CHRISTMAS is fast approaching and many will be planning to send out cards to friends and families ahead of the big day.

has revealed the dates Brits should aim to get their festive cards and letters sent out by.

Royal Mail vans lined up at London's Mount Pleasant sorting office.
If you want your parcels and letters to arrive on time, it is important you send them before a specific date Credit: AP:Associated Press

The UK’s primary postal service said sending out your mail on or before these dates should help ensure it arrives on time.

Those posting out 2nd Class or 2nd Class Signed For mail should get post in the letterbox for Friday, December 18.

Meanwhile, Royal Mail Tracked 48 hour mail should be sent by Saturday, December 19.

Elsewhere, 1st Class and 1st Class Signed For Royal Mail Tracked 24 should be sent by Monday, December 21.

For Special Delivery Guaranteed post you should ship it out by Wednesday, December 23.

Those sending out express 48 and express 48 large packages through Parcelforce Worldwide UK inland services should also aim to send by Monday December 21.

Those sending express10, expressAM, express24, parcels should aim to send by December 22.

Getting your post sent out by these dates should help ensure it arrives on time.

However, Royal Mail cautioned that customers should aim to sent their post out as “early as possible to ensure that letters and parcels reach their destination in good time”.