IT may only be September - but Royal Mail has announced its last recommended international posting dates for Christmas.

The dates apply to economy surface mail - deliveries by land and sea.

The latest recommended posting date for surface mail to Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Asia, South America, Russia and the Caribbean is Monday, September 28.

For surface cards and parcels to the Middle East, and Far East, the latest recommended date is Tuesday, September 29.

For the USA, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong and South Africa, the recommended latest posting date is October 13.

Surface mail to Eastern Europe, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Malta and Iceland must be in the Royal Mail system by Tuesday, November 3, if parcels and cards need to arrive in time for Christmas Day.

Surface mail to the rest of Western Europe should be posted by Tuesday, November 17 to arrive for the festive season.

Royal Mail head of international David Cunnington said: "Surface mail products provide value for money for those sending cards, letters and parcels to far away destinations.

"In the modern world, it is easy to forget that it can still take a long time to reach some destinations by land and sea.

"We don’t want anyone to be disappointed if they are waiting for Christmas mail.

"As always, we urge customers to post early as Royal Mail builds up to its busiest time of year."

Airmail recommended posting dates for around the globe are typically in early December and will be announced at a later date.