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, 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 2021 Holiday Schedule
To help you figure out whether DHL delivers on holidays, you need to understand the DHL 2021 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.
Memorial Day: Monday, May 31, 2021
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, 2021.
Here is the DHL holiday schedule for each service.
DHL Service | Estimated Transit Times | Shipping Deadlines | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DHL Express Worldwide | 1-2 Business days | Saturday, May 29, 2021 | |||
DHL Economy Select | 1-5 Business days | Monday, May 24, 2021 | |||
DHL Domestic Express | Next Business day | Saturday, May 29, 2021 |
Related: FedEx Holiday Schedule
Independence Day: Sunday, July 4, 2021
Normally, DHL offices remain closed on Sundays. Since Independence Day will be celebrated on a Sunday, it means that their Normal pick up and delivery services will remain suspended from July 3 to July 5.
Here are the DHL shipping deadlines you need to observe for Independence Day so that you can have your shipments arrive before or on Friday, July 2, 2021. Otherwise, they will not be delivered until July 6, when normal pick up and delivery services will resume.
DHL Service | Estimated Transit Times | Shipping Deadlines | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DHL Express Worldwide | 1-2 Business days | Thursday, July 1, 2021 | |||
DHL Economy Select | 1-5 Business days | Monday, June 28, 2021 | |||
DHL Domestic Express | Next Business day | Thursday, July 1, 2021 |
Labor Day: Monday, September 6
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 4. Otherwise, they may have to wait until September 7, when 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 Service | Estimated Transit Times | Shipping Deadlines | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DHL Express Worldwide | 1-2 Business days | September 2, 2021 | |||
DHL Economy Select | 1-5 Business days | August 31, 2021 | |||
DHL Domestic Express | Next Business day | September 2, 2021 |
Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 25
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 Service | Estimated Transit Times | Shipping Deadlines | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DHL Express Worldwide | 1-2 Business days | November 23, 2021 | |||
DHL Economy Select | 1-5 Business days | November 20, 2021 | |||
DHL Domestic Express | Next Business day | November 24, 2021 |
Black Friday, November 26, 2021, and Cyber Monday, November 29, 2021
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: Saturday, December 25, 2021
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.
But DHL services will remain fully operational 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 Service | Estimated Transit Times | Shipping Deadlines | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DHL Express Worldwide | 1-2 Business days | December 22, 2021 | |||
DHL Economy Select | 1-5 Business days | December 19, 2021 | |||
DHL Domestic Express | Next Business day | December 23, 2021 | |||
DSmartMail Expedited Max | Up to 8 days | December 17, 2021 | |||
SmartMail Expedited | Up to 10 days | December 15, 2021 | |||
SmartMail Ground | Up to 15 days | December 11, 2021 |
New Year's Day: Saturday, January 1, 2022
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, 2021.
Here are the important DHL holiday deadlines that you need to observe for New Year's Day.
DHL Service | Estimated Transit Times | Shipping Deadlines | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DHL Express Worldwide | 1-2 Business days | December 28, 2021 | |||
DHL Economy Select | 1-5 Business days | December 26, 2021 | |||
DHL Domestic Express | Next Business day | December 30, 2021 | |||
DSmartMail Expedited Max | Up to 8 days | December 24, 2021 | |||
SmartMail Expedited | Up to 10 days | December 22, 2021 | |||
SmartMail Ground | Up to 15 days | December 18, 2021 |
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 delivery 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 & delivery until 16:30. You can book pick up until 15:00
- 1 January: Closed
- From 02 January: Normal pick up and delivery
Ship Smart with DHL's 2021 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 as updated on February 5, 2021 to reflect new information.