- Price
- €17.95incl. VAT, 2 pages included
- Delivery time
- Next business dayusually, after handover to the post
- Proof
- Recipient's signature+ tracking and proof of posting
- Handed to the post
- Upload by 15:00on a working day, posted the same day
- Counts as
- Domestic registered mailprinted and posted in Netherlands
Do you need registered mail to cancel from abroad?
Usually not. Energy, internet, mobile and subscriptions can be cancelled by email, on the provider's website or by ordinary letter. Always ask for written confirmation and keep it.
For a rental, the law does name a form: the registered letter or a bailiff's writ. See ending a Dutch rental when you emigrate.
If you have already left and a provider says nothing arrived, you are on weak ground without proof. With a registered letter the recipient signs for it, and you have the date.
Which notice periods apply?
| Contract | How to cancel | Notice period |
|---|---|---|
| Energy, variable or dynamic | Email, portal or letter | At most one month, no cancellation fee |
| Energy, fixed term still running | Email, portal or letter | At most one month; a cancellation fee may apply |
| Internet, television and mobile after the fixed term | Email, portal or letter | At most one month, free of charge |
| Gym and other subscriptions after the first term | Email, website or letter | At most one month |
| Residential lease | Registered letter or bailiff's writ | Equal to the rent period, at least one month and at most three |
The period runs from the day after your notice. Cancel as soon as your departure date is fixed.
How to cancel from abroad
- Deregister with your municipalityProviders often ask for the proof of deregistration.
- Write one notice per contractUse the sample below.
- Upload the PDFWe print in the Netherlands and PostNL delivers against a signature.
- Keep the proofKeep the tracking number until the cancellation is confirmed.
Sample letter
In Dutch, which every Dutch provider reads.
Naam, oud adres in Nederland
Nieuw adres: [adres in het buitenland]
Klantnummer: …
Onderwerp: opzegging [contract]
Geachte heer, mevrouw,
Ik verhuis op [datum] naar het buitenland. Hierbij zeg ik mijn contract op per [datum], of anders per de eerst mogelijke datum.
Graag ontvang ik een bevestiging per e-mail. Een eventueel tegoed kan worden overgemaakt op [IBAN].
Met vriendelijke groet,
[naam en handtekening]
What to watch
- On a fixed-term energy contract that is still running, the supplier may charge a cancellation fee if the contract says so. For contracts from 1 June 2023 the fee is at most the supplier's loss, and it must tell you the amount in advance.
- Give the energy supplier your departure date and the meter readings of that day. Take a photo of the meters before you leave.
- If you leave for more than eight months within a year, deregister with your municipality. You can do that from five days before you leave.
- Dutch health insurance ends by itself when your duty to be insured ends, but you must report it: see Dutch health insurance when emigrating.
Frequently asked questions
Can I cancel my Dutch energy contract by email?
Yes. Email, the portal or a letter will do. The notice period is at most one month.
Do I pay a cancellation fee if I emigrate?
Only on a fixed-term contract that is still running, if the contract says so. Not on a variable contract.
Can my gym ask for two months' notice?
Not after the first term. For almost all subscriptions the notice period is at most one month.
Do I have to end my rental by registered mail?
The law names the registered letter or the bailiff's writ. Use one of the two so you can prove the notice.
When do I get my deposit back?
Within 14 days of the end of the lease, or within 30 days if the landlord deducts something.
Does a registered letter prove the contents?
No. It records sending and delivery. Keep a copy of every letter.