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Isle of Man Post Office (IOMPO) is pleased to announce details of its Christmas arrangements for 2022. Details include last recommended posting dates, opening and closing times, and collection and delivery times across its services for the festive period.
Last Recommended Posting Dates
Isle of Man Post Office would like to remind all customers of the importance of ordering and posting early, especially this year due to the ongoing strike action taking place by the Communication Workers Union in the UK, who represent the majority of Royal Mail staff. Disruption is likely between now and December.
Last recommended posting dates to international destinations including Australia and New Zealand start from Wednesday 30th November. A full list of posting dates for international destinations is available at www.iompost.com/christmas, with regular updates announced via our Facebook page.
For friends and family of HM Forces personnel, mail must be sent by no later than Friday 25th November for operational British Forces Post Office (BFPO) and for static BFPOs no later than Friday 2nd December. Don't forget friends and family can continue to send letters and parcels up to 2kg free of charge to any BFPO address.
The last recommended posting date for sending letters and parcels to the UK via first class mail and Parcelforce48 is Tuesday 20th December; the last posting date for Parcelforce24 to the UK as well as local to local letters and parcels is Wednesday 21st December. The UK and local to local Special Delivery® deadline is Thursday 22nd December.
Customers are also reminded to make sure their letters and parcels are properly addressed, ensuring a postcode and return name and address is included along with correct postage applied to avoid any delays. For information about prices, packaging and addressing standards visit www.iompost.com/christmas.
Isle of Man Post Office Retail Network
The Island-wide Post Office network will be open as normal in the lead up to Christmas. However, on Friday 23rd and Friday 30th December most sub-Post Offices and delivery offices will close early. Post Office Headquarters will close at 18.00 on both dates and Northern Delivery Office will close at 18:30. All Post Offices will be closed on Sunday 25th – Tuesday 27th December and Saturday 31st December – Monday 2nd January inclusive. As of Tuesday 3rd January 2023, Post Offices and delivery offices will revert back to their normal opening hours.
Customers are also asked to note that any notice left cards received on Friday 23rd December can be collected on Saturday 24th during 06.00-13.00 (Northern Delivery Office) and 09:00-12.30 (Post Office Headquarters). Any notice left cards received on the 24th December are unlikely to be available for collection on Christmas Eve.
For a full breakdown of opening hours across the Island over the festive period visit www.iompost.com/christmas.
Sending Mail
Customers are kindly reminded to make sure that any items being posted are safe to fly. Many everyday items and gifts are classified as prohibited or restricted under transport legislation and therefore some cannot be flown, particularly those items over 100ml in size. Examples include popular Christmas gifts such perfumes and alcohol. For a full list of prohibited and restricted items visit www.iompost.com/restricted. Alternatively, if you are unsure about any items you wish to send to the UK or overseas, please contact Customer Services on 664664 or ask at your local post office.
Customs Declarations for International Items
Customers are kindly reminded that since January 2021 it has been a legal requirement that all items containing goods being sent to destinations beyond the UK, including Channel Islands, must have a fully completed customs declaration (CN22/23 or CP72 if using Parcelforce services) detailing the contents of any letters and parcels. To avoid any unnecessary hold ups when visiting a post office, the form can be printed from our website in advance by visiting www.iompost.com/ecd. Customers can complete the form in advance, handing it to the post office staff with the parcel. For those customers unable to do this, copies are available to complete at all post offices, but for the consideration of all customers it is requested that customers complete forms prior to approaching the counter.
Receiving Mail
Customers who miss their parcel delivery are advised that they can request to direct their item to one of fourteen convenient Island-wide locations for collection by using our online redelivery request service www.iompost.com/collections. Customers will receive a text message notification when the parcel is at their requested location ready for collection. Many of these locations provide extended opening hours allowing customers to collect at a time that is suitable to them.
Isle of Man Post Office encourages customers to sign up for the Authority to Sign service. This allows the post person to sign for any items requiring a signature on behalf of the customer and leave them in a safe location on the property while customers are out. Details of Authority to Sign services can be found at www.iompost.com/ats or you can request a form from your local post office.
Christmas Stamps and Gifts
This year’s Christmas stamps, ‘Manx Winter’ by local artist Julia Ashby Smyth are now available to purchase online at www.iompost.com/postal-shop (in quantities of 24 self-adhesive stamps) or at your local post office. These are the final Isle of Man stamps to be approved by and to feature the effigy of HM Queen Elizabeth II.
There are also a number of collectable items that would make wonderful Christmas gifts which are available to browse and purchase from iompost.com/christmasgiftshop. For those who prefer the option of a monetary gift or are going away for the festive period, IOMPO offers foreign currency, presented in a gift wallet and with free delivery, available to order at iompost.com/Forex or at your local post office.
Letters to Father Christmas
Isle of Man Post Office is pleased to continue its express letter service to the North Pole so that children of the Isle of Man can send their letters to Father Christmas and receive a free response. Father Christmas will endeavour to respond to each and every letter so these should be sent as soon as possible in an envelope with a first class stamp, so it reaches Lapland in a timely manner. Letters without a stamp will not reach Lapland. To avoid any disappointment, all letters should include a return address so Father Christmas knows who to send a reply to. Information about Father Christmas letters and sending and receiving Christmas mail can be found on the Christmas page of our website www.iompost.com/christmas.
Self-service kiosks
Customers are reminded of the Isle of Man Post Office’s self-service Pay & Post Kiosks which are positioned across the Island and offer convenient access to postal services out of working hours without the need to queue. The Pay & Post Kiosks assist those customers wishing to send letters and parcels, purchase postage and pay Government rates, fixed and endorsable penalty fines and utility bills. Details of all our service locations Island-wide can be found at https://www.iompost.com/tools-forms/post-office-services-finder.
All information is correct at the time of publication and subject to change. For up-to-date information please visit www.iompost.com/christmas or follow Isle of Man Post Office on Facebook and Twitter.
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