Australia Post announces Christmas shipping deadlines

Australia Post has released its final shipping deadlines for the upcoming Christmas season to ensure timely delivery of gifts and cards. Due to expected high volumes driven by shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the postal service is urging customers to organize and send items early.

For domestic parcel post, the recommended last sending dates are December 21 for interstate deliveries and December 22 for same-state deliveries. Express Post services allow for a later cutoff of December 23. Christmas letters and cards should be posted by December 18 for interstate destinations and December 21 for same-state locations. Customers are advised that items lodged over the counter must be submitted by 2:30 pm on these dates.

International shipping deadlines vary by service and destination, with Economy Air and International Standard windows typically falling between late November and mid-December. To manage the anticipated surge in volume, Australia Post has recruited approximately 3,800 seasonal staff members. The organization noted that during the 2025 peak season, it delivered nearly 111 million parcels.