Mark your calendar: Australia Post Christmas cut-off dates

If your loved ones live in other parts of Australia or around the world, then you’ll know a thing or two about getting organised well before Christmas. Before you know it, the windows within your advent calendar are starting to pop out, and you’re left thinking, “I wish I’d been a little more organised.”

Here are some dates to keep in mind, along with tips for what you can do to ensure your Christmas gifts and cards arrive in plenty of time for the main event.

Pop Australia Post’s Christmas cut-off dates in your diary

Every year, Australia Post announces Christmas cut-off dates to help you plan for when to package up and send festive parcels to loved ones. The dates will vary depending on where you’re sending from, the delivery speed you choose, and where you’re sending to.

Stay in-the-know with our recommended dates for sending Christmas gifts within Australia and overseas. You can even search by country to find our suggested last dates for sending internationally—or, compare postage costs with our handy online calculator.

If your destination country isn’t on the list, the team at your local Post Office will be able to help.

Browse the Australia Post Shop for gift inspo

If you’re stuck for ideas about what to give your far-flung loved ones, the Australia Post Online Shop has a great range of easy-to-send gifts.

For your overseas friends and family, you could choose gifts from the Australiana range. For example, there’s a super-cute selection of Blinky Bill crockery, Christmas baubles, puzzles and more—which you could pop in a Blinky Bill gift box for posting.

Get more gift ideas and inspiration in the latest Australia Post shopping catalogue.

Package up your Christmas parcels like a pro

Once you know when you need to get your gifts out the door, it’s time to turn your attention to packaging. Getting this right is important, too. Not only will the right package help protect the items you’re sending, but it can help ensure that your delivery labels are easily scannable—which in turn avoids any unnecessary delays during shipping.

If you’re using Australia Post packaging—such as a recycled satchel or box—then write your recipient’s delivery details clearly in the space provided. If you’d prefer to use your own packaging, then keep these packaging tips in mind to ensure your gifts arrive safe and sound:

• For boxes, make sure not to put strapping or sticky tape over the label, or wrap the label around an edge of the box.
• Avoid glossy labels, which can be harder for scanners to read (matte white labels with black text is perfect).
• Avoid using high gloss packaging, which might cause your parcel to slip off the conveyor belt.

Sending a parcel under 5 kilograms within Australia? Our flat rate postage has removed the guesswork, so you can simply choose your packaging size and delivery speed to work out the cost.

Know what you can and can’t send by air freight

It’s all well and good to have the Christmas cut-off dates in your head, but what if you turn up to your local Post Office the day before a delivery deadline, only to discover that you’re not allowed to send your gift via air freight? Some common items—such as perfume, nail polish and electrical devices that use lithium batteries—contain potentially explosive or flammable substances. For things like these, specific safety regulations apply when sending them.

For example, perfumes, colognes and aftershaves are classified as dangerous goods, because they contain potentially flammable alcohol. This means they’re only allowed to be posted by road, which can take a little longer. So, if you’re planning to send a loved one a beautiful new bottle of their favourite fragrance for Christmas, you’ll need to allow more time.

If you’re unsure about whether a gift you want to send is allowed to travel by air, you can learn more about dangerous and prohibited items here. Or pop into your local Post Office and ask for advice about sending your gifts to loved ones.

Tracking your parcels for peace of mind

To help lessen the stress levels in the lead-up to Christmas, why not track your domestic deliveries using the AusPost app? You can keep an eye on all your parcels from one place and check the estimated delivery dates, so you know whether items will arrive in time for Christmas. Then, if something goes wrong and you suspect that Great Aunt Melba isn’t going to get her tin of shortbread in time, you can give her a quick call to update her.