Australia Post has revealed its Christmas deadlines for 2025. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
“It’s pretty easy, but you do need to be aware of deadlines … There’s an inundation of packages and you don’t want yours at the back of the queue.”
Monika, who has family living internationally, has relied on Australia Post’s network for the past few years to send gifts.
She said that while it meant she could send cards and packages, it also came with a need to be extra organised to make sure she didn’t miss the last date to send something.
The postal service has just revealed its deadlines for people wanting to spread some Christmas cheer in 2025 with a gift.
Australia Post executive general manager of parcel, post and e-commerce services Gary Starr warned Australians that checking the deadlines for their destination would be necessary if they wanted their gifts to arrive on time.
“Christmas is the busiest time of year for our network and we know how important it is for parcels and cards to arrive on time,” he said.
“We’re sharing these key dates early so people can plan ahead, while also scaling up our operations with thousands of extra team members.”
If you (or the destination) is in a metro location, there’s different deadlines depending on the method chosen.
People choosing parcel post should send deliveries by 19 December (for interstate deliveries) or 22 December (for deliveries in the same state).
Express post deliveries should be sent by 23 December.
Letters or cards should be sent by 16 December (for interstate), while the deadline is extended to 18 December for same-state deliveries.
Those in regional and remote areas, Western Australia, Northern Territory or Tasmania, are encouraged to leave a few extra days before that last date.
However, there are different time frames for cards and gifts being sent internationally.
Again, these depend on the method chosen.
If you’re using economy air, parcels should be sent between 21 November and 5 December, depending on the destination.
For international standard post, the deadline is 28 November to 12 December, while international express is 5 to 18 December (also depending on the destination).
“Planning ahead is the best way to make sure your gifts reach loved ones – and while we’ll still deliver items sent after the recommended dates as quickly as possible, we can’t guarantee they’ll arrive before Christmas,” Mr Starr said.
In the worst-case scenario of a delay or other issue affecting delivery time frames, people can use the Australia Post app or visit its website to find delivery updates online.
