Royal Mail has confirmed the last recommended posting dates for Christmas 2026, giving customers a clear timetable for sending cards, letters and parcels to arrive in time for December 25.
The company expects to handle around 150 million cards over the festive period and has published its key deadlines to help people plan ahead.
Key dates for posting
For 2nd Class mail, the last recommended posting date is Friday, December 18. For Royal Mail Tracked 48, it is Saturday, December 19.
For 1st Class mail, the deadline is Monday, December 21, and for Royal Mail Tracked 24, the last recommended posting date is also Monday, December 21. Special Delivery Guaranteed items should be posted by Wednesday, December 23.
Extra deliveries and service improvements
To meet increased demand, Royal Mail will add extra deliveries until 8pm in the run-up to Christmas. There will also be more processing operations on Sundays to manage the expected surge on Mondays, as people tend to shop online over the weekends.
Royal Mail acknowledged there is still work to be done to meet Ofcom’s targets. In the most recent reporting period, 85% of first-class letters were delivered on time, up from 76% during the same period last year. Second-class mail performance also rose to 91.4%, up from 89.3%.
These improvements follow the ongoing rollout of the new delivery model introduced under Universal Service reform, which has been implemented in approximately 90% of delivery offices.
Seasonal staffing and network
Jamie Stephenson, Chief Operating Officer at Royal Mail, said: "Every year we pull out all the stops to deliver Christmas for our customers. This year, we’ve hired 22,000 seasonal workers to strengthen our operation during our busiest time of year."
He added: "We’re going into Christmas with service improving, and we’re focused on building on that progress. We prepare for Christmas all year round to help ensure we deliver the best possible service for customers and businesses across the UK."
Royal Mail will add 7,500 hire vans to its fleet of 44,000 vans (including 9,100 EVs) and 7,200 trucks and trailers. Over 1,400 road haulage contractors per day are being hired to transport festive mail and parcels across the country.
The delivery network includes around 30,000 parcel points, with 3,300 lockers, 8,500 Royal Mail Shops, 11,500 Post Office branches and 1,200 Royal Mail Customer Service Points.
Customers are reminded to write the full address clearly, include the full postcode, and apply the correct postage to avoid delays or extra charges for the recipient. More information is available on the Royal Mail website.
Royal Mail is also warning customers to remain vigilant against online scams during the festive season, as fraudsters often target people expecting deliveries. The company has published tips on how to identify suspicious emails, text messages or phone calls and how to report them.
