Last posting and shopping delivery dates for Christmas 2025
Ensure that Christmas cards and gifts reach family and friends on time this year. Here’s a rundown of the last posting and delivery dates for Ireland and abroad.
What are the last posting dates for Christmas 2025?
An Post has confirmed their last mailing dates for cards, letters and parcels to arrive in time for Christmas 2025. There will be no mail delivery or collection between 25 and 29 December 2025.
To ensure your post arrives on time, check the final posting dates and send post and parcels early.
Here are the last posting dates for local and international destinations.
Last posting dates before Christmas 2025
| Service | Republic of Ireland | Northern Ireland | Great Britain | Rest of Europe | United States | Rest of the World | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Post Letters | 22 Dec | 19 Dec | 18 Dec | 18 Dec | 10 Dec | 04 Dec | |
| Standard Registered / Express Post Parcels | 16 Dec | 16 Dec | 16 Dec | 12 Dec | 04 Dec | 04 Dec | |
| Registered Post Letters | 22 Dec | 19 Dec | 18 Dec | 18 Dec | 04 Dec | 04 Dec | |
| Express Post Letters | 22 Dec | 19 Dec | 18 Dec | 18 Dec | 10 Dec | 09 Dec | |
| International Courier Service** | 19 Dec | 19 Dec | 17 Dec | 17 Dec |
** International Courier Service is only available at selected Post Offices, check An Post to find your nearest International Courier Service drop-off.
Deliveries to remote or rural areas may take longer than the estimated delivery times.
How to ensure your parcel arrives safely
If you’re posting a valuable or important parcel or letter, An Post’s Registered Post service can give you peace of mind.
With the Registered Post service you will get:
Sending your parcel abroad
The price you pay will depend on the size and weight of your post, the destination country, and the service level you choose.
An Post has a handy postage calculator that can help you work out how much your letter, packet or parcel will cost to send internationally.
What are Post Office Christmas opening hours?
Post offices will be open on Christmas Eve from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. It will close on Christmas Eve at 1pm and remain closed until Monday 29 December when normal business hours will resume.
Post offices will close again on New Year’s Day.
Christmas delivery dates from your favourite stores
We’ve collated the delivery times and prices from your favourite online stores for 2025 to ensure you receive your Christmas gifts in time.
Delivery lead times may be longer than usual during the Christmas season due to higher demand, so consider ordering a little earlier to ensure your gifts arrive on time.
| Online retailer | Standard delivery | Costs from | Larger items and other delivery info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | 3-5 working days | Free over €35 | 2 day free delivery for Prime members | |
| Arnotts | 5 working days | €5.95 | Premium/Express: 1–3 business days, €10.95. Same-day (selected locations) €19.95. | |
| Boots Ireland | 3 to 5 working days | free if spend > €40 or €5 if under | Delivery schedule & exact number of working days not clearly stated; depends on carrier and checkout info. | |
| Brown Thomas | Up to 5 working days for “standard” ROI delivery | €5.95 | Express (1–3 days) €10.95; large items up to 7 working days, €24.99; some furniture with variable times. | |
| Currys Ireland | 3–5 working days for “small items” | €6.99 | Large items / major appliances / big TVs: 5–7 working days, €39.99 delivery charge. | |
| Dunnes | 2 working days | €3.95 | 5-7 days for furniture. Free over €50 | |
| Harvey Norman Ireland | 3–5 working days for small items | €6.99 | €34.95 for large electrical and up to €69.95 for furniture and large heavy items; 5–7 working days. | |
| Next | 2 working days (or up to 3 working days if dispatched from UK) | €2.00 | Furniture: 10 working days delivery; store-collection (free) option; sale-periods may cause delays. | |
| Marks & Spencer | 3-5 working days | €4.50 | Free delivery over €50. Not delivering in ROI at the moment. | |
| Smyths Toys | 1-2 days | Free over €25; up to €5.99 for order under €25 | Large or bulky items: 3–6 working days; cost varies depending on item. | |
| Tesco | Book your slot in advance | €6 to €10 per delivery | €15 per month for Delivery Saver and priority booking. | |
| ZARA Ireland | 5–7 working days | €3.95; free if order > €50 | Express 2–3 working days at €9.95. |
Deliveries to remote or rural areas may take longer than the estimated delivery times.
What if your order doesn’t arrive in time for Christmas?
If your order is not delivered, you need to take it up with the retailer rather than the delivery company. The retailer is responsible for the parcel until it is delivered to you.
For further information about your rights when shopping online, check out our guide Your refund rights in Ireland.
Here’s what you can do:
- You have the right to cancel your order and claim your money back up to 14 days starting from the date you received your item or before.
- Alternatively, if you paid by debit or credit card, you can claim on your card issuer’s chargeback scheme. If you paid with PayPal you can raise a dispute via PayPal Purchase Protection.
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