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Christmas last posting dates 2026 for UK sellers
Checked on 5 November 2026 against each carrier's and platform's own pages · General information, not legal advice
The short answer, checked on 5 November 2026: only use a Christmas last posting date the carrier has published on its own site.
- Royal Mail (inland UK): Friday 18 December 2026 for 2nd Class and 2nd Class Signed For, through to Wednesday 23 December 2026 for Special Delivery Guaranteed®. The full table is below, from Royal Mail's own page.
- Parcelforce Worldwide (UK inland): Monday 21 December 2026 for express48 and express48large; Tuesday 22 December 2026 for express10, expressAM and express24. From Parcelforce's own page and the same Royal Mail page.
- Evri, DPD and InPost had not published Christmas 2026 last posting dates on their own sites. We found no separate Yodel 2026 dates either. This guide does not guess, and it does not copy Post Office or blog dates as if those carriers had published them.
These dates are recommendations for arrival before Christmas, not a guarantee the parcel will arrive, and not a claim deadline. Royal Mail says the dates were correct when it published them and that they are subject to change, and it asks you to post early. Parcelforce says "these last posting dates are a guide only and are subject to change." This is general information, not legal advice. ClaimMinder never files claims for you.
Royal Mail inland last posting dates
This inland UK table is from Royal Mail's page Get ready for Christmas 2026, checked on 5 November 2026. The same dates are linked from Royal Mail Christmas and Royal Mail service updates.
| Last posting date | Services | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 18 December 2026 | 2nd Class; 2nd Class Signed For | Royal Mail last posting dates |
| Saturday 19 December 2026 | Royal Mail Tracked 48® | Royal Mail last posting dates |
| Monday 21 December 2026 | 1st Class; 1st Class Signed For; Royal Mail Tracked 24® | Royal Mail last posting dates |
| Wednesday 23 December 2026 | Special Delivery Guaranteed® | Royal Mail last posting dates |
Saturday 19 December 2026 is also the last posting date for Royal Mail Tracked Returns® 48, for that service to arrive back with the sender before Christmas. That note is on the same Royal Mail page.
Royal Mail says these dates were correct at publishing and are subject to change. Post earlier than the latest date in the table if you can.
Parcelforce Worldwide: UK inland last posting dates
These UK inland dates are published in two places, both checked on 5 November 2026: the Royal Mail Christmas last posting dates page, in the section "Parcelforce Worldwide - UK inland services", and Parcelforce's own page Christmas last posting dates for Account customers 2026.
| Last posting date | Services | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 21 December 2026 | express48; express48large | Parcelforce Christmas dates and Royal Mail last posting dates |
| Tuesday 22 December 2026 | express10; expressAM; express24 | Parcelforce Christmas dates and Royal Mail last posting dates |
Parcelforce's page is headed for account customers. It says non-account customers should use the non-account last posting dates, and that link goes to the Royal Mail Christmas last posting dates page, which lists these same Parcelforce UK inland services. Parcelforce says "these last posting dates are a guide only and are subject to change." It also says outlying areas may need earlier posting.
These are Christmas posting recommendations only. We still have not confirmed a Parcelforce claim deadline on Parcelforce's own pages, so this guide does not state one. See the note in our UK parcel claim deadlines guide.
Evri, DPD, InPost and Yodel: not published on the carrier's own site
When we checked on 5 November 2026, Evri, DPD and InPost had not published Christmas 2026 last posting dates on their own websites. We have not filled that gap with dates from the Post Office, from blogs, or from last year's pages. A 2025 date is not a 2026 date.
Evri had not published its Christmas 2026 last posting dates on evri.com. The latest Evri-owned page we found is a news post for Christmas 2025 only (Evri: last posting dates for Christmas 2025, 31 October 2025). That page does not give a 2026 date. Watch Evri news for an update.
DPD had not published UK domestic Christmas 2026 last posting dates on dpd.co.uk. DPD's delivery schedule lists bank-holiday closures for 2026. It is not a last posting date.
InPost had not published a Christmas 2026 last-posting page. The latest InPost Christmas send guidance we found is a blog post from 27 November 2025 about Christmas 2025 (InPost: Christmas 2025 send guidance). That is last year's guidance, not a 2026 last posting date. Check InPost again before you rely on a date.
Yodel: we found no separate Yodel Christmas 2026 last posting dates. Yodel parcels are now handled by InPost (InPost: Yodel help), so use InPost and check InPost for any update.
Post Office branches. If you hand a parcel in at a Post Office, the Post Office publishes its own recommended dates for parcels dropped off at its branches (Post Office last posting dates). Those are the Post Office's recommendations for branch drop-offs. They are not Evri, DPD or InPost publishing those dates, and this guide does not copy them as the carrier's dates.
If a parcel misses Christmas or goes missing
A last posting date is a recommendation, not a promise the parcel arrives by Christmas, and it is not the deadline for a claim. If a parcel is late, missing, or marked delivered when the buyer says it is not, the clock that matters is the one in the carrier's or marketplace's own terms. Remote and outlying addresses often need to have been posted earlier. A marketplace label (Vinted or eBay, for example) may follow the marketplace's rules instead. ClaimMinder never files the claim for you and takes no cut of any compensation.
This page does not repeat claim figures, and it does not state a Parcelforce claim deadline, because we still have not confirmed one. Christmas posting dates for Parcelforce are included above only because Parcelforce and Royal Mail publish them. For a lost, damaged or "delivered but not received" parcel, use these guides. Each one cites the carrier's or platform's own pages:
- How long to claim a lost parcel: every UK carrier
- Royal Mail lost parcel claim: how long you have
- Evri lost parcel claim: how long you have
- InPost lost parcel claim: 7 days and the Vinted route
- Parcel says delivered but not received?
If you used a Vinted-generated label, start with our Vinted lost parcel guide for sellers. The all-carrier guide covers an eBay label as well.
Work out your own deadline. If the parcel is lost, damaged, or marked delivered but not received, pick the carrier and service, enter the date you posted, and the free checker shows the first and last day to claim. It does not calculate Christmas posting dates. Your dates stay in your browser.
Check my claim deadline – freeFrequently asked questions
Can these Christmas last posting dates change?
Yes. Royal Mail's Christmas last posting dates page says the dates were correct when it published them and that they are subject to change, and it asks you to post early. Parcelforce says these last posting dates are a guide only and are subject to change. Check the carrier's own page again before you post, especially close to Christmas. A last posting date is a recommendation, not a guarantee, and not a claim deadline.
Do remote or outlying areas need an earlier posting date?
Often, yes. Parcelforce says outlying areas may need earlier posting than the UK inland dates on its Christmas page. Royal Mail's table on this guide is the inland UK table from its own Christmas page. If the address is remote or you are unsure the latest date applies, post earlier and check that carrier's page rather than assuming the latest date in the table.
Do marketplace labels use these same Christmas dates?
Not necessarily. A Vinted, eBay or other marketplace label can follow the marketplace's own cut-off, and a missing parcel may have to be raised with the marketplace rather than the carrier. The tables on this page are what Royal Mail and Parcelforce have published for the services named on their own pages. If you bought the postage yourself, use the carrier's page.
Which carriers had not published Christmas 2026 last posting dates?
On 5 November 2026, Evri, DPD and InPost had not published Christmas 2026 last posting dates on their own websites, and we found no separate Yodel 2026 dates. This guide does not treat Post Office branch dates, blogs or 2025 pages as those carriers publishing a 2026 date. If you drop a parcel at a Post Office, the Post Office publishes its own recommended dates for branch drop-offs at postoffice.co.uk. Check the carrier's site again before you rely on a date.
When do carriers usually publish Christmas last posting dates?
There is no single date. On 5 November 2026, Royal Mail and Parcelforce had published Christmas 2026 last posting dates on their own pages, and Evri, DPD and InPost had not. A page about Christmas 2025 is not a 2026 date. Check the carrier's own website again closer to Christmas rather than guessing from last year.
What if a parcel misses Christmas or goes missing?
The last posting date does not set the claim deadline. Use the carrier's own claim rules, or the marketplace's if you used their label. Our other guides link to those pages, and the free checker shows the first and last day to claim from the date you posted. ClaimMinder never files the claim. We do not state a Parcelforce claim deadline, because we have not confirmed one.