How to Send a Parcel to The Netherlands From the UK

The Netherlands is a major UK export market and one of the most digitally mature economies in Europe. It’s a fantastic entry point for retailers embarking on a cross-border expansion strategy, thanks to its small geography, high disposable income and exceptional internet penetration.

Here’s everything you need to know about shipping to the Netherlands as a retailer in 2026.

Why the Netherlands should be your next cross-border expansion target

The Netherlands may be a small country with a population of just 18.4 million. But it’s a highly sophisticated economy, with excellent internet penetration and a customer base that loves shopping online.

Here are the stats worth knowing:

• The Dutch ecommerce market was worth €36 billion in 2024, up 5% on the previous year, according to the Thuiswinkel Markt Monitor.

• 99% of the Dutch population uses the internet, and 81% aged 12 and over shopped online in 2024. Among those aged 25 to 45, that figure rose to 94%.

• The Dutch B2C ecommerce market is forecast to reach $59.95 billion by 2029

In terms of product categories, the largest growth areas are clothing, home and garden, and shoes.

Dutch shoppers love online marketplaces, making them a sensible entry point for UK brands seeking a foothold in the country. Some of the most popular platforms include:

• Bol.com – the dominant Dutch marketplace, with around 13.7 million active customers and 46,500 marketplace sellers.

• Amazon.nl – launched in 2020 and growing steadily, though still a distant second to Bol.

• Coolblue – a strong domestic player, particularly in electronics.

• Albert Heijn – the Netherlands' leading supermarket, dominant in online grocery.

• Marktplaats and Wehkamp – long-established platforms still pulling significant traffic.

Whether you use your own platform or sell through the sites above, you’ll want to update payment options for the Dutch market.

iDEAL, an interbank system that lets shoppers pay directly from their Dutch bank accounts, is the dominant online payment method in the country. If your checkout doesn't offer iDEAL, you could lose a significant share of Dutch traffic before they ever reach the payment page.

Key dates to know in the Dutch retail calendar

Public and retail holidays in the Netherlands are similar to those in the UK, although there are a couple of unique dates to watch out for:

• Sinterklaas (5 December) — the biggest gift-giving occasion in the Netherlands, even bigger than Christmas Day for traditional present-exchanging. The peak shipping window runs through November as a result.

• Black Friday and Cyber Monday — significant and growing shopping holidays, though still secondary to Sinterklaas.

• Christmas and New Year — major but smaller in commercial terms than Sinterklaas.

• King's Day / Koningsdag (27 April) — national celebration of the King's birthday. Strong demand for orange merchandise.

• Easter — public holidays affecting delivery windows.

• Liberation Day (5 May) — public holiday every year, with major celebrations every fifth year.

• Ascension and Whit Monday — moveable public holidays in May and June.

The Dutch take their public holidays seriously. Courier networks are noticeably slower on bank holidays, so you’ll need to plan delivery windows accordingly.

How long does shipping to the Netherlands take?

For UK retailers using a major cross-border carrier, standard services take 2–3 working days, while express services take 1–2 working days.

The Netherlands' compact geography and excellent road infrastructure mean that once your parcel clears UK export and Dutch import customs, final-mile delivery is fast.

What customs documentation do you need for the Netherlands?

Since Brexit, all UK-to-Netherlands shipments require full customs documentation. You'll need:

• A commercial invoice. This must include a full description of the parcel’s contents, its value, the sender, the recipient and Incoterms.

• An EORI number. This is your unique trader identifier for EU customs.

• Commodity codes (HS codes). Make sure to apply the correct HS codes for each product, as they are used to determine duty and VAT rates.

• CN22 or CN23 forms. For postal shipments, a CN22 is required for items under £270, and a CN23 plus an SP126 wallet is required for items over £270.

The Netherlands has efficient customs processing compared to many EU member states, but accuracy still matters. Documentation errors are the single biggest cause of delays.

DDP or DDU: Which Incoterm should you use to ship to the Netherlands?

As with all cross-border eCommerce deliveries, retailers must choose between Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) and Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU) Incoterms.

Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU) means that Dutch customers will pay VAT and any additional customs before receiving the parcel. Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) means you, the retailer, collect and pay all duties and VAT in advance.

The Dutch, like almost all European online shoppers, have a low tolerance for surprise charges. Additional payments requested before delivery are likely to result in returns, refund requests and one-star reviews.

With that in mind, it’s best practice to send parcels under the Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) Incoterm.

When it comes to paying VAT, the Netherlands applies a standard VAT rate of 21%. If you’re sending goods valued at €150 or less, the Import One-Stop Shop (IOSS) is by far the most efficient way to pay it.

With an IOSS registration:

• You charge customers VAT at the point of sale

• You file a single monthly VAT return covering all EU shipments

• Your customers receive their parcels without unexpected VAT charges at the door

For shipments over €150, standard import VAT and duty apply at the border.

How to address a parcel to the Netherlands

The Dutch have a very straightforward address format, similar to that of the UK. It should include the recipient’s name, street name and house number, postcode and city. End the address with NETHERLANDS in capital letters.

Here’s an example:

Jan de Vries

Damrak 80

1012 LM Amsterdam

NETHERLANDS

There are two variations from British addresses to watch out for. The house number comes after the street name, and the postcode comes before the city.

Which carriers ship to the Netherlands?

There are several Dutch final-mile partners you can use for the last leg of your delivery. The main players include:

• PostNL – the dominant national carrier with around two-thirds of the domestic parcel market and roughly 3,500 collection points across the country.

• DHL eCommerce Netherlands – the number two carrier in the country, holding around 35% of the Dutch logistics market with a particular strength in international shipments.

• DPD Netherlands – the third major player, particularly strong on European cross-border deliveries and known for its Predict service, which gives customers a one-hour delivery window.

• GLS Netherlands – a significant player particularly for B2B and SME shipments, with strong coverage across Europe. GLS offers reliable parcel delivery and a growing network of ParcelShops for collection and drop-off.

• Instabee – a parcel locker now operating more than 1,000 lockers nationwide.

• Homerr – a sustainability-focused Dutch player that delivers via a network of local pick-up points rather than door-to-door.

There’s no need to rely on just one of these carriers, however. At Pro Carrier, our global network of final-mile partners means we can find the right carrier for each shipment based on destination, service level and cost. That way, you’re never locked into a single provider.

How to track Dutch deliveries

Dutch consumers expect transparent, real-time tracking with notifications in their local language. Almost all of the carriers operating in the country provide tracking portals, but the customer experience varies considerably.

But there’s a better way to update your customers. Horizon, our cross-border eCommerce solution, provides your customers with at least six Dutch-language tracking notifications throughout the parcel’s journey.

It also includes fully branded tracking and returns portals, allowing you to deliver a seamless customer experience and bespoke reporting so you can stay on top of every delivery.

Send parcels to the Netherlands the easy way with Pro Carrier

Shipping to the Netherlands is one of the easier cross-border journeys for UK retailers, but doing it well still requires the right setup.

Pro Carrier's eCommerce service gives UK retailers access to a network of trusted Dutch final-mile partners, a single-label shipping process and a raft of other services that reduce the complexity of shipping across borders.

Whether you're testing the Dutch market or scaling an established operation, speak to an expert today to find out how we can help.