How long does royal mail hold a parcel

Royal Mail, the UK's postal service, has a standard holding period for parcels that are undelivered or uncollected. Here are the general guidelines:

  1. Standard parcels: If a parcel is not collected or delivered within 18 working days (Monday to Saturday) from the date of attempted delivery, Royal Mail will hold it for an additional 2 weeks (14 days). This is known as the "holding period".
  2. Special Delivery: For Special Delivery items, Royal Mail will hold the parcel for 31 days (Monday to Saturday) from the date of attempted delivery. If the parcel is not collected or delivered within this period, it will be returned to the sender.
  3. International parcels: For international parcels, Royal Mail will hold them for a longer period, typically up to 6 months, depending on the destination country and the type of service used.

During the holding period, Royal Mail will try to contact the recipient to arrange a re-delivery or collection. If the parcel is not collected or delivered within the holding period, it will be returned to the sender or disposed of, depending on the circumstances.

It's worth noting that Royal Mail may extend the holding period in certain circumstances, such as:

If you're concerned about a parcel that's been held by Royal Mail, you can contact their customer service team to check the status and arrange for re-delivery or collection.