Christmas 2025 Posting Dates UK & Last-Minute Courier Options

Christmas post catches people out every year. You buy the gift, wrap it, and then unfortunately, life gets ahead of you and suddenly you realise your Christmas gifts might not arrive to your loved ones in time for the big day!

If you’re using Royal Mail, there are official last UK posting dates for Christmas delivery, and once these posting dates pass, the “will it arrive in time?” stress ramps up quickly. The good news though, even if you’ve left it late, there are still some very practical options including same-day, direct-to-door courier delivery.

What We Cover in This Guide:

• Royal Mail’s key UK last posting dates (Christmas 2025)

• What to do if you’ve missed them

• When a 24/7 courier makes sense for last-minute gifts (and what to prepare)

UK last posting dates for Christmas 2025

Royal Mail recommends posting as early as possible, but as Red Rocket Couriers completely understand, this isn’t always possible, especially if you’re working to some very late shifts. These are the dates most people look for first.

Service	Last posting date (UK)	Best for
Royal Mail 2nd Class & 2nd Class Signed For	Wednesday 17 December	Cards + low-urgency parcels
Royal Mail Tracked 48	Friday 19 December	Tracked parcels with more breathing room
Royal Mail 1st Class & 1st Class Signed For	Saturday 20 December	Quicker cards + parcels
Royal Mail Tracked 24	Sunday 21 December	Fast tracked parcels
Special Delivery Guaranteed	Tuesday 23 December	Highest priority posting option

These are UK-wide guidance dates published by Royal Mail for Christmas 2025. Always consider local factors too (weather, peak volumes, access issues, and when you can physically get to a post office).

International deliveries

International last posting dates typically vary significantly by destination and service, so if you’re sending overseas, it’s worth checking the specific country deadlines directly with the chosen carrier before you commit to a date.

What if you’ve missed the last posting date?

If you’re past the cut-off (or you’re simply not confident a standard network will deliver Christmas presents in time), your best “Plan B” is a direct, same-day courier service who can.

This isn’t about replacing Royal Mail for your usual everyday sending. It’s about solving a different problem:

• You’ve left it unfortunately too late and you need a high-confidence delivery.

• Your items are valuable, or you need an urgent, or time-sensitive delivery.

• You’d rather avoid handoffs between multiple depots and prefer one courier to handle both collection and delivery.

• You’re simply unable to get to a Post Office, or unable to arrange the pickup / collection you thought you could get.

That’s where a specialist courier like Red Rocket Courier Services can be the difference between “it might get there” and “Oh, it’s delivered.”

Red Rocket Couriers Christmas & New Year Delivery Schedule

A practical alternative: 24/7 courier delivery for last-minute gifts

If you need a Christmas gift delivered urgently, including evenings, weekends, and late deadlines, here at Red Rocket Couriers we position our Christmas delivery option as available 24/7 for time-critical delivery.

Date	Collection Available?	Delivery Available?	Any Specific Times?
Wednesday 17th December	Yes	Yes	Available 24/7
Thursday 18th December	Yes	Yes	Available 24/7
Friday 19th December	Yes	Yes	Available 24/7
Saturday 20th December	Yes	Yes	Available 24/7
Sunday 21st December	Yes	Yes	Available 24/7
Monday 22nd December	Yes	Yes	Available 24/7
Tuesday 23rd December	Yes	Yes	Available 24/7
Wednesday 24th December	Yes	Yes	Available 24/7
Thursday 25th December (Christmas Day)	Yes	Yes	Available 24/7
Friday 26th December (Boxing Day)	Yes	Yes	Available 24/7
Saturday 27th December	Yes	Yes	Available 24/7
Sunday 28th December	Yes	Yes	Available 24/7
Monday 29th December	Yes	Yes	Available 24/7
Tuesday 30th December	Yes	Yes	Available 24/7
Wednesday 31st December (New Year’s Eve)	Yes	Yes	Available 24/7
Thursday 1st January (New Year’s Day)	Yes	Yes	Available 24/7

Yes, you’ve read that right! We are available for collection and delivery on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. In fact, our dedicated couriers are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year!

Delivering to Europe? Then look at our European Courier Service.

When a same-day courier is the right call

A dedicated courier, ready to collect and drop off this close to Christmas is especially useful when:

• The item is fragile (gift baskets, ceramics, personal items)

• The item is high-value (jewellery, electronics, important documents)

• You need collection from a home, office, retailer, or storage location

• You want one vehicle, one driver, one direct route (less handling)
  

Our same day collection and Christmas delivery service is a strong option for businesses needing to move “Christmas-critical” items, last-minute stock, samples, promotional packs, or urgent replacements, without relying on standard cut-off dates from other well-known couriers.

How “direct courier delivery” reduces Christmas stress

The core difference between couriers and postal networks is as follows: Postal networks move your parcels through various hubs whilst dedicated couriers move your items directly.

This typically means:

• Fewer handling points between people and hubs.

• Less chance of mis-sorts or missed scans.

• Faster end-to-end movement.

• Clearer planning around pickup and delivery windows.

If your main goal for Christmas is to ensure your loved ones have their gifts “arrive before Christmas Day”, then the direct courier delivery model is often the most realistic way to regain control of that. A simple call or email to our team is all it takes. Seriously, that’s it. We’ll handle the rest!

What to Prepare Before Booking an Urgent Courier

Just a few things to make sure the process of delivering gifts over the Christmas period as smooth as possible. The below information is typically what we’d ask for, so if you can provide this information, whether that’s over the phone or by email, it’ll speed the process up.

1) Collection & delivery details

• Full addresses (including postcode)

• Contact name + phone number at both ends

• Any access notes (gated entry, reception desk, safe place rules)
  

2) Parcel details

• Dimensions and weight (even a rough estimate is helpful)

• What it is (general description)

• Any special handling notes: fragile, keep upright, do not bend
  

3) Timing

• When it’s ready for collection

• Your real deadline (e.g., “must arrive by 8pm on the 24th”)
  

4) Proof of value (if relevant) For high-value items, it can be useful to have a receipt or valuation to hand, depending on what’s being transported and how you want it handled.

Frequently asked questions

Can a courier deliver Christmas gifts after Royal Mail’s last posting dates?

Yes, because a dedicated courier isn’t working to the same “last posting” model. If the courier can collect and deliver within your timeframe, you can still get gifts moved late in December.

Is this only for businesses, or can individuals book too?

Individuals can use urgent couriers too, especially for one-off, time-sensitive deliveries like last-minute Christmas gifts.

What types of items can be collected and delivered?

Red Rocket Couriers typically handles a wide range of time-critical items (from business-critical consignments to personal deliveries). If you’re unsure whether your item is suitable, the safest approach is to describe it clearly when requesting a quote or booking.

Should I still post early if I can?

Absolutely. Standard services are great when you’re organised. The courier option is there for when you’re not, or when the delivery is too important to leave to chance.

Need a last-minute Christmas delivery? Red Rocket Couriers can help you arrange an urgent collection and direct delivery, including evenings and weekends, ensuring your Christmas gifts get collected and delivered in time, and on time, 24/7. Let us help you save Christmas 📞 Call us on 0800 031 4381 📧 Or request a free quote now