Online shopping means parcels, and in the Netherlands sending and collecting them runs through PostNL points, shop counters and lockers rather than a traditional post office. Here is how each step works and the words you need.
Sending a parcel
To send (een pakket versturen), the usual route is:
- Buy a verzendlabel (shipping label) online via PostNL or DHL, getting a printout or QR code.
- Drop the parcel at a PostNL-punt, often a counter inside a supermarket (Albert Heijn), bookshop or kiosk, or at a parcel locker. Newcomer guides like IamExpat explain that these in-shop points have largely replaced the traditional post office.
You can also buy postage at the counter. Key words:
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| het pakket / pakje | parcel / small parcel |
| versturen / verzenden | to send |
| de afzender | sender |
| de ontvanger | recipient |
| het verzendlabel | shipping label |
| aangetekend | registered (tracked, signed-for) |
| de postzegel | stamp |
Send something valuable aangetekend so it is tracked and signed for; the Consumentenbond has advice on insuring and tracking parcels.
Collecting a parcel
When you are not home, parcels go to a pickup point or locker:
- A pakketpunt (pickup point): a staffed counter in a shop where you collect.
- A pakketautomaat / pakketkluis (parcel locker): a self-service locker you open with an afhaalcode (collection code) texted or emailed to you, sometimes plus ID.
So you rarely visit a dedicated post office; collection happens at shops and lockers. Bring the afhaalcode and a valid ID.
Missed delivery: the niet-thuis slip
If you miss the courier, you get a niet-thuis-bericht (a “sorry we missed you” slip) or an app message saying what happened:
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| bij de buren | left with the neighbours |
| naar een pakketpunt | taken to a pickup point |
| opnieuw bezorgen | redeliver |
| de bezorging | the delivery |
Reading these is its own small skill, covered in reading PostNL niet-thuis slips. The carrier app tracks where your pakket is.
Watch for two traps
- Customs costs on parcels from outside the EU: you may be asked for douanekosten, explained in why you should not overpay PostNL.
- Scam texts pretending to be PostNL asking for a small fee: a common fraud, see fake Tikkie and PostNL phishing. Real PostNL does not text you for random payments.
Where it connects
Parcels sit with the rest of delivery and admin life: reading the niet-thuis slip, avoiding the customs overcharge, spotting PostNL phishing, and your address and postcode.
The bottom line
To send, buy a verzendlabel online and drop the pakket at a PostNL-punt (often inside a supermarket); use aangetekend for anything valuable. To collect, go to a pakketpunt or pakketautomaat with your afhaalcode and ID. Missed it? Read the niet-thuis-bericht for whether it went bij de buren or to a point. Mind customs costs and PostNL scam texts, and the parcel system is easy.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the parcel and post-office vocabulary, versturen, ophalen, pakketpunt, afhaalcode, aangetekend, in five-minute lessons built on real PostNL points, so sending and collecting parcels is straightforward.
Frequently asked questions
How do I send a parcel in the Netherlands?
Usually you buy a verzendlabel (shipping label) online via PostNL or DHL, print it or get a QR code, then drop the parcel at a PostNL-punt (a counter, often inside a supermarket like Albert Heijn or a bookshop) or a parcel locker. You can also buy postage at the counter. Key words: een pakket versturen (send a parcel), de afzender (sender), de ontvanger (recipient), and het verzendlabel (shipping label).
What is a pakketpunt and a pakketautomaat?
A pakketpunt is a pickup/drop-off point, usually a staffed counter inside a shop, where you collect or hand in parcels. A pakketautomaat or pakketkluis is a self-service parcel locker: you open your compartment with an afhaalcode (collection code) sent by text or email, plus sometimes ID. Both are how most Dutch parcels are collected when you are not home, rather than a separate post office.
What happens if I miss a parcel delivery in the Netherlands?
The courier leaves a niet-thuis-bericht (a ‘sorry we missed you’ slip) or sends a message saying what happened: the parcel may be left with a neighbour (bij de buren), taken to a nearby pakketpunt, or a redelivery (opnieuw bezorgen) arranged. To collect from a point you usually need the slip or code plus a valid ID. The PostNL or carrier app tracks where your pakket is.
What is the best app to learn Dutch for post and deliveries?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches the parcel and delivery vocabulary you meet often, versturen, ophalen, pakketpunt, afhaalcode, niet-thuis, aangetekend, in five-minute real-situation lessons, so sending and collecting parcels in the Netherlands is straightforward.
