Are you too late to send Christmas gifts in the post?

With Christmas cut-off dates for international and domestic mail, make sure your gifts make it in time for Christmas. Photo / Getty.

Christmas shopping is synonymous with madness. And while you may have gotten in early and avoided the crowds at your local mall, have you got those gifts for family and friends living afar in the post yet?

With the big day just around the corner, New Zealand Post has released the sending and delivery dates for international and internal mail over the Christmas period.

NZ Post Service Delivery Chief Operating Officer, Ashley Smout recommends people check mailing deadlines and delivery targets for all postal products.

"A little planning will go a long way in making sure postal items arrive when they need to over the festive season.

"It pays to allow one to two extra working days for delivery when sending mail over the Christmas and New Year period because of the statutory holidays," said Smout.

Although the last day to pay YouShop postage for delivery from USA, UK & China was Monday December there are still several options.

Here's what you need to know to make sure your gifts arrive on time.

Domestic mail

• All Standard Post, ParcelPost, ParcelPost Tracked mail within New Zealand must be sent by Tuesday, December 20.

• For FastPost, Courier Parcel, Courier and Signature Parcel the cut off is Thursday, December 22.

International mail

• International Air to Australia: Wednesday, December 7.

• International Courier to Australia: Monday, December 12.

• International Courier to South Pacific, Asia, North America, UK and Europe: Friday, December 9.

• International Express Courier to Australia: Wednesday, December 14.

• International Express Courier to South Pacific, Asia, North America, UK & Europe: Monday, December 12.

• International Express Courier to rest of the world: Friday, December 9.

When sending mail over the Christmas period you should allow one or two extra days. Photo / Getty.

Posties will not be delivering mail over the four statutory holidays, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Day and January 2.

For a full list of the sending dates for Christmas head New Zealand Post website here.