Service Updates

Important Service Update: Enhancing Your Delivery Experience

We’re Upgrading to Serve You Better – Here’s What You Need to Know

 
Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide will transition to one unified delivery ecosystem from 11 August 2025. Ahead of this and as part of our journey to build one network, we are rolling out technology upgrades, in phases, across the network to ensure a smooth and controlled transition with minimal disruption to you.

We call this our phased approach, which means different parts of our network will switch over to the new Royal Mail technology platform at different times. This approach will ensure we continue to deliver the best continuity and high performance service to you.

While some changes may be visible during the rollout, these should be seen as part of a temporary transition period, as we move towards our one unified and enhanced network from 11 August 2025.

 
Why This Is a Positive Step for You

 
While a few features may temporarily change, this upgrade will:

  • Enable more consistent, reliable service across all UK regions.
  • Give you access to future delivery and service enhancements.
  • Strengthen our position as part of one integrated network with Royal Mail.
  • Ensure your service continues to meet all guaranteed delivery commitments.

 
Still Parcelforce. Still Guaranteed.

 
We want to reassure you that:

  • Your guaranteed delivery services remain fully in place.
  • We’re committed to maintaining quality and reliability throughout this transition.
  • Our team is here to support you — if you have any questions, we’re only a call or click away.

 
Depots Now Operating on the New Platform

 
Our Stoke and Lincoln depots are already operating on the upgraded platform. If your parcels are sent via one of these depots, you may notice some temporary changes to tracking and notifications. These are expected and part of the transition to a combined, more resilient network.

 
Temporary Service Changes to Expect

 
We’ve designed the transition to keep disruption minimal and core delivery promises intact. Here’s what you might notice in the short term:

Product Adjustments

  • expressPM will be delivered as express24 (by close of business)
  • Convenient Collects: Recipient email/SMS notifications will no longer be sent — please advise recipients to track parcels at parcelforce.com

 
Feature Adjustments (During the Transition Phase)

 
As we move through the upgrade, you may notice some temporary changes to how certain features behave:

  • Inflight delivery options and notifications may be limited.
  • Some parcel tracking events (such as collection scan, depot scan, or out-for-delivery scan) may not appear during this phase.
  • Photo-on-delivery will continue, though recipient names will not be displayed.
  • My Parcel Live and the 1-hour delivery window will pause temporarily and return as an enhanced estimated window post-rollout.
  • The tracking dashboard remains accessible, though some detail may be limited for now.

 
Need Help?

 
You can find FAQs and more information on parcelforce.com/transformation

You can contact our support team directly on 0345 266 0846 and at parcelforce.onenetwork@parcelforce.co.uk

UK

Any service issues will be detailed below;

Service Issues:

UK Service Messages - (Advisory / Suspensions)

Last updated today at 7:00

The table below shows the current advisory and suspended service changes in place across the UK. These messages are reviewed daily.

Last Updated: 19th June 2025
 
Message Status Issue Date Raised Details
Advisory Deliveries today

19th June

We're pleased to inform you that all our depots are operating smoothly. There are no current delays, and deliveries are on schedule. Thank you for choosing Parcelforce Worldwide.

Service Guarantee Suspension Royal Ascot 19th June

Delivery delays are expected in the Aldershot area due to the Royal Ascot taking place. The below postcodes are affected.

  • SL5 0
  • SL5 7 to SL5 9

International

If there are any service issues, they appear below;

Service Issues:

Europe

Last updated today at 7:00

Please see below for information on sending to specific countries.

Last updated: 20th of June 2025

Important Update Below
 

Welcome to our live service update page for Europe. Below is a round-up of any issues that may be impacting our services to and from destinations in Europe. We keep this page as up-to-date as possible, with information supplied to Parcelforce from our partners. 

Service update: 20th of June 2025

Important Notices:

Import Control System 2 (ICS2) 
ICS2 is a regulatory change required by the EU, focused on continuing to improve the security of parcels shipped internationally. It allows customs authorities to identify items which may require control earlier in the supply chain and take the appropriate action. Sending countries must provide the required parcel/customs information. This means that any item that requires a customs declaration (including gifts, samples, goods and other categories) must have the relevant customs documentation attached and associated Electronic Data must also be supplied. You can use an approved Parcelforce or Third-Party Shipping Solution where this is captured so you can continue exporting with the required compliant electronic data. From the 1st July 2023 any items containing goods that do not have mandatory data fields completed will be at risk of being delayed, returned, or even destroyed. Please see here and here for more information.

Please be advised that our service guarantees are currently in place for our europriority and irelandexpress account services effective 19th November 2024. Guarantees are currently in place for our globalpriority and irelandexpress consumer services effective 4th February 2025. All other guarantees remain under suspension for all destinations until further notice.

Country updates

Country Issue Current Status  Latest Update
Belarus Service Availability / Globalexpress

We are still despatching items to Belarus however dispatch is once a week via a transit destination therefore longer transit times should be expected. We are continually monitoring the situation and will provide an update if there are any changes to our service moving forward.

Globalexpress suspension
Service is currently suspended until further notice. Any shipments already in transit are likely to be returned.

6th January 2025
France (Mayotte) Cyclone Chido

La Poste of France have informed us that the infrastructure in Mayotte (postcode 976xx) has been severely impacted by the passage of Cyclone Chido.

As the airport is not currently operational, the shipment and delivery of all mail items are suspended until repairs can be undertaken.

The shipment of letter and parcel post to the Comoros via Mayotte is also suspended.

6th January 2025
Gibraltar Infrequent Dispatch Dispatch is three times a week 6th January 2025
Iceland Earthquake and Volcanic Activity / Storm

Earthquake and Volcanic Activity
Icelandic Post have advised that a new volcanic eruption started just north of Grindavik in the Reykjanes peninsula on Sunday 14th January 2024.

It is deemed likely that more eruptions will occur around the town in the coming weeks, hence It is unlikely that habitants will be allowed to return to live in Grindavik in the coming weeks or months.

Iceland Post has not delivered mail in the Grindavik area since the original evacuation 13th of November 2023 and due to the area being uninhabitable it seems unlikely it will be possible to deliver mail in Grindavik in the near future. We will provide any further updates on this as they become available.

Storm
Icelandic Post have informed us that an unseasonal storm has hit resulting in road closures in the northern and south-eastern part of the country.

Heavy snow and winds have closed roads in these parts of the country since the evening of Monday 3rd June, making it impossible to transport mail in those parts of the country.

The storm is expected to last into the week and as result delays can be expected until condition improves.

6th January 2025
Ireland  Import Controls 

Our service to Ireland is operating as normal. Items that require the payment of import taxes may take longer to be delivered as this is required before items are released from Irish customs.

Please note: Delivered Duties Unpaid items sent to Ireland are handled as follows:

•Where a mobile number and /or email is provided, the recipient will receive a text and / or email and a letter with the amount of tax to pay plus An Post’s processing fee.
•Where just the address has been provided, the recipient will receive a letter.

In both situations the recipient will receive instructions on how to pay and will have 16 working days to make the payment before the item is returned. The pay by date is included in the customer notification. All items are held in the Dublin Mail Centre Campus before being released, once payment is received. If payment is not received by the payment due date or the customer rejects the item then it is returned to sender.

24th January 2025
Israel Security Situation

Israeli Post have informed us that Israel has declared a state of emergency as of Friday, the 13th June 2025 until further notice.

Due to flight unavailability, all ParcelForce services to Israel were suspended from 7pm on the 19th June 2025 until further notice.

Any items already in the pipeline will be held by ParcelForce until service resumes and we will continue to provide further updates as we receive them.

Please note at this time, we are unable to accept items addressed to Gaza or Khan Yunis and The West Bank.

20th June 2025
Italy

Flooding / Airport Closure / Potential Delays / Strike

Flooding

Poste Italiane have informed us that adverse weather conditions affected the Toscana region on March 14th, 15th and 16th. Flooding has caused disruption to their infrastructure resulting in the need to evacuate municipalities and delays are expected until conditions return to normal. Severley affected areas are as follows:

Pontassieve/Via del Sasso               50065

Borgo San Lorenzo                           50032

Sesto Fiorentino/Via di Palaia           50019

Sesto Fiorentino/ Via Baroncoli         50019

Airport Closure

Poste Italiane have updated that Catania Airport will be closing during night-time hours from the 31st March to the 30th October 2025.

The closure will not affect EMS & Parcel products and will only affect Letter traffic, Tracked and Registered items to the zip code areas of 93xxx to 98xxx. These items may be delayed as result of the evening closures.

Potential Delays

Please note that customers currently using our services to Italy may experience a temporary delay. We are continuing to export as normal however are aware of extended processing times locally at present. We are closely monitoring the situation and will provide further updates as they become available.

Strike

Poste Italiane have informed us that a 24-hour strike has been called by some major unions on the 20th June 2025 and this will impact all transport (air, rail, road, sea and ports).  

There is a risk of delays and disruption to flights and transports which may result in delays during and immediately after the strike. 

18th June 2025
Moldova  Airspace Currently Unavailable Due to the situation in neighbouring Ukraine, we have been advised that Moldovan airspace is closed. We have an alternative route in place, however as this is a non-direct route please be advised that there may be short delays to the delivery of your item. 6th January 2025
Netherlands NATO Summit

The Netherlands will host the NATO Summit in The Hague on June 24th and 25th 2025.

Due to the volume of people increased security measures will be deployed which will affect road based traffic, public transport and air travel.

The areas around Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam will be severely disrupted from Sunday June 22nd until and including Thursday June 26th and as result, delivery delay may be observed during this period.

18th June 2025
Russia  Global Express Temporarily Suspended

We are still despatching postal items to Russia (except via our Global Express service). We are continually monitoring the situation and will provide an update if there are any changes to our service moving forward.

 

6th January 2025
Slovakia Foot and Mouth Disease

Slovakian Post have informed us that due to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the south-west of the country, special emergency measures have been implemented with effect from 21st March 2025 and a wider emergency has been declared with effect from 25 March 2025.

For premises housing livestock with confirmed cases of foot-and-mouth disease and all premises within the protection zone defined by the Regional Veterinary and Food Administration, the following will apply:-

All Postal items addressed to affected premises will be held at the appropriate post office for the duration of the above measures; The post office/courier will inform the recipient by phone or e-mail that items are being held.

Areas affected are:- 

Medveďov - 930 07

Ňárad - 930 06

Baka - 930 04

Malá Lúč - 930 03

Plavecký Štvrtok - 900 68

Delays may also be observed at border crossings due to extra control measures taken as a result of the outbreak

2nd April 2025
Ukraine  Delays / Globalexpress Service Suspension

We continue to make regular mail despatch to Ukraine via our Postal Partners. In the absence of air transport, they have rebuilt their international logistics network using road line haul and trains to convey postal items to, and from airports outside of Ukraine. In areas without active hostilities, all Ukrposhta post offices will remain open. Sorting facilities are equipped with electricity generators to ensure uninterrupted work and maintain normal customs and sorting procedures. However, operationally delays are still likely to be experienced until further notice.

Globalexpress 
This service is currently suspended until further notice. Any  shipments already in transit may be returned.

6th January 2025
Ukraine - Crimea Region and Oblasts Service Availability

There remains a number of areas that Ukrposhta are currently unable to service. For the latest view on accessible postcode and service areas please refer to:

services.ukrposhta.com/postindex_new/upload/Available_codes(Ukraine).zip

This is updated every Sunday. This list does not contain all existing postcodes but only those where mail acceptance and delivery services are available at a given time.

15th May 2025

 

 

Rest of the World

Last updated today at 7:00

Please see below for information on sending to specific countries.

Last updated: 20th of June 2025
Important Update Below
 

Service update: 20th of June 2025

Important Notices:

Please be advised that our service guarantees are currently in place for our globalPriority account services effective 2nd October 2024. The service guarantees for our globalpriority consumer services are in place effective 4th February 2025. All other guarantees remain under suspension for all destinations until further notice.

Country Updates

Country  Issue  Status  Last reviewed 
Ascension Island No Service There is currently no service to this country / territory. 6th January 2025
Afghanistan No Service except for globalexpress to some locations 

There is currently no route to Afghanistan as carriers have cancelled flights since Monday 16th August 2021.

However, Afghanistan currently can be reached via our globalexpress service.

6th January 2025
Canada Overtime Ban

Canada Post have informed us that they have received notice from the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) indicating that they have commenced a nationwide overtime ban for employees as of today, Friday 23-May-2025, 12:00 a.m. local time.  

The duration of the overtime ban is currently unknown at this stage. At this time, ParcelForce is continuing to despatch to Canada and Canada Post are continuing to operate but customers may experience delivery delays.    

The situation is fluid, and we are in regular communication with Canada Post. We will update further on this as soon as we can. 

ParcelForce Worldwide also continue to despatch globalexpress items to Canada and as these are delivered by another provider are not impacted by the overtime ban effecting Canada Post. 

23rd May 2025
Chile Security Accreditation

Chile Post have informed us that due to issues with the General Directorate of Civil Aviation Authority Accreditation they are currently unable to process any Import or Export mail as of the 28th of May 2025.

Delays are expected until further notice and an update will be provided once the issue is resolved.

9th June 2025
Colombia Handover Delays There are currently delays locally in Columbia due to an ongoing handover issue in the country with no end date at present. We will update once the situation improves. 13th March 2025
Democratic Republic of Congo Armed Conflict

The Democratic Republic of Congo Post have informed us that due to the ongoing conflict in the east of the country, postal operations are severely disrupted with North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri impacted.

Mail movement is severely impacted and this has led to considerable delays. The post have implemented temporary suspensions in the processing of all mail while it is actively exploring alternative solutions.

18th March 2025
Dominica  Routing

Dispatch to Dominica is now more frequent however due to current routing it may take slightly longer for items to arrive.

6th January 2025
Grenada Industrial Action

Grenada Post have informed us that staff members at the office of exchange have begun industrial action, effective from the 26th May 2025. 

The Postal Corporation will continue to accept all international mail and continue to a provide delivery service making every effort to minimize service disruptions.

However, delays may be experienced in the processing and delivery of mail and parcels until the industrial action ends.

28th May 2025
Guinea-Bissau Infrequent Dispatch Dispatch is infrequent and therefore longer transit times should be expected 6th January 2025
Guyana  Infrequent Dispatch Dispatch is twice a week 6th January 2025
Haiti Service Suspension

Due to the situation in the region currently and a number of flight cancellations we are not currently able to accept traffic for this destination.

Any items already posted and in the pipeline will be returned to sender.

6th January 2025
Iran Security Situation

Iran Post have informed us that all international airmail services have been suspended following the airstrike on the 13th June 2025.  

All ParcelForce services to Iran were suspended from 7pm on the 19th June 2025 until further notice.   

The situation is fluid and we will continue to provide further updates as we receive them.

20th June 2025
Japan Earthquake

Japan Post have updated that the situation has now improved after the impact of the earthquake in January but there is still a lot of rubble in certain areas which continues to effect their operation.

The postcode areas which remain affected are 9270000 – 9289999 and delays may be experienced as result.

13th February 2025
Kiribati

Infrequent Despatch 

Please note this service is infrequent and therefore customers should expect items to take between 2-3 months to reach their final destination.

6th January 2025
Laos Infrequent Dispatch 

Infrequent Dispatch
Dispatch is twice a week

6th January 2025
Morocco Import Warehouse Fire  Moroccan Post have informed us that due to a fire at an Import warehouse at the Airport on the 27th March 2025 delays are expected in the processing and delivery of inbound items until the situation returns to normal. 8th April 2025
Niue Service Availability We are no longer able to offer a Globalpriority service to Niue 13th July 2023
Panama Public Protest Panama Post have informed us that public protests are resulting in road closures across the country and are currently causing delays in the distribution and delivery of postal items. 8th May 2025
Somalia No Service There is currently no service to this country / territory. 28th March 2022
South Africa Delays  Please note that customers currently using our services to South Africa may experience delays. We are continuing to export as normal however are aware of extended processing times locally at present. We will provide further updates as they become available. 6th January 2025
South Sudan No Service There is currently no service to this country / territory. 28th March 2022
St Helena No Service There is currently no service to this country / territory. 15th May 2024
St Vincent & The Grenadines Infrequent Dispatch Dispatch is once a week 6th January 2025
Syria  No Service There is currently no service to this country / territory. 28th March 2022
Vanuatu Earthquake

Vanuatu Post have informed us that a 7.3-magnitude earthquake hit the country on 17 December 2024, disrupting Internet connectivity and flights.

The event has caused significant structural concerns at the Vanuatu Post Limited building and airports are temporarily closed for repairs with road access to international seaports blocked by landslides.

As Internet connectivity and electricity are currently down, processing and delivery delay can be expected until the situation recovers.

6th January 2025
Yemen No Service except for globalexpress to some locations 

Service is suspended until further notice for our globalpriority and globalvalue services. Parcels should not be accepted and if sent will be returned to sender.

However, Yemen currently can be reached via our globalexpress service.

28th March 2022


 

 

Imports into the UK

Last updated today at 7:00

Imports into the UK

We are processing both GLS and postal imports with traffic flowing in both cases. Whilst there have been some short-term delays, items where duties, taxes and charges need to be paid are being processed through the depot network and recipients will be notified accordingly.

Where import items and in particular GLS imports require customs clearance these are flowing through the network but can be subject to delay due to import documentation requirements.

Please note – if you are aware that your item is being held in one of our delivery depots awaiting payment of customs charges you are not required to wait for the charge letter to arrive. Please contact the depot holding the item to arrange payment of these as soon as possible. Depot details can be located here.

Service Advice/ Suspensions

Last updated today at 7:00

The table below shows the current advisory and suspended service changes in place outside the UK. These messages are reviewed regularly.

Last Reviewed: 28th April 2023
 
       
Service Temporarily Suspended globalbulk direct April 2023 We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Service Temporarily Suspended

europriorityimport 

April 2023
Recent changes in customs clearance processes mean that we continue to implement further system updates to support our europriorityimport service.
 
Our europriorityimport service will be temporarily unavailable from 18 January 2021 until these updates are completed. We will keep you updated on the progress of this.
 
Guidance on the required customs data and documentation can be found here.
 
We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Advisory

Return to Sender Process for Account Customers 

April 2023

We may need to return your parcels for one of the following reasons:

(1) Insufficient Customs data and/or export documentation provided.

(2) Sending Prohibited or Restricted Goods

(3) The item could not be delivered in destination country.