One of the most iconic parts of Christmas in Switzerland and around the world has to be the opportunity to send friends and loved ones cards and gifts. To help those looking to send their seasons greetings to Swiss cities, cantons, Europe and further afield, here are the official deadlines for sending letters and parcels from Switzerland in time for Christmas Day, according to the postal service.

Deadlines for sending post from Switzerland in time for Christmas

Christmas is a busy time for Swiss Post, with the company - recently rated the best in the world - sending 14 million letters and 22,3 million parcels between Black Friday and Christmas Day in 2022. Last year, in the few weeks running up to the holiday, the company delivered around 1,2 million packages a day.

To make sure that your post arrives in time for the holidays, here are the official deadlines for sending letters and parcels from Switzerland in time for December 25:

Christmas deadlines for letter and gift deliveries in Switzerland

Compared to those sending items overseas, those sending letters and parcels to addresses in Switzerland can kick back and relax, with most of the deadlines occurring on the week before December 25. 

Swiss-Express "Moon" deliveries in time for Christmas 

Using the Swiss-Express “Moon” package  - the most expensive option, which aims to deliver letters, parcels and other goods by 9am the next working day (including Saturday) - well-wishers have until December 22 to send their regards in time for Christmas. To make sure Swiss Post are not overwhelmed, deliveries set for December 23 using this package will arrive between 9am and noon.

Packages sent using Swiss-Express “Moon” can be up to 100 x 60 x 60 centimetres, with parcels up to 2 kilograms costing 18 francs. Items weighing up to 10 kilograms will cost 22 francs, while 30 kilo items will cost 29 francs. Items larger than the set dimensions will cost more to send. 

Sending A and B-class Swiss post in time for December 25

Those using A-class mail have until December 21 to send parcels and December 22 to send letters. Finally, those opting for B-class post to save a few francs have to endure the closest thing Switzerland has to snail mail, but still have until December 19 to send letters and December 20 to send parcels so that they arrive before Christmas Day. 

Sending parcels and letters outside Europe from Switzerland

Of course, many expats in Switzerland will have family and friends overseas to whom they will want to send Christmas gifts and cards. For this, the timeframe is a bit tighter, with Swiss Post advising anyone planning to send documents or small goods within Europe to send their packages by December 12.

If you have things to send urgently to countries in Europe, the very last deadline is December 15 for letters and documents and December 14 for parcels and other goods. However, delivery times can vary by country, so to make sure your items arrive on time, it is advised to check the estimated delivery time on the Swiss Post website.

If you are sending a parcel in Europe via Swiss Post GLS, the deadline for it to arrive before the holidays is set at December 11, but may vary depending on the nation to which you want to send it. Finally, those looking to send items to Europe via the cheapest options have until December 5 to send packages via Parcels Priority. Unfortunately for those looking to send items via Parcels Economy, the deadline for Christmas was November 28.

Is there still time to send gifts outside Europe before Christmas?

In short, yes there is still a chance that parcels and letters sent from Switzerland to outside Europe will arrive in time for Christmas. For letters and small goods sent normally, the official deadline for countries outside Europe is December 5. Deliveries marked as urgent have an even more relaxed deadline of December 12 for parcels and December 13 for letters. However, bear in mind that this delivery method can be quite expensive.

Now for the bad news, while it does vary by country, packages sent outside Europe via Parcels Priority and Parcels Economy will likely not arrive in time for December 25, as the deadlines were set at November 28 and 21 respectively.

Swiss Post to run special Christmas opening hours

Alongside the deadlines for sending items, Swiss Post has also released a detailed overview of the special opening hours for post offices that will be in force over the Christmas period. For more information about the opening times, the detailed cost of deliveries and a full list of the deadlines, check out the Swiss Post website.