Purpose: Learn how Bank Holidays and major events in the United Kingdom may affect carrier pick-ups and deliveries, so you can plan your shipments efficiently and avoid potential delays.
Important reminders for all markets
- Public holidays and major events can cause delays in pick-ups, deliveries, and customer communication.
- Inform your customers in advance about possible delays.
- Plan your logistics early to minimise disruptions during busy periods.
Important: Due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East, carriers may experience operational disruptions that could affect international shipping. This may result in delivery delays, temporary service suspensions, shipments being placed on hold, or additional emergency and surge surcharges for selected destinations and trade lanes.
UPS has introduced a Surge Emergency Fee for selected international air services and routes. Depending on the origin and destination, the fee may apply to shipments to, from, or within selected countries in the Middle East and Asia.
The UPS Surge Emergency Fee:
- applies to selected international air services, including Worldwide Express, Express Saver, Express Plus, Expedited, Midday, and Express Freight;
- is calculated per kilogram based on the shipment's billable weight;
- may be subject to a fuel surcharge;
- may vary depending on the origin, destination, currency, and applicable trade lane;
- remains subject to change and may stay in place until further notice.
Current UPS notices include selected routes involving Israel, the United Arab Emirates, India, China, Hong Kong, Macau, other Asia-Pacific markets, and selected destinations in the Middle East and Asia. As the affected routes and rates may change, always check the latest UPS information before creating a shipment.
Other carriers may also introduce temporary surcharges or service restrictions. For details about possible additional costs, please consult the carrier-specific surcharge articles in our Help Center.
We recommend checking the latest updates directly on the carrier's website before creating shipments to or from affected regions. Carriers regularly publish service alerts and operational updates that may affect shipping routes, transit times, or service availability.
Please note that Shipment Protection coverage is currently not available for parcels shipped to Middle East destinations. Learn more.
We have gathered some of the carrier links below:
- DHL – Middle East crisis situation updates
- Evri UK – Service status
- FedEx – Service alerts
- Parcelforce – Service updates
- Royal Mail – International incident bulletin
- UPS – Service alerts and Surge Emergency Fee updates
DPD
Conflict surcharge
Due to the ongoing geopolitical situation in the Middle East, global oil markets have been significantly affected. This has led to a sharp increase in fuel prices, particularly diesel, over a short period of time.
As a result, DPD UK has introduced a conflict surcharge of £0.15 per parcel. This surcharge is intended to offset the increased operational costs caused by higher fuel prices.
DPD UK has indicated that this measure is necessary despite efforts to minimise the impact, including the use of existing fuel reserves and the increased deployment of electric vehicles within its network.
Royal Mail
Update from 15-12-2025: Latest recommended posting dates
| Date | Services |
| Wednesday 17 December |
Royal Mail 2nd Class Royal Mail 2nd Class Signed For |
| Friday 19 December |
Royal Mail Tracked 48® Parcelforce express48 |
| Saturday 20 December |
Royal Mail 1st Class Royal Mail 1st Class Signed For |
| Sunday 21 December | Royal Mail Tracked 24® |
| Monday 22 December |
Parcelforce express10 Parcelforce expressPM Parcelforce express24 |
| Tuesday 23 December | Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed® |
Evri
May 2025 Bank Holiday collection schedule
During May 2025, two Bank Holidays will affect Evri collections:
- Monday 5 May: Early May Bank Holiday – No collections.
- Monday 26 May: Spring Bank Holiday – No collections.
Regular collections will resume on the next working day. For customers who usually have Monday pick-ups, collections will be automatically rescheduled to Tuesday 6 May and Tuesday 27 May.