Irish Parcels Send by Dates 2024

Need to send a shipment to a customer or even a gift to that special someone over the festive season? Look no further than Irish Parcels!

If you are looking for a convenient and affordable delivery service across over 200 countries worldwide, look no further than Irish Parcels. Not only do we provide a low rate for both domestic and international shipping, but we also offer you fast transit times so you can rest assured that your parcel will reach your loved one down under.

In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about our service and how to send a parcel with us this festive period. It’s important to remember that as this time of year is so busy, to take note of our Christmas send-by dates and our office holiday closures.

Due to Covid, this Christmas period is set to be the busiest for all couriers around the world, we recommend booking and sending as early as possible.

Irish Parcels Christmas Send By Dates

With the busy holiday season now approaching, it is important to take note of our send-by dates if you want to ensure your parcels arrive on time.

We recommend sending before the dates listed below.

Important! Please be aware that these dates are the latest we recommend sending an item for the best chance to receive it before delivery. These dates are not guarantees. 

You can still book a collection after these dates, however, we cannot guarantee that your parcel will arrive in time for Christmas.

All Irish Parcels services are estimated and can be subject to delays due to any unforeseen circumstance.

Irish Parcels Express / Economy Services

• UK Express – 18th December*
• UK Economy – 16th December*
  
• Worldwide Express – 13th December*
• Europe Economy – 13th December

FxExpress Services

• UK Express – 18th December*
  
• Europe Economy – 13th December
• Europe Express – 16th December
  
  
• Worldwide Economy – 11th December*
• Worldwide Express – 13th December*

UPS Services

• UPS Standard (within Europe) – 16th December*
  
• UPS Express - 16th December*
  
• UPS Express Saver - 13th December*
• UPS Expedited - 11th December*

DPD Services

• DPD (within Ireland) – 19th December
• DPD (Europe) – 11th December
  (Please see estimated transit times for your specific route, if needed you may need to send before this date)

City Air Express

• From NI – 18th December
  
  
  *Please be aware there may be delays in customs if applicable on your chosen route. The above are estimates only and are not specific guarantees that a parcel will arrive before Christmas. Please always check your estimated transit time.  Please ensure you send anything time sensitive as early as possible.
  

Helpful Tips for deliveries in December

1. Send Early to avoid Disappointment!

2. Keep an eye on your Tracking: Irish Parcels offers full tracking to all customers. This is one of the most useful tools that allowed you to see your shipments journey through the couriers network after it is collected. This will also show when it is out for delivery.

3. Sign Up for Notifications: You can sign up for tracking updates in your "My Account" section of the website. This allows you to see if there are any delays, when your parcel is out for delivery and also when it is delivered safely. You can receive your updates as emails or text messages.

4. Securely Attach your Labels: Securely attach your label to avoid any mishaps. A well-fixed label is key to a successful delivery. If your label comes off it can lead to your shipment being set aside for identification and to be relabelled when your details have been verified. Poorly attached labels that come off can cause lengthy delays.
5. Use Backup labels: Irish Parcels provides all customers with backup labels to help ensure your shipment can be identified as soon as possible and be sent on for delivery. We highly recommend inserting your backup labels into your shipment and ensuring they are highly visible to any one securely opening your shipment.
6. Ensure there are no prohibited items: Any delivery containing prohibited items is normally returned to the collection address and this may cause issues especially if you are no longer at that address. Items containing the likes of cash/coins, batteries, liquids, nail polish, perfume etc can not be sent. You can see our full list here.
7. Give clear descriptions for customs: If you're sending internationally and your shipment will be going through customs; your shipment must have clear and accurate descriptions for your customs form. Descriptions such as "Gift", "Presents", "Private" are not accepted. We appreciate that listing the actual contents of gifts can ruin the surprise however this is a legal requirement.
8. To wrap or not to wrap? Wrapping Christmas gifts to surprise someone can be half of the fun however there is a small chance that your gifts may be unwrapped by customs for aviation authorities. No courier has the ability to guarantee wrapped gifts will arrive in the same condition as sent due to customs or security. This is usually for security or to gain clarity on what is inside and that it is something that is listed on your customs form. Please only wrap any gifts being placed inside the shipment; do not wrap the exterior packaging of the shipment.

9. Plan for Adverse Weather: This time of year often brings challenging weather conditions. Be prepared for possible delays due to snow, ice, or storms, which can disrupt transport routes and remember that just because it seems okay where you may be, this does not mean that weather elsewhere will not affect your shipment. This can be due to cancelled ferries or flights, flooded roads, fallen trees or even other factors.

10. Be Aware of Peak Times: We ask all customers to appreciate that the days and weeks leading up to Christmas are the busiest time of year for all couriers (not just Irish Parcels). It is best to send your parcels well in advance to avoid the peak rush. At this time of year there may be collections and deliveries outside of normal times or even days. This is all to help ensure that the couriers can manage their workloads as best as possible.

11. Provide Clear Address and Contact Details: Please ensure that your shipping addresses and contact details on your parcel are accurate to avoid any confusion during delivery. Even one part of your address missing can lead to confusion and delays.

12. Prepare for Delays: Understand that despite your best efforts, delays can happen. It’s important to be patient and have a backup plan if gifts or items do not arrive on time.

13. Check Local Delivery Policies: If you're sending internationally, be aware of the destination country's customs policies and local delivery practices, as they can vary significantly.

14. Remember Brexit: If you're sending internationally to or from the UK, please remember that countries within the EU require customs processing. This was different for sending prior to 2021 when the transition period ended. Your shipment will be processed by customs and additional details may be required.

IRISH PARCELS CHRISTMAS CLOSURE DATES

Below we have outlined our office opening hours during the festive period and we have also covered when most collections and deliveries will occur during the dates mentioned in December.

26th of December is a public holiday in most countries. There may be deliveries in some countries.

*Domestic UK Collections are unavailable on Monday the 23rd of December. Last collection for Domestic UK Shipments will be the 20th of December. Collections resume 27th of of December.

**Irish Parcels customer service will be closing early at 5PM IE Time on Tuesday the 24th of December.

*** DPD Services (both collection and delivery) will resume on the 30th of December.

You can get a quote and book online 24/7 every day of the year.