The Royal Mail has announced its last recommended international posting dates for overseas destinations to ensure that letters, parcels and cards arrive in time for Christmas for friends and relatives living abroad.
The first international recommended posting date is for mail to Africa and the Middle East, which should be sent by Saturday, December 2.
For those wanting to send cards or gifts to the United States and Canada, the last recommended posting date is Thursday, December 14.
For the Republic of Ireland and France, mail should be sent by Saturday, December 16.
Those wishing to send festive greetings to friends and family in Australia or New Zealand will need to make sure everything is good to go by Saturday, December 9.
Letters and parcels to the Denmark, Norway, Slovakia and Switzerland can be posted up to Friday, December 15, to arrive in time for Christmas.
The last posting dates apply to both standard international services and those which have tracking and signature.
All latest recommended posting dates are detailed in the table below:
| Last Posting Date | Destinations |
| Saturday 2 December | Africa, Middle East |
| Wednesday 6 December | Cyprus, Asia, Far East (including Japan), Eastern Europe (except Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia) |
| Thursday 7 December | Caribbean, Central and South America |
| Saturday 9 December | Greece, Australia, New Zealand |
| Wednesday 13 December | Czech Republic, Germany, Italy and Poland |
| Thursday 14 December | USA, Canada, Finland, Sweden |
| Friday 15 December | Austria, Denmark, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Switzerland |
| Saturday 16 December | Belgium, France, Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg |
A history of overseas delivery by air with Royal Mail
The world’s first scheduled service for transporting mail by air took place in the UK on September 9, 1911, and was called the Aerial Post. It celebrated the coronation of King George V, and saw cards and letters transported by air between Hendon in North London and Windsor in Berkshire. The airplane was flown by British aviation pioneer Gustav Hamel.
The first international scheduled airmail service took place on November 10, 1919. A pilot from the airline Aircraft Transport and Travel flew from Hounslow to Paris in an Airco DH4A de Havilland biplane with a Royal Mail pennant proudly attached to its rudder.
The pilots were under some pressure to deliver the mail on time given the several variables that could lead to delays including high winds and inclement weather. With unheated, open cockpits and before the age of radio, pilots would rely on compasses for navigation as well as following landmarks such as railway lines to ensure they were on the right route.
