Australia Post Christmas Cut-off Dates 2026: Parcel Post, Express and International
Australia Post publishes more detail than most carriers: a full Parcel Post grid for every pair of states and territories, an Express Post rule, cards and letters, remote islands and an international table by destination and service. This guide reproduces the main dates for 2026 and explains how to use them. The deadline tool lets you choose your sending and receiving state and shows days left.
Parcel Post within Australia
The dates below are for Parcel Post sent to and from metro locations. Over-the-counter items must be lodged by 2:30pm, and parcels sent outside a metro area need additional time. Parcels to or from Geelong, the Gold Coast and Newcastle follow the metro dates.
| From \ To | 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 |
Reading the grid: find your state in the left column and the destination across the top. Within the same state the date is Tuesday 22 December. Between the eastern states it is mostly Monday 21 December. The long routes are what catch senders out: from Western Australia to the east coast the date is Friday 18 December, and anything to or from the Northern Territory can close as early as Monday 14 December.
Express Post
| Route | Cut-off |
|---|---|
| NSW, ACT, Vic, Qld, SA, Tas and within the same state; and to WA | Wednesday 23 December 2026 |
| NT and from WA | Tuesday 22 December 2026 |
Express Post items are lodged over the counter by 2:30pm. Some items, such as large freight and dangerous goods, may not be suitable for transport by air and therefore for Express Post; check the classification rules before you buy.
Cards and letters
Australia Post lists regular post for cards and letters (metro to and from metro) as 21 December 2026 within the same state and 18 December 2026 interstate. Within Australia, the postage for a Christmas card is 65c, according to the page. Cards bring the same lesson as parcels: if you are posting interstate, you have until the 18th, which is closer than most people expect.
Remote island destinations
Norfolk Island, Lord Howe Island and the Christmas and Cocos Islands have their own dates, and they are early. For example, Parcel Post to Norfolk Island from Queensland closes on 17 November, and Parcel Post to Christmas and Cocos Islands closes in October, with Express Post to those islands closing on 7 December. Australia Post suggests speaking to a Post Office team member about the specific cut-off for your location.
International parcels from Australia
| Destination | Courier | Express | Standard | Economy Air / Registered letters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 17 Dec | 15 Dec | 9 Dec | 2 Dec |
| USA | 17 Dec | 11 Dec | 7 Dec | 30 Nov |
| Canada | 17 Dec | 14 Dec | 8 Dec | 1 Dec |
| UK | 17 Dec | 15 Dec | 11 Dec | 4 Dec |
| Major European destinations | 15 Dec | 14 Dec | 11 Dec | 4 Dec |
| China | 15 Dec | 8 Dec | 4 Dec | 27 Nov |
| East/Southeast Asia | 15 Dec | 11 Dec | 7 Dec | 30 Nov |
| Rest of world | N/A | 4 Dec | 1 Dec | 24 Nov |
Australia Post advises that items sent from South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory must travel interstate before leaving the country, so you should add two business days for Express items and five business days for Standard and Economy items. The estimates are for metro locations and regional or rural senders will probably need longer. The page also notes that overseas deliveries can be delayed by customs and overseas postal disruptions.
A plan for Australian senders
- Late November: send Economy Air items to the USA and Asia (30 November) and to China (27 November), if you are using that service.
- First half of December: Standard and Express international; Parcel Post to the Northern Territory from other states (14–17 December).
- 16–18 December: WA to the east coast, interstate cards and the east coast to the NT.
- 21–22 December: the main interstate Parcel Post window and same-state parcels.
- 22–23 December: Express Post.
Why summer matters for gifts
Christmas in Australia falls in summer, so heat and bushfire or flood events can occasionally disrupt services. Chocolate, candles, cosmetics and some foods can melt or spoil in a hot parcel; avoid sending them by slower services, or pack them with insulation and choose Express. Check Australia Post’s service-update page for disruptions before you lodge.
Gift-buying online as well? Our sales calendar explains that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are US-origin events that Australian retailers also run, and our package checklist covers packing and labelling.
Tips specific to Australian senders
Check the cut-off time as well as the date. Australia Post says over-the-counter items must be lodged by 2:30pm for the dates in the tables, so a parcel handed in at 4pm on Monday 21 December is effectively a Tuesday parcel. If you use a parcel locker or a street posting box, the time is different, and you should confirm the rule for your service. Regional and rural senders should allow extra time, because the tables apply to metro locations.
The state-by-state grid also makes the point that distance matters more than you might expect. If you are in Perth sending to Sydney, the date is four days ahead of Sydney’s date for the same parcel in reverse. When you shop online from an interstate retailer, ask which carrier the retailer uses, and look up its own cut-off for the route. Retailers usually give a last order date, and that date takes priority.