The holiday season is here. It’s time to meet customer expectations with on-time delivery. Making sure packages arrive by December 24 is crucial for customer satisfaction and loyalty, so we’ve gathered the essential 2025 holiday shipping deadlines from major carriers to help you plan ahead.
Shipping deadlines are just one part of a successful holiday season, though. Transparent communication with customers about these cutoffs can make a big difference, reducing anxiety around delivery times and helping avoid last-minute issues.
2025 holiday shipping deadline for major carriers
To keep your holiday shipping on track, here are the final recommended shipping dates, by carrier. Be sure to double-check each carrier’s specific guidelines, as they may vary based on service type and destination.
United States
USPS
Here are the recommended last days to ship for delivery by December 25 with USPS:
USPS® holiday shipping deadlines for contiguous US (lower 48 states)
- Ground Advantage™: December 17
- First-Class Mail®: December 17
- Priority Mail®: December 18
- Priority Mail Express®: December 20
USPS® holiday shipping deadlines for Alaska and Hawaii
- Ground Advantage™: December 16
- First-Class Mail®: December 17
- Priority Mail®: December 18
- Priority Mail Express®: December 20
USPS® holiday shipping deadlines for international mail
Recommended send-by dates for expected delivery before December 25:
| Destination | First-Class Package International Service® | Priority Mail International® service | Priority Mail Express International® service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Africa | December 9 | December 9 | December 16 |
| Asia/Pacific Rim | December 9 | December 9 | December 16 |
| Australia and New Zealand | December 9 | December 9 | December 16 |
| Canada | December 9 | December 9 | December 16 |
| Caribbean | December 9 | December 9 | December 16 |
| Central and South America | December 2 | December 2 | December 9 |
| Europe | December 9 | December 9 | December 16 |
| Mexico | December 9 | December 9 | December 16 |
| Middle East | December 9 | December 9 | December 16 |
To learn more, read USPS’s announcement.
UPS
Here are the recommended last shipping dates for delivery by December 24 with UPS:
US domestic
- UPS® Ground: Check ups.com/ctc for details
- UPS 3 Day Select®: December 19
- UPS 2nd Day Air®: December 22
- UPS Next Day Air®: December 23
US to Canada
- UPS Standard® services (from the 48 contiguous states only): Check ups.com/ctc for details
- UPS Worldwide Expedited®: December 22
- UPS Worldwide Express® services: December 23
US to Mexico
- UPS Standard® services (from the 48 contiguous states only): Check ups.com/ctc for details
- UPS Worldwide Expedited®: December 19
- UPS Worldwide Express® services: December 22
US to other destinations
For last days to ship from the US to other international destinations, please calculate time and cost at ups.com/ctc.
✏️ Certain destinations may require an earlier ship date. Check ups.com/ctc for details.
FedEx
Here are the recommended last days to ship for delivery by December 24 with FedEx:
US domestic parcel services
- FedEx Ground® Economy: December 15
- FedEx Home Delivery: Check fedex.com/rating to determine transit days
- 5-day transit: December 17
- 4-day transit: December 18
- 3-day transit: December 19
- FedEx Ground® Commercial: Check fedex.com/rating to determine transit days
- 5-day transit: December 17
- 4-day transit: December 18
- 3-day transit:December 19
- FedEx Express Saver®: December 20
- FedEx 2Day® & FedEx 2Day® A.M.: December 22
- FedEx First Overnight®, FedEx Priority Overnight®, FedEx Standard Overnight®, Extra Hours: December 23
For a full list of last days to ship including international destinations, visit the FedEx holiday shipping schedule page.
DHL
These deadlines ensure packages shipping from the US reach their destinations by December 24, 2025:
DHL Express Worldwide
- Australia: December 9
- Canada: December 5
- France: December 18
- Germany: December 18
- Hong Kong: December 17
- Ireland: December 18
- Italy: December 16
- Netherlands: December 18
- New Zealand: December 18
- Singapore: December 18
- Spain: December 12
- United Kingdom: December 17
DHL eCommerce Parcel International Direct
- Australia: December 4
- Canada: December 8
- France: December 8
- Germany: December 5
- Hong Kong: November 28
- Ireland: December 5
- Italy: December 5
- Netherlands: December 5
- New Zealand: December 5
- Rest of EU*: December 5
- Singapore: December 4
- South Korea: December 4
- Spain: December 5
- United Kingdom: December 4
DHL eCommerce Parcel International Standard
- African countries: November 10
- Australia: December 1
- Brazil: November 17
- Canada: December 2
- Eastern Europe: December 1
- France: December 1
- Germany: December 4
- Hong Kong: November 29
- Japan: December 1
- Mexico: November 17
- New Zealand: December 1
- Rest of Asia: November 27
- Rest of Latin America: November 17
- Thailand: December 1
- United Kingdom: December 5
- Western Europe: December 1
Canada
Canada Post
Below are the most up-to-date shipping deadlines to guarantee your customers receive their orders before December 24:
| Priority™ | Xpresspost™ | Expedited Parcel™ or Flat Rate Box™ | Regular Parcel™ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local zone | December 23 | December 23 | December 20 | December 19 |
| Regional zone | December 23 | December 23 | December 18 | December 16 |
| National zone | December 20 | December 20 | December 12 | December 10 |
View Canada Post’s recommended dates for sending your holiday packages and cards to ensure they arrive in the US and other international destinations on time.
You can use Canada Post’s online delivery standard tool to find the expected delivery times between Canadian addresses.
UPS
Here are the recommended last days to ship for December 24 delivery with UPS:
Canada domestic
- UPS Standard®: Check ups.com/ca for details
- UPS Expedited®: December 22
- UPS Express®: December 23
Canada to US
- UPS Standard®: Check ups.com/ca for details
- UPS 3 Day Select®: December 19
- UPS Expedited®: December 22
- UPS Express®: December 23
Canada to other destinations
For last days to ship from Canada to other international destinations, visit UPS Holiday Shipping Schedule.
| Date | Destination |
|---|---|
| December 11 | Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia |
| December 15 | United States via Purolator Ground® |
| December 17 | East Asia (including China, Japan and Thailand) |
| December 18 | Australia, Caribbean, Mexico, South and Central America, Western Europe (including the United Kingdom, France and Germany) |
| December 23 | Canada next-day delivery** (where available) United States next-day delivery** (where available) |
DHL Express
These deadlines ensure packages shipping from Canada reach their destinations by December 24:
- Australia: December 2
- France: December 11
- Germany: December 11
- Hong Kong: December 11
- Ireland: December 11
- Italy: December 9
- Netherlands: December 11
- New Zealand: December 4
- Singapore: December 11
- Spain: December 5
- United Kingdom: December 10
- United States: December 8
How to streamline your holiday shipping strategy
To avoid disruptions and deliver a seamless experience for your customers, consider these practical tips:
- Add a shipping cutoff banner: Display shipping cutoff dates prominently on your site to keep customers informed.
- Send a customer email: Remind customers when they need to order by to ensure holiday deliveries arrive on time.
- Offer expedited shipping options: This accommodates last-minute shoppers and can help boost conversion rates.
- Stock up on shipping supplies: Order extra supplies to avoid shortages and maintain a steady flow of orders.
- Stay flexible with evening and weekend support: Ensure contacts are available for urgent shipping questions outside regular hours.
Learn more about implementing these strategies.
Wrapping up the season
By planning ahead and communicating holiday shipping deadlines with your customers, you’re setting up a successful, smooth holiday season. With early preparation and the right tools in place, you can boost satisfaction and build loyalty. Here’s to a fulfilling holiday season and satisfied customers!
