Australia Post reveals domestic Christmas parcel and letter cut-off dates

After long delivery delays, Australia Post has announced its Christmas cut-off dates for parcels and letters to ensure they arrive in time this holiday season.

Australia Post has revealed the dates you need to have sent parcels and letters in order for them to be received in time for the Christmas season.

After record online shopping numbers and Covid lockdowns caused huge delays for mail delivery times, Aussies are being urged to make sure they send parcels as early as possible to ensure they’re received in time for Christmas.

The cut-off for sending within Australia is December 13 for standard post, while the Express Post delivery cut-off is December 20, in

what is expected to be a busy festive season for the mail system.

However, for Western Australia and the Northern Territory, December 8 is the cut-off for standard post, while the Express Post delivery cut-off is December 15.

Parcel officers inducting parcels in the small parcel area of new facility at Adelaide Airport. Picture: Mark Brake

For cards and letters being sent within the same state, December 20 is the cut off, while the interstate delivery cut-off is December 16.

The international lodgement dates vary depending on destination and the delivery service.

Those sending mail to New Zealand have a better chance than others of getting parcels across the ditch. The cut-off is December 2 for standard parcels and December 7 for express parcels and letters.

For mail being sent to the US, Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand, standard parcels must be sent by November 30, while express parcels and letters must be sent by December 7.

Standard parcels to India have a cut-off date of November 22, while express parcels and letters have been suspended.

Israel, Russia, Qatar, UAE. Pakistan, New Caledonia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Macao have the same cut-off date for receiving standard parcels by November 22, but the last date for express parcels and letters is November 26.

Those keen to send standard parcels to the UK have until November 26, and until December 3 for express parcels and letters.

An Australia Post spokesperson said that they will do what they can to deliver parcels sent after these dates, but warned there could be other factors that affect when the mail will arrive.

“While we’ll deliver items sent after these dates as quickly as we can they may not arrive until after Christmas, and International Christmas deliveries may also be affected by factors beyond our control such as customs delays, overseas postal disruptions, and COVID-19 restrictions in other countries,” she said.