A stern official Dutch letter arrives, and it is a fine. In the Netherlands, traffic fines come from the CJIB, and while expats sometimes call it “the purple letter,” the truly famous coloured envelope is the blue one from the tax office, fines are their own thing. Here is how to read a CJIB letter and deal with it calmly.
What the CJIB is
The CJIB (Centraal Justitieel Incassobureau) is the agency that collects traffic fines. As the CJIB’s own page on traffic-fine procedures explains and iamexpat covers on traffic fines, minor offences like speeding or running a red light (often caught by a camera, a flitser) are handled administratively, no court involved. The letter states the offence and the amount, and often carries an “M” marking in the top-right corner.
How to pay
You have eight weeks to pay. The letter gives you options:
| Method | Dutch | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Scan the QR code | QR-code | Pay by card |
| Bank transfer | Overboeken | Use the CJIB reference number |
| Instalments | Betalingsregeling | Usually for fines over 75 euros |
Always include the unique CJIB reference number on a transfer so it is matched to your case. The CJIB runs an English-language site for international payments.
Do not ignore it
This is the key warning. If you do not pay on time, the amount climbs: a first reminder raises it to 1.5 times the original, a second to three times, and it escalates from there. A camera fine does not quietly vanish. So pay, or formally object, within the deadline.
Fines follow you across borders
Do not assume a foreign plate or leaving the country makes a fine disappear. The Netherlands exchanges traffic-fine data with other EU countries, so a camera fine can reach you at home, and an unpaid one can resurface if you return. Treat a CJIB letter as real wherever you are, and use its English-language payment site rather than ignoring it.
Objecting
If you genuinely disagree, you can object (in beroep gaan) to the Public Prosecutor, as the government’s page on appealing a traffic penalty sets out. If you lodge an appeal, you do not have to pay while it is considered. The words: boete (fine), overtreding (offence), kenteken (licence plate), bezwaar / beroep (objection / appeal), betalingsregeling (payment plan). This is the same officialese as an incassobureau debt letter and the blue-envelope tax mail, and it sits beside other surprise charges like the OV instaptarief when you forget to check out. If you also collect parcels, see reading a PostNL missed-delivery slip.
The bottom line
A CJIB letter is a traffic fine, not a court summons, and not the blue tax envelope. Read the offence and amount, pay within eight weeks (QR, transfer with the reference, or instalments), or formally object if you disagree. Above all, do not ignore it: reminders multiply the cost to 1.5x then 3x. Handle it promptly and a fine stays just a fine.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the formal Dutch of fines and official mail, the words for offences, deadlines, and objections, by real situation in five-minute lessons, so you can read a CJIB letter, judge it, and pay or appeal correctly instead of panicking.
Frequently asked questions
What is a CJIB letter in the Netherlands?
The CJIB (Centraal Justitieel Incassobureau) is the agency that collects traffic fines. A letter from it is usually a fine (boete), for example a speeding or red-light offence caught by a camera. Minor traffic offences are handled administratively, without a court: the CJIB sends the fine, states the offence and amount, and you pay or object within the deadline.
How do I pay a Dutch traffic fine from the CJIB?
Pay within eight weeks. The letter has a QR code you can scan to pay by card, plus an IBAN and a unique CJIB payment reference for bank transfers, always include that reference. The CJIB has an English-language website for international payments. Fines over 75 euros can usually be paid in instalments; check the letter for options.
What happens if I don’t pay a CJIB fine on time?
It gets more expensive. You receive up to two reminders: the first raises the amount to 1.5 times the original, the second to three times. Ignoring it further can lead to enforcement. So pay or formally object within the deadline; do not let a CJIB letter sit, and never assume an unpaid camera fine simply disappears.
What is the best app to learn Dutch for official letters and fines?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches the formal Dutch of fines and official mail, the words for offences, deadlines, and objections, by real situation in five-minute lessons, so you can read a CJIB letter, judge it, and pay or appeal correctly instead of panicking.
