The last day to send a Regular Parcel across Canada with Canada Post for Christmas is Dec. 10, 2026, according to the Crown corporation’s holiday sending guidelines, while Priority items can go as late as Dec. 23.
Updated Oct. 20, 2026
Canada Post’s page is headed October 2026 and does not carry a separate publication date. The dates below are copied from it. The corporation notes that dates are between major urban centres, depend on the origin and destination, and that some restrictions apply. Check its service alerts page for any disruption before you rely on a deadline.
Within Canada
The deadline depends on the service and on how far the item travels. Canada Post groups deliveries into local, regional and national zones.
| Zone | Priority | Xpresspost | Expedited Parcel or flat rate box | Regular Parcel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local | Dec. 23 | Dec. 23 | Dec. 22 | Dec. 21 |
| Regional | Dec. 23 | Dec. 22 | Dec. 18 | Dec. 16 |
| National | Dec. 23 | Dec. 22 | Dec. 14 | Dec. 10 |
Canada Post lists a second set of send-by dates for the same three zones: Dec. 22 for local, Dec. 21 for regional and Dec. 18 for national. Its page does not label which service that table covers, so confirm at the counter if you are mailing cards or letters.
A worked example
Say you are mailing a parcel from Toronto to a relative in Vancouver, which is a national-zone trip. A Regular Parcel has to go by Thursday, Dec. 10. Expedited Parcel is Monday, Dec. 14. Xpresspost is Tuesday, Dec. 22, and Priority is Wednesday, Dec. 23, two days before Christmas on Friday, Dec. 25.
The gap between the earliest and latest of those deadlines is 13 days. Canada Post sets the prices for each service; see its site for current rates.
To the United States
For the United States, Canada Post lists Dec. 17 for Xpresspost USA, Dec. 14 for Expedited Parcel USA and Dec. 11 for Tracked Packet and Small Packet.
International
Overseas deadlines are much earlier. The table shows the last day to send by Xpresspost International and by Tracked Packet or Small Packet, as listed by Canada Post.
| Destination | Xpresspost International | Tracked Packet or Small Packet |
|---|---|---|
| Africa | Dec. 10 | Dec. 3 |
| Asia | Dec. 11 | Dec. 9 |
| Australia | Dec. 14 | Dec. 9 |
| Central and South America and the Caribbean | Dec. 10 | Dec. 3 |
| China | Dec. 14 | Dec. 9 |
| Europe | Dec. 15 | Dec. 9 |
| France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, United Kingdom | Dec. 15 | Dec. 11 |
| India | Dec. 11 | Dec. 9 |
| Japan | Dec. 14 | Dec. 11 |
| Middle East | Dec. 11 | Dec. 9 |
| New Zealand | Dec. 11 | Dec. 9 |
A separate table on the page gives one send-by date per destination without naming the service. It shows Dec. 3 for Africa and the Caribbean and Central and South America, Dec. 9 for Asia, Australia, China, Europe, India, the Middle East and New Zealand, and Dec. 11 for the United States, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Letters to Santa
Canada Post says a letter to Santa must be sent by Dec. 9 to get a reply from the North Pole.
Remote and northern addresses
Canada Post’s holiday page does not list separate deadlines for remote or northern communities, and it does not list Lettermail. Customers sending to those addresses should ask Canada Post to confirm timing.
Holidays that affect delivery
Statutory holidays differ by province. See our guide to Christmas and Boxing Day 2026 stat holidays by province. If you are shopping online, our Black Friday 2026 guide covers dates, deals and your rights, and the 2027 statutory holidays by province list looks ahead to the new year.
If you find reporting like this useful, consider supporting Canada News Media, an independent Canadian newsroom with no corporate parent.
Sources: Canada Post, Plan your holiday sending, headed October 2026.
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