Royal Mail Tracking
Royal Mail — the UK's universal postal service.
About Royal Mail
Royal Mail — established in 1516 — delivers to 32+ million UK addresses six days a week as the UK's universal service operator. Tracked services (Tracked 24/48, Special Delivery, and International Tracked/Signed) produce scan events; standard untracked mail shows delivery confirmation only on some services.
Royal Mail tracking number format
Reference numbers run 9–27 characters. Tracked international items use the 13-character UPU format ending GB (e.g. RN233127693GB).
| Format example |
|---|
RN 000 000 000 GB |
XX000000000GB |
These are the most common patterns — carriers use multiple formats by service. Unsure? Paste your number above and we'll detect the carrier for you.
How to track a Royal Mail package
- 01
Find your Royal Mail number
It's on your order confirmation or shipping email. Royal Mail numbers look like RN 000 000 000 GB.
- 02
Paste it above
Drop the number into the box — we'll recognise it as Royal Mail automatically.
- 03
Track in one timeline
See every scan from origin to delivery, plus an estimated arrival window.
- 04
Get delivery alerts
Opt into email or push notifications and we'll watch it until it arrives.
Royal Mail estimated delivery times
| Service | Typical delivery time |
|---|---|
| 1st Class | 1 business day (aim) |
| 2nd Class | 2–3 business days |
| Tracked 24 / 48 | 1 / 2 business days |
| Special Delivery Guaranteed | Next business day, timed |
| International Tracked (Europe) | 3–4 working days to major destinations |
Windows are typical, not guaranteed — customs, weather, and peak season can stretch them.
Common Royal Mail tracking statuses & what they mean
- “We have your item”
- The item was accepted and scanned into the Royal Mail network.
- “Item leaving the UK”
- For international mail, the item is at the export hub. After this, the destination country's postal partner takes over — tracking continues here.
- “Delivered by”
- Delivery is complete; tracked services usually include a timestamp and, for some, a photo or signature.
Royal Mail customer service
You can reach Royal Mail customer care at 0345 774 0740 (UK) or track on the official site at royalmail.com. For “where is my package?” questions, the timeline above usually answers faster than the phone queue.
Royal Mail tracking FAQ
Only tracked services (Tracked 24/48, Special Delivery, International Tracked/Signed) produce a full event history. Untracked services may show delivery confirmation but no in-transit scans.
After leaving the UK, international items are handed to the destination country's postal partner for final delivery. ParcelTracking follows the same number across that handoff.
0345 774 0740 from the UK (+44 345 600 0606 for business). Track above first — most 'where is it?' calls are answered by the scan timeline.