Canada Post's Holiday Shipping Deadlines For 2023 Are Out & Here's When To Mail Your Packages
It'll cost you money even if you're just sending cards! 📬🎁
Canada Post delivery vehicle on a street during a snowstorm in Toronto.
It's that time of the year and you might be wondering when to mail items with Canada Post so they arrive on time.
Whether you're sending cards or packages within the country or internationally, there are holiday shipping deadlines you need to know about and the costs associated with shipping!
Now, Canada Post's holiday shipping deadlines for 2023 have been revealed for local, regional, national and international deliveries.
That's the national parcel service's holiday guidelines which tell you when to send cards and packages within Canada and internationally to ensure they arrive on time.
So, here's everything you need to know about the Canada Post holiday deadlines for 2023, including what you could have to pay to mail packages and cards.
Canada Post holiday shipping deadlines for packages in Canada
If you want to send packages within Canada for the holidays, Canada Post's shipping deadlines depend on whether items are going to a local zone, regional zone or national zone and how you're shipping them.
For local deliveries, here are the deadlines:
- Regular Parcel — December 19
- Expedited Parcel or flat rate box — December 20
- Xpresspost — December 21
- Priority — December 21
The deadlines for regional delivers are:
- Regular Parcel — December 14 to December 19
- Expedited Parcel or flat rate box — December 18 to December 20
- Xpresspost — December 21
- Priority — December 21
If you're sending a package nationally, these are Canada Post's holiday deadlines:
- Regular Parcel — December 8 to December 18
- Expedited Parcel or flat rate box — December 12 to December 19
- Xpresspost — December 20
- Priority — December 20
Canada Post holiday deadlines for cards in Canada
When it comes to cards, the Canada Post holiday deadlines are much simpler.
The deadline is December 19 if you're sending cards locally, December 18 for regional deliveries, and December 15 if you're sending cards across the country.
Canada Post holiday shipping deadlines for packages going to the US
If you're sending packages to anywhere in the U.S. this holiday season, here are Canada Post's shipping deadlines:
- Tracked Packet/Small Packet — December 12
- Expedited Parcel USA — December 13
- Xpresspost USA — December 15
Canada Post shipping deadlines for cards going to the US
Canada Post recommended mailing any cards that will be delivered to a location in the U.S. by December 12.
That will help ensure the cards arrive in time for Christmas this year.
Canada Post holiday shipping deadlines for international packages
This country's national parcel service sends packages to many countries around to world.
Canada Post's holiday shipping deadlines for international packages vary depending on where the piece of mail is going and how you're sending it.
For packages going anywhere in Africa, here are the deadlines:
- Tracked Packet/Small Packet — December 1
- Xpresspost International — December 8
The deadlines for packages going to Asia are:
- Tracked Packet/Small Packet — December 7
- Xpresspost International — December 11
If you're sending something to Australia, these are the deadlines:
- Tracked Packet/Small Packet — December 7
- Xpresspost International — December 11
For packages with delivery locations in Central America, South America and the Caribbean, this is when you need to mail items by:
- Tracked Packet/Small Packet — December 1
- Xpresspost International — December 8
Canada Post's holiday shipping deadlines for packages going to China are:
- Tracked Packet/Small Packet — December 7
- Xpresspost International — December 11
If you're mailing a parcel to Europe, here are the deadlines:
- Tracked Packet/Small Packet — December 7
- Xpresspost International — December 11
For packages specifically going to France, the deadlines are:
- Tracked Packet/Small Packet — December 11
- Xpresspost International — December 14
Then, for items being mailed to Germany specifically, you need to send them before these dates:
- Tracked Packet/Small Packet — December 7
- Xpresspost International — December 11
If you're sending packages to India, these are Canada Post's holiday shipping deadlines:
- Tracked Packet/Small Packet — December 7
- Xpresspost International — December 11
For packages with delivery locations in Japan, this is when you need to mail items by:
- Tracked Packet/Small Packet — December 11
- Xpresspost International — December 14
For packages going to anywhere in the Middle East, here are the deadlines:
- Tracked Packet/Small Packet — December 7
- Xpresspost International — December 11
These are Canada Post's shipping deadlines for mail items going to the Netherlands:
- Tracked Packet/Small Packet — December 11
- Xpresspost International — December 14
If you're mailing packages to New Zealand, these are the deadlines:
- Tracked Packet/Small Packet — December 7
- Xpresspost International — December 11
Packages going to Switzerland need to be sent by these dates to arrive on time:
- Tracked Packet/Small Packet — December 11
- Xpresspost International — December 14
Canada Post's holiday shipping deadlines for the U.K. are:
- Tracked Packet/Small Packet — December 11
- Xpresspost International — December 14
Canada Post holiday deadlines for cards going to international locations
These are the Canada Post holiday shipping deadlines for cards being sent to international locations:
- Africa — December 1
- Asia — December 7
- Australia — December 7
- Central America, South America and the Caribbean — December 1
- China — December 7
- Europe — December 7
- France — December 11
- Germany — December 11
- India — December 7
- Japan — December 11
- Middle East — December 7
- Netherlands — December 11
- New Zealand — December 7
- Switzerland — December 11
- U.K. — December 11
Canada Post shipping and mailing costs
Canada Post's flat rate box can be purchased at any post office in Canada and it costs $16.99, $19.99, $24.99 or $32.99 depending on the size of the box.
Flat rate boxes can be purchased online but only in packs of 12 and cost from $203.88 to $395.88.
You can buy Xpresspost prepaid envelopes that cost from $16.95 to $43.40 and Priority prepaid envelopes that cost from $38.50 to $65.35 depending on the package size and the delivery location.
It'll cost you money even if you're just sending out cards and not huge packages.
That's because regular mail — like letter envelopes, oversized envelopes, postcards and regular cards — have postage rates too.
The cost of stamps will vary depending on the weight of the envelope and where the card will be delivered but it could range from $1.07 to $22.28.
Happy holidays!
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.