Australia Post Christmas 2026 cut-off dates: a guide for Shopify stores

Australia Post has released its recommended last lodgement dates for Christmas 2026. If you run a Shopify store, these are the dates that decide whether an order placed in December arrives before Christmas Day or turns into a "where's my parcel?" email on Boxing Day.

Below are the dates by service and destination, straight from Australia Post, plus a short checklist of what I'd sort out now, while it's still October.

A few things apply to every domestic date below:

They're for parcels sent to and from metro areas. Geelong, Gold Coast and Newcastle count as metro. Allow extra time for anything regional.
Over-the-counter Parcel Post and Express Post items need to be lodged by 2:30pm on the day.
Business dates assume your parcels are collected by an Australia Post truck or van and taken straight to a processing facility.
Items lodged after these dates still get delivered, just not necessarily before Christmas.

Parcel Post: last lodgement dates by state (Christmas 2026)

Read across from the state you're sending from to the state you're sending to.

From \ To	NSW	ACT	Vic	Qld	SA	WA	Tas	NT
NSW	Tue 22 Dec	Mon 21 Dec	Mon 21 Dec	Mon 21 Dec	Mon 21 Dec	Fri 18 Dec	Mon 21 Dec	Wed 16 Dec
ACT	Mon 21 Dec	Tue 22 Dec	Mon 21 Dec	Mon 21 Dec	Mon 21 Dec	Fri 18 Dec	Mon 21 Dec	Wed 16 Dec
Vic	Mon 21 Dec	Mon 21 Dec	Tue 22 Dec	Mon 21 Dec	Mon 21 Dec	Fri 18 Dec	Mon 21 Dec	Wed 16 Dec
Qld	Mon 21 Dec	Mon 21 Dec	Mon 21 Dec	Tue 22 Dec	Mon 21 Dec	Thu 17 Dec	Fri 18 Dec	Mon 14 Dec
SA	Mon 21 Dec	Mon 21 Dec	Mon 21 Dec	Mon 21 Dec	Tue 22 Dec	Fri 18 Dec	Mon 21 Dec	Thu 17 Dec
WA	Fri 18 Dec	Fri 18 Dec	Fri 18 Dec	Thu 17 Dec	Fri 18 Dec	Tue 22 Dec	Wed 16 Dec	Mon 14 Dec
Tas	Mon 21 Dec	Mon 21 Dec	Mon 21 Dec	Fri 18 Dec	Mon 21 Dec	Wed 16 Dec	Tue 22 Dec	Mon 14 Dec
NT	Wed 16 Dec	Wed 16 Dec	Wed 16 Dec	Thu 17 Dec	Thu 17 Dec	Thu 17 Dec	Mon 14 Dec	Tue 22 Dec

The short version: Tuesday 22 December within your own state, Monday 21 December for most interstate lanes on the east coast and SA, and earlier for anything going to or from WA and the NT. The earliest domestic Parcel Post date is Monday 14 December (for example, Queensland to the NT).

Express Post: last lodgement dates (Christmas 2026)

Sending to/from metro areas	Last lodgement date
NSW, ACT, Vic, Qld, SA, Tas, and within the same state	Wed 23 Dec
To WA and NT, and from WA	Tue 22 Dec

International: last sending dates (Christmas 2026)

Overseas dates are much earlier, and they depend on the service.

Sending to	Courier	Express	Standard	Economy Air
New Zealand	15 Dec	15 Dec	9 Dec	2 Dec
USA	15 Dec	11 Dec	7 Dec	30 Nov
Canada	15 Dec	14 Dec	8 Dec	1 Dec
UK	15 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

International Courier is only available at select outlets and to select destinations. If you're sending from SA, Tasmania or the NT, Australia Post says to add 2 business days for Express and 5 business days for Standard and Economy, because those items travel interstate before leaving Australia. Some countries have services suspended, so check your specific destination on Australia Post's Christmas dates page.

Sending to Norfolk Island, Lord Howe Island or Christmas and Cocos Islands? Those dates are much earlier (Christmas and Cocos Islands Parcel Post closes in October), and they're listed on the same page.

Post Office trading over Christmas and New Year

Australia Post's national public holidays include Christmas Day (Fri 25 Dec), Boxing Day (Sat 26 Dec) and New Year's Day (Fri 1 Jan 2027). On national public holidays, Post Offices are generally closed and there are no mail or parcel deliveries, including Express Post. Selected Post Offices, such as some larger outlets in major metro areas or big shopping centres, may open on some public holidays. On state, regional or local public holidays, some Post Offices may open depending on local arrangements, and there are no local deliveries. (Australia Post public holiday services)

Australia Post has also extended opening hours at 300+ Post Offices ahead of Christmas. Before you plan a drop-off in the week between Christmas and New Year, check your local Post Office's hours in the Post Office Locator.

A pre-Christmas checklist for Shopify stores

Work out your real cut-off. Find your row in the table above. Your store's cut-off is that date minus however long it takes you to pick, pack and lodge.
Tell customers before they buy. Put your last order dates in your announcement bar or shipping banner, and on your shipping policy page. Do it in November, not on 20 December.
Split your messaging by region. If you ship nationally, "order by 18 December" is safer than "order by 21 December" for anyone in WA, the NT or regional areas.
Promote Express Post near the end. Once Parcel Post has closed for a lane, Express Post buys you a day or two on most lanes.
Print labels early and lodge daily. Don't let orders stack up for one big run on the last day.
Book collections in advance. If you use pickups, lock them in early for the final week.
Have a plan B for late and bulky orders. Know what you'll offer once AusPost's dates have passed, and check that carrier's own Christmas cut-offs.
Handle overseas orders separately. Most international Standard dates fall in the first half of December.

How Pack helps over Christmas

Pack is a shipping app for Australian Shopify stores. A few parts of it are useful at this time of year:

Your own Australia Post rates. Connect your own MyPost Business account in Pack and use your own MyPost rates to book Australia Post straight from your Shopify orders.
Bulk label printing. The Orders page has bulk Print labels, so you can get a whole batch out the door in one go.
A courier backup. Alongside Australia Post, you can book Aramex and other Pack Network couriers, so you've got options when a lane gets tight. (Each courier sets its own Christmas cut-offs.)
Bulky and pallet freight. Pack Freight is there for the big, heavy and awkward stuff that doesn't suit a parcel service.

There's a Free Forever plan, and Starter is $49 a month when you need more volume. You can install Pack from the Shopify App Store. If you're new to the MyPost Business side, our guide to Australia Post on Shopify via MyPost Business walks through it.

FAQ

What's the last day to send Parcel Post for Christmas 2026?

For metro areas, it's Tuesday 22 December within the same state and Monday 21 December for most interstate lanes. Lanes to and from WA and the NT close earlier, from Friday 18 December back to Monday 14 December. Check the table above for your lane.

What's the last day for Express Post before Christmas 2026?

Wednesday 23 December for most of Australia, and Tuesday 22 December for items going to WA and the NT, or from WA.

What time do I need to drop parcels at the Post Office?

Australia Post says over-the-counter Parcel Post and Express Post items must be lodged by 2:30pm on the cut-off date.

Will my parcel still arrive if I miss the cut-off?

Australia Post says items sent after these dates will be delivered as quickly as possible, but may not arrive until after Christmas. The safer move is to tell customers your dates early and send anything urgent by Express Post or another carrier while there's still time.

Dates sourced from Australia Post's Christmas lodgement dates page, checked 8 October 2026. Australia Post notes the dates are a guide and subject to change.