Christmas is a special time of year for spending time with family and friends, eating good food and hopefully enjoying some time away from work, but it’s easy to allow this time to be overshadowed by the stress of crowded shops, last-minute panic buys and even catering disasters!
Parcel Monkey can’t help you get the timings right for the perfect Christmas dinner (roast potatoes always take longer than you think), but we can help you plan ahead to ensure you don’t miss the last posting dates for Christmas.
If you’re sending gifts by courier this year, the last booking date for UK deliveries before Christmas is Thursday 19th December 2019 for collection on Friday 20th December. If you plan to book a drop-off service, please consider that the courier may collect your parcel from the drop-off location the next working day after you have dropped it off, so please ensure you allow time for this.
The table below should be used as a guide to help you plan your xmas posting dates, however, we’d always recommend booking as early as possible to avoid disappointment. The sheer volume of parcels being sent in December means collection and delivery times can be affected, so always allow more time than necessary to ensure your gift arrives on time.
If your parcel does not need to arrive before Christmas, Parcelforce will still be accepting parcel drop-offs on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, however, please be aware that your parcel may not be collected from your chosen drop-off location until after the Public Holiday, so please allow an extra couple of days for delivery during this time.
| Day | Date | Collection available | Latest booking date for collection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday | 13th December 2019 | Yes | Thursday 12th December 2019 |
| Saturday | 14th December 2019 | No | - |
| Sunday | 15th December 2019 | No | - |
| Monday | 16th December 2019 | Yes | Sunday 15th December 2019 |
| Tuesday | 17th December 2019 | Yes | Monday 16th December 2019 |
| Wednesday | 18th December 2019 | Yes | Tuesday 17th December 2019 |
| Thursday | 19th December 2019 | Yes - last bookings for Christmas delivery * | Wednesday 18th December 2019 |
| Friday | 20th December 2019 | Yes | Thursday 19th December 2019 |
| Saturday | 21st December 2019 | No | - |
| Sunday | 22nd December 2019 | No | - |
| Monday | 23rd December 2019 | Yes | Sunday 22nd December 2019 |
| Tuesday (Christmas Eve) | 24th December 2019 | No | - |
| Wednesday (Christmas Day) | 25th December 2019 | No | - |
| Thursday (Boxing Day) | 26th December 2019 | No | - |
| Friday | 27th December 2019 | Yes | Thursday 26th December 2019 |
| Saturday | 28th December 2019 | No | - |
| Sunday | 29th December 2019 | No | - |
| Monday | 30th December 2019 | Yes | Sunday 29th December 2019 |
| Tuesday (New Year's Eve) | 31st December 2019 | No | - |
| Wednesday (New Year's Day) | 1st January 2020 | No | - |
| Thursday | 2nd January 2020 | Yes | Wednesday 1st January 2020 |
The information above is valid as of October 2019.
For those last-minute deliveries, we do offer a same day delivery service with City Sprint. This courier service is open 24/7, 365 days of the year, so it's perfect for urgent deliveries. However, please note this will be peak time for them, so be sure you book your slot early to avoid disappointment.
Are you sending gifts overseas this Christmas? If the answer is yes, then you need to plan ahead. Christmas last posting dates for Australia, New Zealand and other long-haul destinations may be a lot earlier than you think.
International transit times can become delayed around Christmas and bad weather can disrupt services, so you should always aim to send your gifts as early as possible.
The table below is a guide for last posting dates* to some of our most popular destinations. However, dates will vary by individual country and carrier, so for more detailed information, please see the following last posting dates provided by our courier partners:
| Destination | Express | Economy |
|---|---|---|
| Western Europe | 19th December | 13th December |
| Canada and USA | 16th December | 13th December |
| Australia and New Zealand | 16th December | 13th December |
| Asia | 14th December | 10th December |
| Middle East | 16th December | 10th December |
*Please note these dates apply to major destinations only and are dependent on your parcel being with the courier by the specified date. Please book your collection or drop-off accordingly and allow extra time for remote locations.
If you need help with a delivery over the Christmas period, our live chat opening hours can be found on the table below:
| Christmas Eve | 8 am - 1pm |
| Christmas Day | Closed |
| Boxing Day | Closed |
| Friday 27th December | 8 am - 8 pm |
| Saturday 28th December | Closed |
| Monday 30th December | 8 am - 8 pm |
| New Years Eve | 8 am - 1pm |
| New Years Day | Closed |
| Thursday 2nd January | Back to normal opening hours, 8 am - 8 pm |
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