diff --git a/smash/web/models/mail_template.py b/smash/web/models/mail_template.py
index 5d6e081bcf38a7f96834546549dc4f961e030407..d4f72d1867a4de358b55957fbf9cb3686f40b960 100644
--- a/smash/web/models/mail_template.py
+++ b/smash/web/models/mail_template.py
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ DATE_FORMAT_TIME = "%H:%M"
 now = datetime.datetime.now()
 
 
+def date_format_encoding():
+    return locale.getlocale(locale.LC_TIME)[1] or locale.getpreferredencoding()
+
+
 @contextmanager
 def setlocale(name):
     saved = locale.setlocale(locale.LC_TIME)
@@ -31,9 +35,14 @@ def setlocale(name):
         locale.setlocale(locale.LC_TIME, saved)
 
 
+def get_formatted_time(time_format):
+    return now.strftime(time_format).decode(date_format_encoding())
+
+
 class MailTemplate(models.Model):
     MAILS_TEMPLATE_GENERIC_TAGS = [
-        ("##DATE_FULL##", "Current date when the mail will be generated (long format)", now.strftime(DATE_FORMAT_FULL)),
+        ("##DATE_FULL##", "Current date when the mail will be generated (long format)",
+         get_formatted_time(DATE_FORMAT_FULL)),
         ("##DATE_SHORT##", "Current date when the mail will be generated (short format)",
          now.strftime(DATE_FORMAT_SHORT)),
         ("##WORKER##", "The full name of the currently logged in user", "")
@@ -49,7 +58,7 @@ class MailTemplate(models.Model):
         ("##S_COUNTRY##", "Subject's country of residence", ""),
         ("##S_SEX##", "Subject's gender", "Male/Female"),
         ("##S_TYPE##", "Subject's type", "CONTROL/PATIENT"),
-        ("##S_DATE_BORN##", "Subject's date of birth", now.strftime(DATE_FORMAT_SHORT)),
+        ("##S_DATE_BORN##", "Subject's date of birth", get_formatted_time(DATE_FORMAT_SHORT)),
 
         ("##S_EMAIL##", "Subject's email address", ""),
         ("##S_PHONE_NUMBER##", "Subject's phone number", ""),
@@ -63,20 +72,20 @@ class MailTemplate(models.Model):
         ("##S_DIAGNOSIS_YEAR##", "Subject's year of diagnosis", ""),
         ("##S_MPOWER_ID##", "Subject's mPower identifier", ""),
         ("##S_ND_NUMBER##", "Subject's ND number", ""),
-        ("##S_DATE_ADDED##", "Subject's date of creation", now.strftime(DATE_FORMAT_SHORT)),
+        ("##S_DATE_ADDED##", "Subject's date of creation", get_formatted_time(DATE_FORMAT_SHORT)),
     ]
 
     MAILS_TEMPLATE_VISIT_TAGS = [
-        ("##V_DATE_START_FULL##", "Visit's start date", now.strftime(DATETIME_FORMAT)),
-        ("##V_DATE_START_SHORT##", "Visit's start date", now.strftime(DATE_FORMAT_SHORT)),
-        ("##V_DATE_ENDS_FULL##", "Visit's end date", now.strftime(DATETIME_FORMAT)),
-        ("##V_DATE_ENDS_SHORT##", "Visit's end date", now.strftime(DATE_FORMAT_SHORT)),
+        ("##V_DATE_START_FULL##", "Visit's start date", get_formatted_time(DATETIME_FORMAT)),
+        ("##V_DATE_START_SHORT##", "Visit's start date", get_formatted_time(DATE_FORMAT_SHORT)),
+        ("##V_DATE_ENDS_FULL##", "Visit's end date", get_formatted_time(DATETIME_FORMAT)),
+        ("##V_DATE_ENDS_SHORT##", "Visit's end date", get_formatted_time(DATE_FORMAT_SHORT)),
     ]
 
     MAILS_TEMPLATE_APPOINTMENT_TAGS = [
-        ("##A_DATE_FULL##", "Appointment's date and time", now.strftime(DATETIME_FORMAT)),
-        ("##A_DATE_SHORT##", "Appointment's date", now.strftime(DATE_FORMAT_SHORT)),
-        ("##A_TIME##", "Appointment's time", now.strftime(DATE_FORMAT_TIME)),
+        ("##A_DATE_FULL##", "Appointment's date and time", get_formatted_time(DATETIME_FORMAT)),
+        ("##A_DATE_SHORT##", "Appointment's date", get_formatted_time(DATE_FORMAT_SHORT)),
+        ("##A_TIME##", "Appointment's time", get_formatted_time(DATE_FORMAT_TIME)),
         ("##A_FLYING_TEAM##", "Appointment's flying team location", ""),
         ("##A_LOCATION##", "Appointment's location", "value can be 'Flying Team'"),
         ("##A_LOCATION_OR_FLYINGTEAM##", "Appointment's real location",
@@ -150,8 +159,8 @@ class MailTemplate(models.Model):
     def _add_generic_replacements(self, replacements, worker):
         current_datetime = datetime.datetime.now()
         replacements.update({
-            "##DATE_FULL##": current_datetime.strftime(DATE_FORMAT_FULL),
-            "##DATE_SHORT##": current_datetime.strftime(DATE_FORMAT_SHORT),
+            "##DATE_FULL##": current_datetime.strftime(DATE_FORMAT_FULL).decode(date_format_encoding()),
+            "##DATE_SHORT##": current_datetime.strftime(DATE_FORMAT_SHORT).decode(date_format_encoding()),
             "##WORKER##": unicode(worker)
         })
 
@@ -164,9 +173,12 @@ class MailTemplate(models.Model):
                 worker_phone_number = ""
                 worker_email_address = ""
             if appointment.datetime_when is not None:
-                appointment_date_full = appointment.datetime_when.strftime(DATETIME_FORMAT)
-                appointment_date_short = appointment.datetime_when.strftime(DATE_FORMAT_SHORT)
-                appointment_date_time = appointment.datetime_when.strftime(DATE_FORMAT_TIME)
+                appointment_date_full = appointment.datetime_when.strftime(DATETIME_FORMAT).decode(
+                    date_format_encoding())
+                appointment_date_short = appointment.datetime_when.strftime(DATE_FORMAT_SHORT).decode(
+                    date_format_encoding())
+                appointment_date_time = appointment.datetime_when.strftime(DATE_FORMAT_TIME).decode(
+                    date_format_encoding())
             else:
                 appointment_date_full = appointment_date_short = appointment_date_time = ""
             replacements.update({
@@ -188,16 +200,17 @@ class MailTemplate(models.Model):
     def _add_visit_replacements(self, replacements, visit):
         if visit is not None:
             replacements.update({
-                "##V_DATE_START_FULL##": visit.datetime_begin.strftime(DATETIME_FORMAT),
-                "##V_DATE_START_SHORT##": visit.datetime_begin.strftime(DATE_FORMAT_SHORT),
-                "##V_DATE_ENDS_FULL##": visit.datetime_end.strftime(DATETIME_FORMAT),
-                "##V_DATE_ENDS_SHORT##": visit.datetime_end.strftime(DATE_FORMAT_SHORT),
+                "##V_DATE_START_FULL##": visit.datetime_begin.strftime(DATETIME_FORMAT).decode(date_format_encoding()),
+                "##V_DATE_START_SHORT##": visit.datetime_begin.strftime(DATE_FORMAT_SHORT).decode(
+                    date_format_encoding()),
+                "##V_DATE_ENDS_FULL##": visit.datetime_end.strftime(DATETIME_FORMAT).decode(date_format_encoding()),
+                "##V_DATE_ENDS_SHORT##": visit.datetime_end.strftime(DATE_FORMAT_SHORT).decode(date_format_encoding()),
             })
 
     def _add_subject_replacements(self, replacements, study_subject):
         if study_subject is not None:
             if study_subject.subject.date_born is not None:
-                date_born = study_subject.subject.date_born.strftime(DATE_FORMAT_SHORT)
+                date_born = study_subject.subject.date_born.strftime(DATE_FORMAT_SHORT).decode(date_format_encoding())
             else:
                 date_born = None
             replacements.update({
@@ -208,7 +221,7 @@ class MailTemplate(models.Model):
                 "##S_CITY##": study_subject.subject.city,
                 "##S_COUNTRY##": unicode(study_subject.subject.country),
                 "##S_DIAGNOSIS_YEAR##": study_subject.year_of_diagnosis,
-                "##S_DATE_ADDED##": study_subject.date_added.strftime(DATE_FORMAT_SHORT),
+                "##S_DATE_ADDED##": study_subject.date_added.strftime(DATE_FORMAT_SHORT).decode(date_format_encoding()),
                 "##S_DATE_BORN##": date_born,
                 "##S_DIAGNOSIS##": study_subject.diagnosis,
                 "##S_EMAIL##": study_subject.subject.email,
diff --git a/smash/web/tests/test_process_file.py b/smash/web/tests/test_process_file.py
index d7ef2bb4270ce3e6f845d01b0bc916f2b17be670..61b32c416309e0440feb08020853b6545727dbb6 100644
--- a/smash/web/tests/test_process_file.py
+++ b/smash/web/tests/test_process_file.py
@@ -1,14 +1,18 @@
 import datetime
 import locale
+import logging
+import os
 import platform
 import tempfile
 
-import os
 from django.test import TestCase
 
-from functions import get_resource_path
+from web.tests.functions import get_resource_path
+from web.models.mail_template import date_format_encoding
 from web.docx_helper import process_file
 
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
 
 class TestDocxProcessor(TestCase):
     def test_process_file(self):
@@ -26,7 +30,7 @@ class TestDocxProcessor(TestCase):
             "##ADDRESS2##": "61-234, Poznan",
             "##COUNTRY##": "POLAND",
             "##CONTENT##": "1",
-            "##DATE##": datetime.datetime.now().date().strftime("%A %d %B %Y"),
+            "##DATE##": datetime.datetime.now().date().strftime("%A %d %B %Y").decode(date_format_encoding()),
         }
         process_file(template_path, output_path, changes)
         self.assertTrue(os.path.isfile(output_path))
diff --git a/smash/web/tests/test_statistics.py b/smash/web/tests/test_statistics.py
index 92e19cf5a8dbfe588ae20a1a311197617e392c2c..af58590938e9870239cbfb1eb38c477e71b785b1 100644
--- a/smash/web/tests/test_statistics.py
+++ b/smash/web/tests/test_statistics.py
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class TestStatistics(TestCase):
         statistics = self.statistics_manager.get_statistics_for_month(self.now.month, self.now.year)
         self.check_statistics(statistics, 0, 0, 1, {"C": [1, 1]}, ['Scheduled'])
 
-        statistics = self.statistics_manager.get_statistics_for_month(self.visit_end.month, self.now.year)
+        statistics = self.statistics_manager.get_statistics_for_month(self.visit_end.month, self.visit_end.year)
         self.check_statistics(statistics, 0, 1, 0, {"C": [0, 0]}, ['Scheduled'])
 
     def test_get_statistics_for_month_one_appointment_visit(self):