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Australia Post Christmas Cut-Off Dates 2026 (Parcel Post + Express)
Every 2026 Australia Post Christmas cut-off for Parcel Post and Express Post, state by state, plus card dates, Parcel Locker tips and what to do if you've missed it.
The short answer
Australia Post Christmas Cut-Off Dates 2026 (Parcel Post + Express)
Australia Post's Christmas 2026 cut-off for Parcel Post is Monday 21 December for most interstate metro parcels and Tuesday 22 December within the same state. WA closes earlier, and the NT earliest of all, from Monday 14 December. Express Post runs to Wednesday 23 December, or Tuesday 22 December for parcels to WA or the NT and from WA.
Christmas 2026
When do you need to send it?
Australia Post's Christmas dates, checked on 21 October 2026. They're for metro addresses, so allow longer for regional areas.
Posting it yourself
Parcel Post by Tuesday 22 December
Express Post by Wednesday 23 December.
Sending a Same Skies gift box
Order by Tuesday 15 December
By 11:59pm Sydney time.
40 days left
We pack it by hand in Sydney and send it with Australia Post, about 2 business days after dispatch to Sydney.
See the Christmas gift boxesYour December at a glance
Same Skies box
Parcel Post
Express Post
1 NovTodayChristmas Day
Save the date
Those are the headline dates. The catch is that they change with where you post from and where it's going, and they're for metro addresses only. Below is the full state-by-state table, checked against Australia Post's Christmas sending dates page on 25 October 2026, plus what to do if you're regional, away for the week, or already too late. Sending a gift rather than posting one yourself? Order a Christmas gift box by Tuesday 15 December for most of Australia and we'll pack it and deliver it free.
Parcel Post Christmas cut-off dates 2026, by state
Find the state you're posting from on the left, then read across to where it's going. All dates are December 2026, for metro to metro.
| From | NSW | ACT | Vic | Qld | SA | WA | Tas | NT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | Tue 22/12 | Mon 21/12 | Mon 21/12 | Mon 21/12 | Mon 21/12 | Fri 18/12 | Mon 21/12 | Wed 16/12 |
| ACT | Mon 21/12 | Tue 22/12 | Mon 21/12 | Mon 21/12 | Mon 21/12 | Fri 18/12 | Mon 21/12 | Wed 16/12 |
| Vic | Mon 21/12 | Mon 21/12 | Tue 22/12 | Mon 21/12 | Mon 21/12 | Fri 18/12 | Mon 21/12 | Wed 16/12 |
| Qld | Mon 21/12 | Mon 21/12 | Mon 21/12 | Tue 22/12 | Mon 21/12 | Thu 17/12 | Fri 18/12 | Mon 14/12 |
| SA | Mon 21/12 | Mon 21/12 | Mon 21/12 | Mon 21/12 | Tue 22/12 | Fri 18/12 | Mon 21/12 | Thu 17/12 |
| WA | Fri 18/12 | Fri 18/12 | Fri 18/12 | Thu 17/12 | Fri 18/12 | Tue 22/12 | Wed 16/12 | Mon 14/12 |
| Tas | Mon 21/12 | Mon 21/12 | Mon 21/12 | Fri 18/12 | Mon 21/12 | Wed 16/12 | Tue 22/12 | Mon 14/12 |
| NT | Wed 16/12 | Wed 16/12 | Wed 16/12 | Thu 17/12 | Thu 17/12 | Thu 17/12 | Mon 14/12 | Tue 22/12 |
A few things jump out. Posting within your own state gets the latest date everywhere, Tuesday 22 December. Most interstate parcels close a day earlier. WA is the odd one out in both directions, and the NT is the earliest of all: from Queensland, WA or Tasmania, Parcel Post to the NT closes on Monday 14 December. Parcels to or from Geelong, the Gold Coast and Newcastle follow the metro dates.
Over the counter, Australia Post needs your parcel lodged by 2.30pm on the cut-off day. Turning up at 4pm on the 21st doesn't count as the 21st.
Express Post Christmas cut-off dates 2026
| Express Post, metro only | Last day to send |
|---|---|
| Between NSW, ACT, Vic, Qld, SA and Tas, and within the same state | Wednesday 23 December |
| To WA, to the NT, and from WA | Tuesday 22 December |
Express buys you extra days, up to a week for some routes to the NT, but not a promise. Australia Post frames every date on its page as the best chance of arriving by Christmas, and the same 2.30pm counter cut-off applies. If the gift really matters, use the Parcel Post date and keep Express as your backup.
Christmas cards and letters
For cards and letters by regular post between metro addresses, the 2026 cut-off is Friday 18 December interstate and Monday 21 December within the same state. Australia Post's Christmas card rate within Australia is 65c during November and December, for a card in a sealed envelope marked "Card Only", no bigger than 130mm x 240mm, 5mm thick and 250g.
Stuck on what to actually write inside? We wrote 80+ messages in what to write in a Christmas card.
Order-by dates for Same Skies Christmas boxes
If you're having a gift box sent rather than posting your own, the date that matters is the shop's order-by date, which comes earlier than Australia Post's because the box has to be packed first. Ours, for free Standard delivery before Christmas, at 11:59pm Sydney time:
| Delivering to | Order by (Standard, free) |
|---|---|
| NSW, ACT, Vic, Qld, SA and Tas | Tuesday 15 December |
| WA | Monday 14 December |
| NT, and regional or remote addresses anywhere | Thursday 10 December |
We pack every box by hand in Sydney, Monday to Friday, and send it with Australia Post. Tracking is emailed to you, and delivery is free on every box. Express is available at checkout, but we don't put a date on it, so if Christmas Day matters, go by the Standard dates above. The Christmas gift boxes page has every box in one place, and our guide to Christmas gifts for family interstate goes person by person. The same dates apply if you build your own box, choosing every piece yourself.
Tips for getting it there on time
Regional and remote addresses
Every date in the tables is metro to metro. Australia Post says to allow additional time for anything going outside a metro area, and to ask at your local Post Office for the date that applies to you. Our rule of thumb: if the town has one pub and a servo, take a week off the metro date. That's opinion, not Australia Post's, but nobody's ever been sorry they posted early.
Islands are a different story altogether. Parcel Post to Norfolk Island closes between 11 and 17 November, Lord Howe Island between 30 November and 7 December, and Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands between 14 and 26 October, depending on where you send from. If that's you, it's now.
Parcel Lockers
If they're out at work or away visiting during the week before Christmas, a Parcel Locker beats a card in the letterbox. They're free to set up in the AusPost app with a MyPost account, open 24/7, and there are more than 1,500 of them. The catch: they get 2 business days to collect, then it's moved to the nearest Australia Post collection point for 10 business days. Lockers take parcels up to 16kg and 35cm x 44cm x 61cm (Australia Post Parcel Lockers).
Signature on Delivery
Signature on Delivery is an optional extra on domestic parcels. Australia Post can only Safe Drop a parcel if a signature isn't required and the delivery instructions allow it (Australia Post help). So asking for a signature keeps a valuable gift off a hot doorstep, but if nobody's home it goes to the Post Office instead. Pick based on whether they're home in the day.
The busiest weeks
Australia Post says it delivered almost 111 million parcels across November and December last year. Every mainland metro cut-off for 2026 falls between 14 and 23 December, so expect the longest Post Office queues in that stretch. Post in the first week of December and you skip the queue and the stress.
Sending overseas
International cut-offs are much earlier, and they vary by country and service, with some closing in late November. Items posted from SA, Tasmania and the NT travel interstate before leaving the country, so Australia Post says to add 2 business days for Express and 5 for Standard and Economy. Search your country on Australia Post's Christmas page.
Missed the Christmas cut-off?
Australia Post says items sent after the cut-offs will be delivered as quickly as it can, but they may not arrive until after Christmas. That's a maybe, not a no. Some options, roughly in order of panic:
- Missed Parcel Post? Check the Express Post dates above. You might still have a day or two.
- Buy it near them. A shop in their town, a local florist or a supermarket order to their door skips the post entirely, and it skips the WA and Tasmania food rules too (more in can you send food to WA or Tasmania).
- Send a digital gift card on the day, with a video of you explaining why you chose it.
- Call it a New Year present. Tell them it's coming, then send something on 2 January with no deadline hanging over it. A gift in the dead week after Boxing Day often gets more attention than one buried under the tree.
- Be there on the call. A box that arrives on the 28th still lands better if you were on FaceTime on the 25th.
Build your own
Start with an empty box. Fill it with them.
Choose every piece yourself, pick a print that feels like them, then add your letter with a photo or video behind the QR card. We hand-pack it in Sydney and send it free.
- You choose every piece, and the print on the lid
- Your letter, plus a free photo or video behind the QR card
- Hand-packed in Sydney, free delivery Australia-wide
Questions people ask
What is the last day to post a parcel for Christmas 2026 with Australia Post?
For metro addresses, Parcel Post closes on Tuesday 22 December within the same state and Monday 21 December for most interstate routes. Parcels to WA close between 16 and 18 December, and the NT is earliest, from Monday 14 December depending on where you send from.
What is the Express Post Christmas cut-off for 2026?
Wednesday 23 December between NSW, ACT, Vic, Qld, SA and Tas and within the same state, and Tuesday 22 December to WA, to the NT and from WA. Over the counter, lodge by 2.30pm.
When is the last day to post Christmas cards in Australia in 2026?
For regular post between metro addresses, Friday 18 December interstate and Monday 21 December within the same state. Christmas card postage within Australia is 65c in November and December.
Do regional areas have earlier Christmas cut-off dates?
Australia Post's dates are for metro addresses, and it says to allow additional time for anything going outside a metro area. Ask at your local Post Office for the date that applies to you.
What happens if I post after the Australia Post Christmas cut-off?
Australia Post says late items will be delivered as quickly as it can, but they may not arrive until after Christmas. Check whether Express Post is still open, or buy from a shop near them instead.
When do I need to order a Same Skies box for Christmas 2026?
For free Standard delivery, order by 11:59pm Sydney time on Tuesday 15 December for NSW, ACT, Vic, Qld, SA and Tas, Monday 14 December for WA, and Thursday 10 December for the NT and regional or remote addresses.
Skip the Post Office queue
We'll pack it, card and all, and send it free. Order by 15 December for most of Australia, 14 December for WA and 10 December for the NT or a regional address.
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