How to get a letter from Santa
There are a few ways to get a letter from Santa: from a mailed North Pole postmark to instant print-at-home. Here’s how each one works, what it costs, and when you’ll have it in hand.
The three ways, compared
| Option | What it is | Cost | When you’ll have it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Print at home | Make a personalized letter online and print the PDF yourself. | Free | In minutes, any day, right up to Christmas Eve. |
| Mailed North Pole postmark | Write and sign the letter yourself, then mail it off to come back with a genuine North Pole postmark. | Cost of postage | A round-trip in the post; send it by early-to-mid December. |
| Paid mail-order letter | A company prints and ships a personalized letter to your home. | Around $10–$15 | Shipping time; order by the company’s December cutoff. |
Print at home: instant and free
The quickest way to get a letter from Santa is to make one yourself and print it at home. You pick Santa’s handwriting, add a few details about your child, and the print-ready PDF is emailed to you. There’s nothing to post and no deadline to miss, which makes it the only option that still works on Christmas Eve. Prefer not to write it? Santa’s helpers can write a one-of-a-kind letter for you.
The mailed North Pole postmark
Prefer the letter to arrive with a real postmark? Postmark programs are write-it-yourself: you write and sign the letter as Santa, then mail it off with postage, and it comes back stamped with a genuine North Pole postmark, a lovely touch if you have time to spare. The cutoff falls in early-to-mid December and the details change year to year, so check the current season’s instructions with the service you plan to use before you send.
Paid mail-order letters
Several companies will print a personalized letter (sometimes with extras like a Nice List certificate or a small gift) and ship it to your address. These are keepsake-quality but cost more, are usually US-only, and depend on shipping, so you’ll need to order well before the December cutoff to be safe.
Which should you choose?
- Need it today, or missed a deadline? Print one at home. It’s instant and free.
- Want a real postmark and have a couple of weeks? A mailed postmark program can stamp it from the North Pole.
- Want a keepsake mailed for you? A paid mail-order letter does the printing and posting.
Many families do both: print a letter at home now so it’s under the tree, and add a matching envelope and an Official Nice List certificate to make it a keepsake.
Common questions
How do you get a letter from Santa?
There are three common ways: mail your own letter off to come back with a North Pole postmark, order a printed letter from a paid service, or make one instantly and print it at home for free. Print-at-home is the fastest and has no mailing deadline.
How do you get a North Pole postmark on a letter?
Postmark programs are write-it-yourself: you write and sign the letter as Santa, then mail it off with postage before the early-to-mid December cutoff, and it comes back stamped from the North Pole. Check the current season’s instructions and dates with the service you plan to use.
What is the deadline to get a letter from Santa?
Mailed options have early-to-mid December cutoffs that change each year, so check the service you use. A print-at-home letter has no deadline at all: you can make and print one any time, right up to Christmas Eve.
Is there a free way to get a letter from Santa?
Yes. You can make a personalized letter from Santa and print it at home for free, with an optional matched keepsake set (a matching envelope and an Official Nice List certificate) from $4.99.
The fastest way? Print one now
No stamps, no shipping, no deadline. Make a personalized letter from Santa and print it at home in minutes, free.