Last posting dates for Christmas 2018: When are the Royal Mail deadlines for the UK and internationally?
Once the presents have been wrapped and cards have been written, all that's left to do is send them to our family and friends ahead of the last posting dates for Christmas 2018.
In 2016, 3,000 members of staff at the UK’s 300 largest Post Offices - which handle 20 per cent of all post - announced a five-day strike that lasted until Christmas Eve.
It sent many people into a blind panic, but while there was talk of similar action taking place again last year, talks quashed the prospect. As of yet there has been no announcement of any upcoming strikes in 2018.
If you still want your Christmas post to arrive in plenty of time though, we recommend you move quickly: the deadline for second class mail is tomorrow, Tuesday December 18.
To make sure you get your cards and presents to your loved ones on time this year, read our guide to the last Christmas post and order dates for Royal Mail and Amazon (plus some advice on how to send a letter to Santa).
Royal Mail's last Christmas posting dates for 2018
Royal Mail’s latest recommended posting dates for delivery in the UK in 2018 are:
Tuesday, December 18 for second class mail
Thursday, December 20 for first class mail
Saturday, December 22 for special delivery
When will Royal Mail not deliver post?
There will be no delivery and collection service from Christmas Eve through to Boxing day, however normal service will resume on Thursday December 27.
On New Year’s Eve and New Year's Day there will be no deliveries or collections. In Scotland, January 2 is a bank holiday so there will be no deliveries or collections north of the border.
When are the last dates for sending post abroad?
Some of the dates for International Economy (formerly known as Surface Mail) destinations have already passed. But there is still time to send Christmas cards to these destinations.
Saturday November 3 for Cyprus, Eastern Europe, Greece, Iceland, Malta, Turkey and Singapore
Saturday November 17 for Western Europe
If you want to reach the rest of the world using the International Standard (formerly known as Airmail) service these are the latest recommended posting dates for your diary:
Tuesday, December 4 for Africa and the Middle East
Friday, December 7 for Asia, Cyprus, Far East, Malta and Eastern Europe (ex Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia)
Saturday, December 8 for the Caribbean and Central & South America
Monday, December 10 for Greece, Turkey, Australia and New Zealand
Friday, December 14 for the Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, Canada and USA
Saturday, December 15 for Finland and Sweden
Monday, December 17 for Austria, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Portugal, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Switzerland and Spain
Tuesday, December 18 for Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg
The last dates for International Standard HM Forces Mail for British Forces Post Offices (BFPOs) are Monday, November 26 for operational BFPOs, and Friday, December 14 for static BFPOs.
Last Amazon posting dates for Christmas 2018
In attempt to make Christmas shopping easier, many Britons will take to online retailers such as Amazon to buy gifts for their loved ones.
If you want to order items that are in stock and dispatched and delivered by Amazon this festive season, make sure you place your orders before the last posting dates below.
Thursday, December 20, order as late as 11.59 pm for No-Rush Delivery.
Friday, December 21, order as late as 11.59 pm for Standard Delivery.
Sunday, December 23, for One-Day Delivery. Last order time for delivery by Christmas varies by item and location.
Monday, December 24, order as late as 12.00 pm for Same-Day (Evening Delivery). This is only available in select areas - to find out if you qualify, check Amazon's postcode finder.
When is the last day to send a letter to Father Christmas?
Royal Mail will send a letter from Santa Claus for free. If you are hoping for a reply from Father Christmas, post him a letter by Friday, December 7. This is the address you need:
Santa / Father Christmas Santa’s Grotto Reindeerland XM4 5HQ
Make sure you include a full name and address so Father Christmas can write back.
