With global coronavirus restrictions expected to be in place over the festive season, Royal Mail is encouraging its customers to ‘shop early, send early for Christmas’ to ensure their cards and gifts arrive with their loved ones in time for Christmas Day.

Customers should ensure their Christmas mail arrives safely by writing the address clearly and always including the full postcode.

Christmas is typically the busiest time of the year for mail deliveries.

However, with global coronavirus restrictions expected to be in place over the festive season, Royal Mail is asking its customers to ‘shop early, send early for Christmas’ to ensure their cards and gifts arrive with their loved ones in time for Christmas Day.

The latest recommended posting dates for domestic mail for Christmas 2020 are:

• Friday 18 December for 2nd Class Mail

• Monday 21 December for 1st Class Mail

Further information is available at www.royalmail.com/greetings

Any customers who miss these dates can still use the Special Delivery service up until Wednesday 23 December.

To ensure that your mail arrives safely, there are a few key things to remember.

Make sure the full address is written clearly on the item of mail, and always include the full postcode.

Customers should also ensure that the correct amount of postage has been applied to avoid any delays or extra charges for the recipient. Full information on pricing is available on the Royal Mail website, and at local Post Office branches.