You order something from outside the EU, and instead of a parcel, you get a bill: PostNL wants extra money before they’ll deliver. It feels like a scam (you already paid!). It usually isn’t, but you also shouldn’t pay twice. Here is what douanekosten are, what they’re made of, and how to reclaim what you don’t owe.
What the charge is: inklaringskosten
A parcel from outside the EU triggers inklaringskosten (customs clearance costs). As PostNL explains receiving a parcel from abroad, these are the tax and handling due on importing goods, collected from you (by PostNL, DHL or DPD) before or at delivery. It’s not a scam, it’s the import system.
What it’s made of
The bill has up to three parts, as the Belastingdienst/Douane sets out the extra costs on non-EU orders:
| Dutch | What it is |
|---|---|
| BTW | VAT (usually 21%; 9% on books/magazines) |
| invoerrechten | import duty (generally on parcels over 150 euros) |
| afhandelingskosten | the carrier’s handling fee |
The afhandelingskosten are the carrier’s charge for advancing the tax and clearing the parcel. At PostNL, that’s roughly 4 euros (paid online) for a parcel under 150 euros, around 10 euros for higher-value parcels, and more if you pay at a PostNL-punt.
Don’t pay twice: reclaiming
Here is the part that saves you money. You can be charged wrongly, and you can get it back. As the Douane explains reclaiming extra costs, if you were charged VAT or duty you didn’t owe, for example you already paid VAT at the webshop’s checkout, or it was a genuine low-value gift, you can reclaim it via the Douane. PostNL has been flagged for charging VAT incorrectly, so it’s worth checking, keep your orderbevestiging (order confirmation) and the customs paperwork.
The vocabulary
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| douanekosten | customs costs |
| inklaringskosten | clearance costs |
| invoerrechten | import duty |
| afhandelingskosten | handling fee |
| terugvragen | to reclaim |
| orderbevestiging | order confirmation |
Where it connects
Customs charges are part of the everyday-admin Dutch of receiving parcels, alongside reading the PostNL niet-thuis (missed delivery) slip, and the consumer-rights world of knowing your warranty and returns. Like a verborgen-gebreken claim on a house, the lesson is the same: know what you actually owe, and push back on what you don’t. (Post-Brexit, UK parcels now hit this too, see decoding your Brexit residence document.)
The bottom line
When PostNL wants money before delivering a non-EU parcel, that’s inklaringskosten: BTW (usually 21%), possibly invoerrechten (over 150 euros), and the carrier’s afhandelingskosten (about 4 to 13 euros). It’s real, not a scam, but you can reclaim charges you didn’t owe (like VAT already paid at checkout) via the Douane. Learn douanekosten, invoerrechten, and terugvragen, keep your order confirmation, and you’ll pay the right amount, once, instead of overpaying just to free your parcel.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the customs-and-shopping Dutch these charges use, douanekosten, inklaringskosten, invoerrechten, afhandelingskosten by real situation in five-minute lessons, so you can understand the bill and reclaim what you don’t owe instead of just paying to get your parcel.
Frequently asked questions
Why does PostNL charge extra before delivering my parcel?
Because a parcel from outside the EU incurs inklaringskosten (customs clearance costs): BTW (VAT), possibly invoerrechten (import duty), and the carrier’s afhandelingskosten (handling fee) for advancing the tax and clearing the package. PostNL, DHL or DPD collect this from you before or at delivery. It is not a scam; it’s the import tax and handling on goods bought outside the EU.
What do customs charges on a parcel consist of?
Usually BTW (VAT, typically 21%, or 9% on books) on the value, plus invoerrechten (import duty), which generally apply to parcels worth over 150 euros, plus the carrier’s afhandelingskosten (handling fee). At PostNL the handling fee is roughly 4 euros (online) for parcels under 150 euros, more (around 10 euros) for higher-value parcels, and more again if paid at a PostNL point.
Can I get customs charges refunded if I was charged wrongly?
Yes, in some cases. If you were charged VAT or duty you did not owe, for example you already paid VAT at the foreign webshop’s checkout, or the parcel was a low-value gift, you can reclaim the extra costs via the Douane (Dutch customs). Keep your order confirmation and the customs paperwork. PostNL has been known to charge VAT incorrectly, so check before assuming the bill is right.
What is the best app to learn Dutch for parcels, shopping and customs?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches the customs-and-shopping Dutch these charges use, douanekosten, inklaringskosten, invoerrechten, afhandelingskosten, in five-minute lessons built around real situations, so you understand the bill and reclaim what you don’t owe instead of just paying to get your parcel.
