There are two ways to send a Christmas present to a grandchild in Australia. You can post it yourself from the UK with a customs form, or order from a shop that delivers to Australia and have it sent straight to them.
We reckon the second is easier, and a personalised book suits it well because it’s made for one child. You order it here, and we send it straight to them.
If you’re still choosing, our guide to personalised Christmas gifts for kids goes through ideas by age. This piece is about getting the present there.
The short version
- Posting it yourself means Royal Mail, a customs declaration and a check of the list of things you can’t send.
- Ordering it to their door means finding a shop that delivers to Australia and lets you send to an address that isn’t yours.
- Check Royal Mail’s and Australia Post’s own Christmas pages before you post or order, because the dates change every year.
- Send something flat, unbreakable and not edible, that suits a summer Christmas.
Posting a present yourself from the UK
Every parcel you post to Australia needs a customs declaration. Royal Mail says all items sent abroad from the UK need customs documents, with a detailed, itemised description of what’s inside (Royal Mail, 2026).
You can get the forms at a Post Office or online. If you buy postage online through Royal Mail’s Click & Drop, the customs label is created for you as part of the order.
Customs in Australia use that paperwork to check what’s allowed in and whether any duty or tax is due, Royal Mail says. So describe each item clearly, and check Australia’s own customs rules if you’re unsure.
Some things can’t go at all. Royal Mail’s Australia guide lists perishable food, such as fresh fruit, and hazardous items, including aerosols, lighters and fireworks. It also bans the paper tubes with a snap inside that get pulled at Christmas dinner, so leave those out.
Address it the Australian way. The guide asks for the town or suburb, the state or territory and the four-digit postcode on one line in capitals, with AUSTRALIA in capitals on the last line.
When to post or order
Check the carriers’ own Christmas pages before you post or order, because the cut-off dates change every year. That’s why we don’t give dates here.
Royal Mail’s Christmas page asks anyone sending abroad to post as early as possible. It points to the delivery aims in its country guides, so look up Australia there.
If the present’s being sent from inside Australia, Australia Post’s Christmas dates are listed state by state. When you’re ordering from a shop, check its delivery page before you pay.
What makes a good present to send to Australia
The presents that travel well are flat, light and hard to break, and they stay clear of the customs list. Books, clothes, puzzles and art supplies all fit.
Think about the weather as well. Christmas in Australia falls in summer, so the fleecy pyjamas you’d pick for a grandchild in Manchester won’t get much wear in Brisbane. Swimmers, a sun hat or a book for an afternoon in the shade make more sense.
Then think about what lasts. Sweets get eaten and toys get lost, but a book with their name in it and a message from you stays on the shelf. When you live on the other side of the world, that matters more than usual.
Ordering online and sending it straight to them
Ordering online and having the shop deliver to your grandchild saves you a trip to the Post Office. You won’t need a customs form, and the parcel never comes through your house.
Before you buy, look for three things on the shop’s site. It should deliver to Australia, let you send to a different country from your billing address, and let you add a gift message. If the site doesn’t say, ask before you order.
A book that’s made for a grandchild in Australia
Every one of our books is printed to order for one child. For Australian orders, your book is printed locally in Australia. We’ll also deliver to a different country from your billing address, so it goes from us straight to your grandchild.
My Way Home has a version for Australia. It takes your grandchild around the world and back to their own home town and country, and it’s made for ages 0 to 9.
There are eight characters to choose from, so they can pick the one that looks most like them. For a grandparent a long way off, a story that ends in their own home town feels right.
If they’re under five, More Than I Can Count is a counting adventure that shows a child how loved they are. That’s a lovely thing to get from a grandparent.
Write a message they’ll keep
You can add a personal message, and we’ll print it into the front of the book for free. Keep it short and tell them where it’s come from. Here are two examples:
- ‘For Ruby in Perth, with love from Grandma and Grandad in Leeds. We’ll be reading along with you.’
- ‘Happy Christmas, Jack. Find Teddy on every page, then tell us where he was hiding. Nana x’
Read it together on a call
Make the free personalised digital edition too, and read it with them on a video call. It’s a nice way to share Christmas morning, even when one of you is still in bed.
If you’ve got a question about sending a book to Australia, or anything else on this page, get in touch and we’ll help.
How The Kids Book Company helps
We ship anywhere in the world, so you can order from the UK, add your message and have the book delivered to your grandchild in Australia.
Every title also has a free personalised digital edition through the Free Book Project. You can make one in under five minutes with no credit card, and see their name in the story before you choose.
Create their free book.
Related questions
Do I need a customs form to send a present to Australia?
Yes, if you’re posting it yourself. Every item sent abroad from the UK needs customs documents, Royal Mail says, with a clear description of what’s inside. Buying postage online through Click & Drop creates the customs label for you.
What can’t you post to Australia from the UK?
Royal Mail won’t take perishable food, like fresh fruit or chilled food, or hazardous items such as aerosols, lighters and fireworks. Its Australia guide has the full list, along with a link to Australia’s own rules on prohibited and restricted goods.
Can I send homemade food to Australia for Christmas?
Check before you bake. Fresh and chilled food can’t go by Royal Mail, and Australia has its own rules on what food it lets in. The Royal Mail guide for Australia links to those rules, so read them before you post anything edible.
How do I address a parcel to Australia?
Put the name and street address first. Then write the town or suburb, the state or territory and the four-digit postcode on one line in capitals, with AUSTRALIA in capitals on the last line.
