 for 1st class and 1st class signed for and Royal Mail Tracked 48
• Tuesday December 22 for Royal Mail Tracked 24
• Wednesday December 23 for Special Delivery guaranteed

What are the last days to send post internationally?

Sending letters and parcels by international standard delivery and international tracking and signature have the following deadlines:

• Wednesday December 9 for: Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Central and
  South America, Far and Middle East
• Thursday December 10 for Canada, Cyprus and Malta
• Friday December 11 for: Greece, Eastern Europe (except Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia) and Turkey
• Saturday December 12 for: Czech Republic, Finland,
  Italy, Poland, Sweden, USA
• Wednesday December 16: Austria, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland
• Friday December 18 for Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg

The deadline for sending items to Australia and New Zealand to get there before Christmas day was Friday December 4.

Unfortunately, deadlines for sending items abroad to any country via international economy have already passed.

When is the last day to send a letter to Santa?

Kids can get their very own letter from Santa if they get their skates on.

If they get a letter in the post by Friday December 11 they will get sent back a personalised letter for free from Father Christmas himself.

Letters need to be sent to: Santa/Father Christmas, Santa’s Grotto, Reindeerland, XM4 5HQ.

Or for a reply in Welsh: Sion Corn, Ogof Sion Corn, Gwlad Y Ceirw, XM4 5HQ.

All children need to do is include their full name and address in the letter and post it by the deadline, and you’ll also need to add a stamp.

Father Christmas promises he will reply to everyone who writes when he gets a break from wrapping presents.

Delivery services are under pressure because of the pandemic and that means you should get ahead of these last order dates for top retailers to make sure your Christmas presents arrive on time.

Grocery shoppers have recently warned about Christmas delivery chaos as slots fill up fast.

Royal Mail is hiking the price of first and second class stamps in January to help it cover rising costs.