Letter to Santa: template, address and how to send it
Fill-in letter to Santa templates for three age groups, Royal Mail’s Reindeerland address, the 2026 closing date for a reply and other ways to send the letter, from the fireplace to the Elf on the Shelf.
A letter to Santa posted to Royal Mail’s Reindeerland address, with a stamp and a return address, can get a reply from Santa. This page has what to write, a fill-in template for three ages, the address, the 2026 closing date and other ways to send the letter, from the fireplace to the Elf on the Shelf. Christmas Eve boxes, Santa sacks and elf props for the same weeks are in our Kids & Elf collection.
What to write in a letter to Santa
The letters that read best follow the same order: who you are, how the year went, the wish list, something for someone else, then a thank you.
- Your address at the top, so Santa knows where to send the reply.
- “Dear Santa”, then the child’s name and age.
- A question for him: how the reindeer are, or what the elves are making this year.
- Something the child is proud of from this year, and one thing they will try to do better.
- A short wish list, asked politely. Three items is plenty, and whatever is on it has to fit in one Santa sack.
- A wish for someone else: a brother or sister, a grandparent, the dog.
- “Thank you”, the child’s full name, then a drawing or stickers if there is room.
Santa letter ideas beyond the wish list
- A thank you for last year’s favourite present, and what they did with it.
- A drawing of the house, the family or the pet, so Santa knows where he is going.
- A question about the North Pole: what the reindeer eat, or how the sleigh stays up.
- A promise for the new year, such as helping to lay the table.
- What will be waiting on the plate: a mince pie, a glass of milk and a carrot for Rudolph.
- In an Elf on the Shelf house, a line about what the elf has been up to.
Letter to Santa template for every age
Copy the version that matches your child’s writing stage onto plain paper or Christmas writing paper.
Under 5s: draw and trace
Write “Dear Santa” in pencil for your child to trace, then let them draw the presents they want. Write their words underneath exactly as they say them, and let them add their name in whatever letters they know.
Ages 5 to 7: fill in the blanks
Dear Santa,
My name is ________ and I am ____ years old.
How are Mrs Claus and the reindeer?
This year I am proud that I ________.
Next year I will try to ________.
For Christmas I would like:
1. ________
2. ________
3. ________
Please bring something for ________ too.
I will leave you a ________ and a carrot for Rudolph.
Love from ________
Ages 8 and over: a proper letter
Older children can write the whole thing in paragraphs: an opening with their news, the list with a reason for each item, a question for Santa and a sign-off. It doubles as letter-writing practice, and a parent can check the spelling before it goes in the envelope.
Where to send a letter to Santa in the UK
Royal Mail answers letters sent to this address:
Santa/Father Christmas
Santa’s Grotto
Reindeerland
XM4 5HQ
- Stamp: Royal Mail asks for a real stamp on the envelope.
- Return address: Royal Mail asks for the child’s full name and address on the back of the envelope. In 2021 it also asked children to put them in the letter, so write them in both places.
- Braille, large print and British Sign Language replies: for 2026, Royal Mail says they can be arranged by emailing santamail@royalmail.com.
- RNIB sends letters from Santa in braille, large print or audio to children with a vision impairment. For 2026 it takes requests on its website from Monday 28 September to Monday 30 November, earlier than Royal Mail’s closing date.
Royal Mail’s page only says that Santa will try to reply to as many children as possible, so keep a copy of the wish list at home.
Letter to Santa deadline: when to post for a reply
For 2026, Royal Mail asks for letters to Santa to be posted by Wednesday 9 December. The closing date changes from year to year, and in the years below it fell between 6 and 10 December.
| Christmas | Last day to post for a reply | Where the date was published |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 6 December | HuffPost UK |
| 2021 | Friday 10 December | Royal Mail press release |
| 2026 | Wednesday 9 December | Royal Mail’s Letters to Santa page |
When to write it in 2026
Advent Sunday, 29 November 2026, makes a good writing day. Post the letter on Monday 30 November or Tuesday 1 December and it goes in eight days or more before Royal Mail’s closing date. A braille, large print or audio letter from RNIB has to be requested by Monday 30 November. Cards and parcels have their own cut-off dates: see our last posting dates for Christmas.
What does Royal Mail do with letters to Santa?
Royal Mail and the Post Office before it have answered letters to Santa for more than 60 years. On 12 December 1963 the Post Office put out a press release in Santa’s name saying he could reply to letters that had a return address. It expected to send 5,000 replies that year and sent 7,500, in envelopes with a special Reindeerland postmark.
In 2021 Royal Mail said Santa receives hundreds of thousands of letters through its service; HuffPost UK put the figure at 800,000 a year in 2017. A Royal Mail team that the company calls Santa’s elves handles the letters and helps Santa reply.
Other ways to send a letter to Santa
- By the fireplace: leave the letter on the hearth overnight and make it vanish before morning. With a working fire, an adult can drop it in so the family watches the smoke go up the chimney.
- With the Elf on the Shelf: the official Elf on the Shelf blog says Scout Elves fly to the North Pole each night and can carry a letter to Santa.
- In person: hand it over at a Santa’s grotto, with a copy kept at home for the reply.
Getting a reply: free letters from Santa
The Royal Mail reply costs only the stamp. If you miss the deadline, or want a reply on Christmas Eve itself, write one yourself.
- Royal Mail: free reply for letters with a stamp and a full return address, posted by the closing date.
- RNIB: a braille, large print or audio letter for children with a vision impairment, requested on the RNIB website by the end of November.
- Your own reply: print it or disguise your writing. In the University of Exeter’s 2018 Santa survey, one respondent worked out the truth because Santa and their father had the same handwriting. Leave it in the child’s Christmas Eve box with the pyjamas and the hot chocolate.
- A family tradition: J.R.R. Tolkien wrote his children a letter from Father Christmas every year from 1920 to 1943, and the letters were published after his death, now as Letters from Father Christmas.
- A video message: Portable North Pole offers a free trial video from Santa; its longer videos, calls and live chats are paid Premium options.
- On Christmas Eve: the NORAD Tracks Santa website and its mobile apps follow his sleigh on 24 December, a natural moment to say the letter arrived.
Photograph the letter before it goes in the post box and keep the reply with the decorations. Ten years of letters show how the handwriting and the wish lists change.
On Christmas Eve itself, the letter routine ends with a mince pie on the plate and a tray of wildlife-safe reindeer food by the door. Gingerbread kits, elf outfits and the rest of the children’s Christmas are in our Kids and Elf range.
Elves Behavin' Badly
Girl elf with hat, red plush body and long legs, vinyl face, 30 cm
The Elf on the Shelf
Elf on the Shelf box set, girl Scout Elf with blue eyes and storybook
GLOW Wholesale
Set of 2 boy and girl Christmas elves, soft body, vinyl face, 30 cm
Frequently asked questions
What do I write in a letter to Santa?
Start with your address, then “Dear Santa”, your name and your age. Ask him a question, say what you are proud of this year, list two or three presents politely, add a wish for someone else and finish with a thank you and your full name.
How do I get a free letter from Santa?
Post a letter with a stamp to Santa/Father Christmas, Santa’s Grotto, Reindeerland, XM4 5HQ, with the child’s full name and address on the back of the envelope, by Royal Mail’s closing date: Wednesday 9 December in 2026. The reply is free, though Royal Mail only says Santa will try to answer as many children as possible. RNIB sends braille, large print or audio letters from Santa to children with a vision impairment, on request by 30 November 2026.
Where do you send letters to Santa in the UK?
To Royal Mail’s address for him: Santa/Father Christmas, Santa’s Grotto, Reindeerland, XM4 5HQ. Put a real stamp on the envelope and write the child’s full name and address on the back of it, as Royal Mail asks.
What does Royal Mail do with letters to Santa?
A Royal Mail team that the company calls Santa’s elves handles the letters and helps Santa reply to those that carry a stamp and a full return address and are posted by the closing date. Royal Mail’s page only promises that Santa will try to reply to as many children as possible. The scheme dates back to 1963, when the Post Office sent 7,500 replies in its first year.
Can children phone or video call Santa?
Royal Mail’s scheme works by post. For something to watch, Portable North Pole offers a free trial video message from Santa, with paid Premium videos and calls, and on 24 December the NORAD Tracks Santa website and apps show where his sleigh is.
What time does Santa reach the UK?
NORAD Tracks Santa follows him live on 24 December, so children can watch him cross the map towards the UK. The rule in most houses is that he only lands once everyone is asleep, which is the best argument for an early night on Christmas Eve.
Should you tell a 10 year old that Santa isn’t real?
Most have already worked it out: in the University of Exeter’s 2018 survey of 1,200 people, the average age for stopping believing was 8, and 65% said they played along after they knew. Ask what they think first, then give them a job, such as writing Santa’s reply to a younger brother or sister.
