How to get a letter from Santa
Three ways to get a letter from Santa, and the steps for each: make one free and print it at home, mail your own off for a North Pole postmark, or order a printed letter. Here’s how each works and when you’ll have it in hand.
Updated
The three ways, step by step
Print at home
- Make the letter in the letter writer and add your child’s details.
- Choose Santa’s handwriting.
- Download the PDF from your email.
- Print it on US Letter paper at 100% scale.
Mailed North Pole postmark
- Write and sign Santa’s reply yourself.
- Address the envelope and add postage.
- Check the program’s current cutoff, then mail it in time.
- Wait for it to come back with the postmark.
Paid mail-order letter
- Pick a service and compare delivery estimates.
- Order before its December cutoff.
- Wait for delivery to your home.
| 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 | Allow time for the round trip; check the program’s current cutoff. |
| Paid mail-order letter | A company prints and ships a personalized letter to your home. | Varies by seller, extras, and shipping | 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 postal cutoff, so you can make one on Christmas Eve. For a letter written by Santa’s helpers, the optional Santa’s Workshop pack is $12.99.
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 and instructions vary by program and year, so check the current season’s instructions with the service you plan to use before you send. Our guide to when to mail a letter to Santa lists what to check.
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. Prices, quality, delivery areas, and shipping times vary by seller. Confirm what is included and the delivery estimate for your address before ordering.
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.
If you choose our print-at-home letter, the optional $4.99 North Pole Experience adds a matching envelope and an Official Nice List certificate, plus the stationery collection and editable wording.
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 program’s published 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 cutoffs that vary by service, destination, and 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 North Pole Experience set (a matching envelope and an Official Nice List certificate) for $4.99.
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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.