Royal Mail has published the days and times it aims to deliver mail across the UK, along with a simple way to find out about delays in a specific area.
The postal operator says it aims to deliver to addresses by 4.30pm every working day, Monday to Saturday. This does not apply in some remote locations, such as Scotland's Highlands and Islands, where transport is limited.
Sunday and evening deliveries
Royal Mail also makes some scheduled parcel deliveries later in the day, which can include evenings. It says: "We also make some scheduled parcel deliveries later, which can include deliveries in the evening. These parcel deliveries can include Sundays with some geographical exceptions."
The company has said it does not "usually deliver on bank public and local holidays."
How to check for delays
Royal Mail aims to "meet these times wherever possible", but warns there "may be slight delays in some extreme circumstances, such as traffic delays or adverse weather."
For UK delays, customers can check the Service Updates page for known issues in their area. International delays affecting specific countries are listed on the international incidents page, and delivery information for an individual item can be found on the "My item hasn't arrived yet" page.
Royal Mail encourages customers to "keep up to date with information about Royal Mail services in your local area" by signing up for service alerts.
Bank holidays in England and Wales
Royal Mail lists nine dates in England and Wales on which there are no collections or deliveries, with the exception of one area on April 3. For the rest of 2026, four public holidays remain.
Those remaining holidays are August 31, Summer Bank Holiday; December 25, Christmas Day; December 26, Boxing Day; and December 28, the substitute day for Boxing Day. No collections or deliveries take place on any of these days.
