Surprise your loved ones this Christmas by sending them a gift via courier. If you’re thinking of using DHL delivery services this Christmas, check their working days and opening hours during the 2023/2023 holiday season in our guide below.
DELIVERY SCHEDULE
Yes, DHL always aims to deliver envelopes and parcels in the shortest time possible, especially at Christmas time. However, bear in mind that this is the busiest time of year for couriers because of the huge increase in shipping volume.
In the UK, Ireland, and most worldwide locations, DHL will not deliver parcels on Christmas Day, but will still perform deliveries on Christmas Eve. For this reason, we recommend sending gifts as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
LAST DAY
If you are planning to send your Christmas gifts with DHL this year, it is important to consider their Christmas delivery schedule. Even though DHL is one of the leading international couriers for expedited deliveries, they also face challenges keeping up with the increased number of parcels shipped during the festive season. They do their best to deliver every parcel within the estimated delivery time. Still, delays may occur due to weather conditions, high shipping volume, and other external factors.
To avoid any headache on the delivery of your gifts, we recommend shipping your parcels 3-5 days prior to the date you normally would. This means that for the Express Service where deliveries are normally performed in up to 48h, the last posting date for shipping with DHL would be 21 December.
Please bear in mind that the delivery estimation for international shipments may vary as packages can be held up at customs during this busy period. For cross-border deliveries, we recommend considering 15 December as the last posting date before Christmas for DHL shipments.
Check below the DHL working days and hours during Christmas 2023 and New Year’s 2023 in the UK. Days that are not mentioned are considered normal working days.
| Day | Delivery available | Collection available | Customer service hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas Eve (24/12) | ✓ | X | 8 am – 4 pm |
| Christmas Day (25/12) | X | X | X |
| Boxing Day (26/12) | X | X | X |
| Christmas Day Substitute (27/12) | X | X | X |
| New Year’s Eve (31/12) | ✓ | X | 8 am – 4 pm |
| New Year’s Day (01/01) | X | X | X |
| New Year Bank Holiday (02/01)* | X | X | X |
WORKING HOURS
DHL works around the clock with prolonged opening hours in the days before Christmas. For this reason, you may experience cases where the courier collects earlier than 9 am or later than 8.30 pm.
However, this does not apply to 24 December. On Christmas Eve, DHL working hours are usually shorter; for example, DHL customer service opening hours are until 4 pm on Christmas Eve 2023. This is so that DHL employees can make it home to enjoy the holidays with their loved ones too.
CHRISTMAS EVE
Since 24 December is not considered an official holiday in most countries, DHL normally delivers parcels and gifts on Christmas Eve. This day will fall on a Saturday in 2023, but DHL will still perform deliveries on Christmas Eve in areas where Saturday services are available. However, if you want your gift to arrive before the celebrations, we recommend shipping it in advance so that it comes before Christmas Eve since most couriers have shorter working hours on this date.
On the other hand, DHL will not perform parcel collections on Christmas Eve 2023. This is because they will give priority to delivering as many parcels as possible.
CHRISTMAS DAY
25 December is a national or public holiday in most countries of Western Europe and around the world, including the UK and Ireland. For this reason, DHL does not work on Christmas Day – this means that there will be no collections, deliveries or shops open on 25 December. If you need to ship parcels or cards in time for the Christmas party, please do so in advance.
In 2023, since Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, a substitute holiday will be observed in the UK the following Tuesday, 27 December. Postal and courier services, including DHL will end their Christmas break and resume normal opening hours on 28 December.
Plan your deliveries on time by checking the courier schedules for Christmas!
BOXING DAY
Boxing Day (26 December) is a public holiday in the UK and some Commonwealth countries, such as Australia and Canada. DHL will not perform collections or deliveries on Boxing Day in these locations. Similarly, DHL will not perform deliveries in Ireland on Boxing Day (known as St Stephen’s Day), as this day is a public holiday.
Don’t wait till the last minute; find out more about Boxing Day shipping to make sure your gift deliveries arrive on time!
NEW YEAR
31 December is a working day in most countries, and couriers such as DHL have reduced opening hours on New Year’s Eve, like on Christmas Eve. New Year’s Eve will fall on a Saturday in 2023, so DHL deliveries on this day will depend on weekend availability at your destination.
DHL does not deliver on New Year’s Day as it is a public holiday in the majority of locations around the world. DHL will resume normal services on 3 January 2023 in the UK, except for Scotland. Services in Scotland will resume on 4 January 2023.
EASY SHIPPING
At Eurosender, we work with DHL and multiple other renowned international courier companies to ensure you have the best shipping options available. Book your delivery through our platform, and our team will organise every detail of the shipping service on your behalf. We will take over all the communication with the courier company, so you don’t have to worry about anything – all you need to do is pack the gift in a box and wait for the courier to collect it!