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Christmas Card List and Royal Mail Posting Dates 2026 (UK)

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Christmas Card List and Royal Mail Posting Dates 2026 (UK) – printable preview

Christmas cards are one of those jobs that always feel quick until you are standing in the kitchen on 20 December with a pen, a pile of envelopes and no idea whether Auntie Pat has moved house. A simple card list, written once and kept from year to year, turns it into a ten-minute job. This guide covers how to build a Christmas card list, how to keep addresses up to date, how to batch the writing, and the Royal Mail last recommended posting dates for Christmas 2026 so your cards arrive on time.

Royal Mail last posting dates, Christmas 2026

These are Royal Mail's last recommended posting dates for UK inland services, taken from the Royal Mail Christmas page on 6 November 2026:

Royal Mail says these dates are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change, and advises posting as early as possible, so check the Royal Mail last posting dates page before you rely on them. International cards need much more time, so check the Royal Mail country guides for the country you are posting to and send them well before the UK dates above.

Reported Royal Mail arrangements for the holiday itself: there are no collections or deliveries on Christmas Day (Friday 25 December), Boxing Day (Saturday 26 December) or the substitute bank holiday on Monday 28 December. Our bank holiday guide explains how the Christmas dates move from year to year.

A sensible plan is to treat the last posting date as an emergency deadline, not a target. If you post second class cards by about the second week of December, you have a few days of slack for delays.

Step 1: Build your Christmas card list

Start with last year's list if you have one. If you do not, sit down with your address book, your phone contacts and last year's cards (if you kept any) and write down everyone you might send to. Group them so the list is easy to scan:

It is fine to cut the list. Many households trim it every few years, keeping the people they genuinely want to hear from, and swapping a card for a text or call with the rest.

Step 2: Record what you need for each person

A good card list is more than a list of names. For each row, note:

The tick boxes are what make a list useful on the day: you can see at a glance which cards are done and which are still waiting.

Step 3: Check addresses early

The most common reason for a card to go astray is an old address. When a card arrives from someone, check the return address on the back of the envelope and update your list straight away. In November, send a quick message to anyone you are unsure about: "Are you still at the same address? I am doing my cards." It takes a minute and avoids a card coming back in January.

Write the postcode clearly on every envelope. If you are using a printed address label, check that it matches the person, as people do move.

Step 4: Decide your budget and buy in one go

Cards and postage add up, especially for a long list. Count the people you will post to, then count the cards you will hand over, and work out the total before you buy. Check the current Royal Mail stamp prices on their website, as they change, and remember that large or thick envelopes can cost more to post. Add the figure to your Christmas budget so it does not come as a surprise; our guide to planning Christmas on a budget shows how to set a total and split it into gifts, food, cards and extras.

Buying a single multipack of cards, plus a few special ones for close family, is usually cheaper than buying individual cards one at a time. Charity packs are a good option if you want your spend to help a cause you care about.

Step 5: Batch the writing

The easiest way to get through a long list is to do it in short sessions instead of one marathon:

  1. Address first. Address all envelopes in one sitting, with the list in front of you, and tick "addressed" as you go.
  2. Write in groups. Do all the family cards together, then friends, then neighbours. Your messages will feel more personal because you are thinking of one group at a time.
  3. Stamp last. Add stamps only when you are ready to post, so you are not left with stamped cards for people you decide to hand-deliver.

A good rhythm is to write cards over three evenings in the first week of December, then post everything that needs to travel by the end of the second week.

Keep the list for next year

The real saving comes next November. If you keep your card list with your Christmas paperwork, you can start next year's job by checking and editing a list rather than creating one. Mark anyone to add or remove, and note any address changes while they are fresh in your mind. A printed planner with a card list page, a gift list and a budget in pounds keeps everything together so you are not hunting for scraps of paper.

If you want a ready-made layout, the Pennaby Christmas Planner has a card list page alongside a gift list, budget, menu planner, shopping list and December countdown. You can print as many copies as you need. To label your presents to match, see our guide to printing and using gift tags, and for everything else on the to-do list, see the week-by-week Christmas planner guide.

Quick Christmas card checklist