“You’ve already missed the last deadline to send a package for Christmas… the island!” Barcelheiro says
Deadline dates for collecting Christmas parcels may be closer than you think, warns home delivery expert Parcelhero. In fact, you have already missed the last date for Christmas Island (Kiritimati). But when is the deadline to send to more popular destinations like the USA, Australia or India, and did you know that the last receiving date for many countries is a day earlier this year?
International delivery expert Parcelhero has compared all the major parcel companies’ collection deadlines so your parcels will arrive in time for Christmas. The letter says – ironically, given its name – that it is already too late to organize a batch of packages for Christmas Island. This year, the earliest deadline for the Pacific atoll, now known as Kiritimati, was December 2.
Parcelhero says there’s even better news for anyone planning to send to most other international destinations. Britons still have about two weeks to send their parcels to most of the most popular destinations. However, courier pickup deadlines in some countries may be earlier than you think, she warns – the recommended deadline for the most popular European destinations is one day earlier than last year.
“Every year more people are choosing to book a courier collection to send their Christmas gifts, rather than facing long queues at the post office,” says David Jenks Melt, Head of Consumer Research at Parcelhero. “This makes perfect sense. However, the world’s leading postal companies have announced some recommended early collection deadlines this year, to ensure parcels reach their destinations in time on Christmas Eve. Don’t forget that there are no couriers who deliver on Christmas Day itself.”
“There are actually less than two weeks before time runs out in many major Christmas destinations. Gifts destined for the Falkland Islands (British Overseas Territory) must be collected by 12 December, while it is no later than 16 December for Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Zimbabwe. The 17 December deadline for Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka is also likely to surprise people.
“Perhaps the biggest shock for anyone who tends to leave their courier collection until the last minute is that they have one less day than last year to reserve a collection and ensure their gifts arrive in time for the big day. This is because international couriers usually advise 20 December as the final delivery date, but this year the 20th falls on a Saturday, and most couriers do not offer a standard weekend collection.
“This means that for popular destinations such as France, Germany, the Netherlands and Ireland, we recommend people organize a collection no later than 19 December. Leaving your parcel for collection until Monday 22 December poses a significant risk that your gifts will not arrive in time for Christmas.
“The recommended final pickup dates for some of the most popular international destinations are:
New Zealand: Wednesday 17 December
Australia: Wednesday 17 December
Pakistan: Thursday, December 18
India: Friday, December 19
USA: Friday, December 19
Italy: Friday, December 19
Spain: Friday, December 19
France: Friday, December 19
Germany: Friday, December 19
Netherlands: Friday, December 19
“It is also important to note that some less popular destinations have earlier collection deadlines to be aware of compared to the dates listed above. Christmas Island/Kiritimati is not the only country with a very early cutoff. Some countries in conflict, such as Yemen, have a collection deadline of December 4, and politics can also play a role. For example, Cuba’s deadline is December 11 due to the red tape involved in sending materials there. This is perhaps best demonstrated by looking at Korea. South Korea’s deadline is December 18, but the deadline for sending to communist North Korea is December 11.
If you are concerned about getting gifts to friends and loved ones in a timely manner, we recommend that you enter the destination and dimensions of your parcel into our online parcel price comparison tool. You will then see the date your package is scheduled to be delivered. Remember, if you send your gifts out in advance, you can choose standard delivery options. If you leave it until the last minute, you will need to opt for express delivery and this will cost you more.
