DHL is one of the top international shipping carriers for eCommerce, delivering millions of packages to its clients across the globe in more than 220 countries and territories.  

They offer a host of services for merchants at reasonable rates with impeccable delivery times, running smoothly throughout the year, during holidays, and even on weekends.

You're probably here because you're wondering: Does DHL deliver on holidays? They do deliver on most US holidays, but as with every courier, what's most important are the cut-off dates. If you're using DHL or thinking about it, then you'll want to make note of the major holidays on the schedule to make sure you properly plan and inform your customers of the cut-off dates.

If you’re thinking of using DHL for the first time, you can see how they stack up with the Easyship courier comparison tool and get a price quote with our shipping rates calculator.

DHL 2023 Holiday Schedule

To help you figure out whether DHL delivers on holidays, you need to understand the DHL 2022 cut-off schedule. Here is a rundown of the relevant DHL cut-off dates and the approximate shipping deadlines that you need to observe this year.

Labor Day: Monday, September 4 2023

This is an important statutory holiday that is meant to recognize and celebrate the contribution of workers. DHL offices will remain closed on this day, and normal pick-up and delivery services will remain suspended.

So, you need to plan accordingly to have your customers receive their packages before or on Saturday, September 2. Otherwise, they may have to wait until normal pick-up and delivery services will resume.

Here are the relevant DHL holiday shipping deadlines that you need to observe for Labor Day.

DHL ServiceEstimated Transit TimesShipping Deadlines
DHL Express Worldwide1-2 Business daysSeptember 1, 2023
DHL Economic Select1-5 Business daysAugust 31, 2023
DHL Domestic ExpressNext Business daySeptember 1, 2023

Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 24 2023

Americans mark this day with a festive feast to celebrate and give thanks for the autumn harvest. DHL offices will remain closed on this day, so no pickup or delivery service will be operational. To avoid inconveniences, make sure that you plan and ship accordingly to have your customers receive their items before November 24.

DHL ServiceEstimated Transit TimesShipping Deadlines
DHL Express Worldwide1-2 Business daysNovember 22, 2023
DHL Economic Select1-5 Business daysNovember 19, 2023
DHL Domestic ExpressNext Business dayNovember 23, 2023

Black Friday, November 25, 2023, and Cyber Monday, November 28, 2023

Black Friday is always the day after Thanksgiving, while Cyber Monday is always the following Monday. Both days are marked with a shopping spree, and there is usually a huge spike in online shopping and shipping. During this time, many eCommerce retailers offer major sales for a full 24 hours, or even throughout the weekends.

This year, the holiday shopping frenzy is expected to continue for a full week, until November 30. Without a doubt, this will be a busy time on the DHL holiday schedule, and their normal pick-up and delivery services will remain fully operational to cater to the spike in shipping demand.

Christmas Day: Monday, December 25, 2023

Christmas Day is one of the much-awaited times of the year, and it is celebrated with great pomp and circumstance in most parts of the world, including America. DHL offices will remain closed on this day and none of its normal mail services will be operational.

Pick up and deliver DHL services will operate until 16:30 on Christmas Eve, which is on December 24. So, ship accordingly to have your shipments arrive before or on December 24.

Here are the important DHL holiday deadlines you need to be aware of for Christmas Day.

DHL ServiceEstimated Transit TimesShipping Deadlines
DHL Express Worldwide1-2 Business daysDecember 22, 2023
DHL Economy Select1-5 Business daysDecember 18, 2023
DHL Domestic ExpressNext Business dayDecember 22, 2023
DSmartMail Expedited MaxUp to 8 daysDecember 16, 2023
SmartMail ExpeditedUp to 10 daysDecember 14, 2023
SmartMail GroundUp to 15 days December 09, 2023

Related post: FedEx Holiday Schedule

New Year's Day: Sunday, January 1, 2023

The new year is celebrated the world over. DHL, just like any other business, takes a break from its normal pick-up and delivery services to join the rest of the world in welcoming the new year.

The DHL holiday schedule shows that its offices will remain closed on this day, and all normal mail services will not be operational. However, its pick-up and delivery services will run normally on New Year's Eve, which will be on December 31.

Here are the important DHL holiday deadlines that you need to observe for New Year's Day.

DHL ServiceEstimated Transit TimesShipping Deadlines
DHL Express Worldwide1-2 Business daysDecember 28, 2023
DHL Economic Select1-5 Business daysDecember 26, 2023
DHL Domestic ExpressNext Business dayDecember 30, 2023
DSmartMail Expedited MaxUp to 8 daysDecember 24, 2023
SmartMail ExpeditedUp to 10 daysDecember 22, 2031
SmartMail GroundUp to 15 days December 18, 2023

DHL Holiday Hours

Here are the DHL holiday hours for Christmas Day and New Year's Day that you need to be aware of:

  • 24 December: Pick up and deliver until 16: 30. You can book a pick up until 15:00
  • 25 December: Closed
  • 26-30  December: Normal pick up & delivery
  • 31 December: pick up & deliver until 16:30. You can book pick up until 15:00
  • 1 January: Closed
  • From 02 January: Normal pick up and delivery

Valentine's Day: Monday, February 14, 2023

DHL's operations will be in full bloom this Valentine's Day. Regular DHL parcel delivery will be operating as normal on Valentine's Day.  If you opt for economy courier services, we recommend you send your Valentine's gifts a few days in advance to ensure it arrives on time.

You can plan to send your parcel to arrive by Valentines's Day using the Easyship Shipping Rates Calculator to receive an estimated delivery time for your shipment route.  

President's Day: Monday, February 20, 2023

DHL will be operating normally on President's Day this year. Since President's Day falls on a Monday, make sure you plan ahead to ensure your package arrives by February 21.

For reference, you'll want to give yourself at least 3-4 days (or more depending on the destination) to make sure your package arrives on time.

Memorial Day: Monday, May 29, 2023

This is a big day on the DHL holiday schedule. It is a special day in America set aside for commemorating veterans who have sacrificed their lives in military service. Since the DHL workforce joins in the celebrations, their offices will remain closed, and no pickup & delivery services will be running.

So, make sure that your packages are mailed ahead of time to arrive before or on Saturday, May 29.

Independence Day: Monday, July 4, 2023

DHL Express will not be delivering packages on Independence Day.

To ensure your packages arrive on time before this day, they will have to be shipped by Friday, July 1.

Ship Smart with DHL's 2023 Holiday Deadlines

There you have it! These are the relevant DHL holiday dates when their normal pick-up and delivery services will not be operational. To navigate these peak shipping times and avoid inconveniencing your customers, make sure that you plan early and align your buyer's shipping needs with the DHL holiday schedule.

You also need to factor in the Covid-19 situation in your shipping strategy and see how you can navigate shipping delays that may arise due to the coronavirus situation.

Visit the Easyship Covid-19 resource hub to get up-to-date news on how the coronavirus may impact various carriers during these major holidays.

Sign up for a free Easyship account to supercharge your shipping!


This article was updated on January 24 2023, to reflect new information.