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Summary for: OVERVIEW: The deadlines for sending holiday packages to and from Czechia in 2025As the holiday season approaches, thoughts turn to sending gifts, cards, and holiday cheer to friends and family near and far. Here are the post-by dates to ensure your packages to, from, and within the Czech Republic arrive by Christmas Eve, which this year falls on a Wednesday.
With expanded weekend delivery and collection, carriers say they’re prepared, but last-minute parcels still carry a risk. Here’s a breakdown of the key dates and services for 2025.
Within Czechia (domestic parcels)
The consensus among all major Czech carriers (Česká pošta, Balíkovna, DPD, PPL, Zásilkovna, One by Allegro, GLS) is that Friday, Dec. 19, is the safest date for guaranteed delivery within Czeciah. The holiday rush will spike around Dec. 15, leading to slower processing times and crowded delivery networks.
Safest general deadline: Friday, Dec. 19
Late or 'extended' deadline: Monday, Dec. 22
Ordering from e-shops
If you are ordering from a Czech e-shop (like Alza), check their specific guaranteed delivery deadline. Most reliable e-shops will post a deadline around Dec. 18-20 for domestic orders. For ease of ordering Alza marks items with a small, green Christmas tree icon beside them for guaranteed pre-Christmas delivery.
Deadline: Monday, Dec. 22
- Applies to: Allegro.cz, its One by Allegro delivery service, and also to Alza (on which you can order until 11:59 p.m.)
- Expected delivery: Dec. 23 for Allegro, and at the latest until noon on Dec. 24 for Alza products.
Shortened pick-up times during the season
- Zásilkovna: Z-BOXes hold goods for one day, with a one-day extension possible. Dispensing points (like general stores) hold items for four days, with a two-day extension available.
- Česká pošta and Balíkovna: Storage boxes hold items for two days, with partner parcel shops keeping them for seven. No extensions are possible.
- DPD: Boxes will keep the items for two days, and dispensing locations will do so for seven. No extensions are possible.
- Alza: AlzaBoxes will hold items for two days, with extensions possible.
- One by Allegro: Self-service boxes will keep parcels for two days, and dispensing stores for three.
- GLS: GLS Boxes will store items for two days, with a two-day extension period.
From Czechia to EU countries
For standard, tracked delivery to neighboring or central EU countries, a general buffer of three to seven business days is needed. The deadline is significantly earlier than the domestic cut-off. Carriers like Zásilkovna advise sending items to EU countries no later than the middle of December, depending on the country in question.
Recommended deadline for Western/Southern EU: Friday, Dec. 12
- Applies to France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, etc., to account for longer transit times.
Safest general deadline (standard/road freight): Monday, Dec. 15
- Recommended for Austria, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, etc.
Last chance (express couriers): Wednesday, Dec. 17
- Applies to: Services like DHL Express, TNT/FedEx (faster, more expensive options).
From Czechia to the US and elsewhere (non-EU)
Since August, Česká pošta has temporarily suspended the acceptance of most parcels containing goods to the USA. Only certain categories are still allowed. Those include only documents, letters, and gifts between private individuals with a value up to USD 100 (CZK 2,083).
Recommended deadline: Monday, Dec. 9
- Applies to allowed gifts/documents for standard shipping. Express shipping options, such as via DHL, allow for shipping around mid-December according to shipping site Easypost.com.
Rest of the world (Non-EU, Asia, Australia)
- Missed the deadline? Express delivery options will give you roughly an extra week of leeway, depending on the carrier.
From the US to Czechia
Receiving a gift from the US carries the highest risk of holiday heartbreak due to the unpredictable nature of Czech Customs (Celní správa) clearance. Here are the different options available and the associated deadlines.
USPS Standard Mail (Priority Mail International):
- Recommended post-by date: Monday, Dec. 9 (Extremely high risk after this date).
USPS Express Mail (Priority Mail Express International):
- Recommended post-by date: Monday, Dec. 16
Private courier (DHL, FedEx, UPS):
- Recommended post-by date: Friday, Dec. 19 (Most reliable option for avoiding customs delays).
Customs tip: To avoid significant customs delays when sending from the U.S. to Europe, the sender in the U.S. must mark the customs form clearly as a “Gift." The intrinsic value of the gift between two individuals must be a total of EUR 45 (CZK 1,092) to be exempt from duties. Anything over this amount will be held, and you (the recipient) will have to clear it and pay fees.
