The Dutch postcode is a small marvel of precision, and understanding it saves you from misdelivered parcels and rejected forms. Here is how a Dutch address is built and how to give yours without fuss.
The postcode: four digits, two letters
A Dutch postcode looks like 1011 AB: four digits, a space, two letters. What makes it special is how precise it is. As PostNL explains, one postcode usually covers a single street or even just part of one. So your postcode plus huisnummer (house number) almost always pinpoints your exact front door.
That is why countless Dutch websites ask only for your postcode and house number, then auto-fill the street and town. It feels strange the first time a form does not ask for your street name at all.
How an address is written
Dutch addresses run street then number, the opposite of some countries. A full address reads Kalverstraat 92 on the first line, then 1012 NZ Amsterdam (postcode, then town) on the second.
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| de straat / de laan / de weg | street / avenue / road |
| het huisnummer | house number |
| de postcode | postcode |
| de woonplaats | town / place of residence |
| de toevoeging | addition to the number |
The toevoeging: the bit people forget
Flats and subdivided houses share a number, so they add a toevoeging (huisnummertoevoeging) to tell the doors apart. Forms often have a separate little box for it. Common ones:
- a letter: 92-A, 92-B
- bis: 92 bis (common in Utrecht)
- hs: huis, the ground-floor flat (common in Amsterdam)
- I, II, III: floor numbers
Leave the toevoeging off and your parcel or post can go to the wrong flat. Always include it on deliveries and registrations.
Saying your address aloud
Give the street and number, then the postcode, spelling the two letters:
- Kalverstraat tweeennegentig, postcode tien-twaalf, N-Z.
For a delivery or over the phone, the postcode and house number alone are usually enough. If you are asked to spell, plain letters are fine. This is exactly the kind of thing made easier by saying numbers and digits confidently, since the postcode digits and house number come up every time.
Keep it current at the gemeente
Your registered address drives almost everything: post, parcels, government letters, even your vote. The municipal record of where you live is the Basisregistratie Personen (BRP), and keeping it accurate is a legal duty. So when you move, update it at the gemeente, which connects to the questions they ask when you register an address. For setting up a business or official correspondence, Business.gov.nl explains how addresses are used in registers.
Where it connects
Your address is a building block of Dutch admin, used on every form, so it pairs with filling in a Dutch form and the words you need at gemeente appointments. Keeping it correct also matters for benefits and pension, like building up your AOW, and you update it whenever you move house.
The bottom line
A Dutch postcode is four digits plus two letters and so precise that postcode plus huisnummer usually finds your door, which is why forms often ask only for those two. Write street-then-number, include the toevoeging for flats, and say the postcode letters clearly. Keep your address current at the gemeente, and your post, parcels and paperwork all land where they should.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the address words you give constantly, postcode, huisnummer, toevoeging, straat, in five-minute lessons built on real forms and deliveries, so giving your address by phone or online is quick and error-free.
Frequently asked questions
How does a Dutch postcode work?
A Dutch postcode is four digits followed by two letters, for example 1011 AB. It is highly precise: a single postcode usually covers just one street or part of a street, so postcode plus huisnummer (house number) almost always identifies your exact address. That is why many online forms and delivery services ask only for your postcode and house number and then fill in the street automatically.
What is a ‘toevoeging’ in a Dutch address?
A toevoeging (or huisnummertoevoeging) is an addition to the house number that distinguishes flats or subdivided houses at the same number. You will see forms with separate boxes for huisnummer and toevoeging. Common additions are a letter (92-A, 92-B), bis (92 bis), or hs (huis, the ground-floor flat). Leaving it off can send your post or parcel to the wrong door, so always include it.
How do I say my address in Dutch?
Give the street and number first, then the postcode, usually spelling the two letters out. For example: Kalverstraat 92, postcode 1012 NZ, said as ‘Kalverstraat tweeennegentig, postcode tien-twaalf, N-Z’. For deliveries or by phone you can often just give the postcode and house number, since that pinpoints the address. If asked to spell the letters, the Dutch sometimes use names, but plain letters are fine.
What is the best app to learn Dutch for forms and admin?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches the practical admin vocabulary you use constantly, postcode, huisnummer, toevoeging, straat, woonplaats, in five-minute real-situation lessons, so filling in forms and giving your address by phone or online is fast and error-free.
