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Parcels to consumers in the Netherlands 

Mailbox parcel

• No minimum weight or minimum dimensions
• Maximum dimensions: 38 x 26.5 x 3.2 cm (L W H) 
• Maximum weight: 2 kg

Parcel

• No minimum weight or minimum dimensions
• Maximum dimensions: 80 x 50 x 35 cm (L W H)
• Maximum weight: 20 kg
• Extra costs apply for parcels that are heavier and bigger

To consumers in Europe

• Maximum dimensions: 120 x 60 x 60 cm (L W H)
• Maximum weight: 31.5 kg
• Maximum circumference: 360 cm (L + 2W + 2H)

Shipments to business addresses in the Benelux

Parcel

• Minimum dimensions: 15 x 11 x 3.5 cm (L W H)
• Maximum dimensions: 120 x 60 x 50 cm (L W H)
• Maximum weight: 31.5 kg
• Maximum volumetric weight: 250 kg/m³
• Extra costs apply for parcels that are heavier and bigger

Pallet

• Maximum dimensions: 120 x 100 x 200 cm (L W H)
• Maximum weight: 1,000 kg per pallet
• Maximum of five pallets per shipment/per day/per delivery address

Shipments to business addresses outside the Benelux

Pallet

• Maximum dimensions: 120 x 100 x 200 cm (L W H)
• Maximum weight: 2,500 kg per shipment

Pallet and parcel shipments outside the Benelux

• Maximum weight: 2,500 kg per shipment
• Maximum volumetric weight: 250 kg/m³
• Maximum volume: 12 m3

This is the up-to-date monthly surcharge for fuel handled by DHL Parcel:

• August 2020: 7,00%
• July 2020: 7,00%
• June 2020: 7,00%

These surcharges are linked to the consumer price of diesel fuel (EU-27 standard) in local currency. Levies and taxes, as measured by the Directorate-General for Energy of the European Commission and published in the Oil Bulletin, have been included. The fuel surcharge is calculated on the transport tariff and the additional services and surcharges applicable.

Go to the Oil Bulletin

Due to the publication dates of fuel prices, we implement the surcharge at a delay of two months. Therefore, the average fuel price in January is the surcharge handled in March.

DHL Parcel reserves the right to change the fuel surcharge index and table without notice.

If you ship fewer than 50 parcels per month, just want to send one parcel, or prefer not to wait for our driver, then dropping off your shipments at a DHL ServicePoint near you is the handy option. It's free, easy, and you can use it when it suits you.

From our DHL ServicePoints you can send parcels to business and consumer addresses throughout Europe. Create shipping labels with our all-in-one shipping service My DHL Parcel. The maximum dimensions for a parcel sent via a DHL ServicePoint are 80 x 50 x 35 cm (L W H), and the maximum weight is 20 kg.

Find a ServicePoints

You can ship all parcels with one handy shipping service: My DHL Parcel.

Custom solutions are available if you use your own system. You also benefit from the ease of sending parcels and pallets combined. Easily reach businesses and consumers, no matter where in Europe they are. 

If you'd like to plan a return shipment or a shipment for collection but can't print the shipping label, don't panic: Simply use the label printing service in our online shipping service My DHL Parcel. You can print the return label yourself or we'll do it for you for a small fee. The label can then be attached to the parcel immediately.

We offer a return portal for business senders with a custom shipment solution. Discuss the options with your account manager.
 

If you ship to a country with customs clearance, your shipment will be checked by customs in that country. Therefore, it is mandatory to include an invoice with your shipment.

Do your customs forms meet all the requirements? 

• Print and combine all the documents for your shipment. This includes invoices, a copy of the shipping label, a tax reclaim form, certificates, export documents, etc.
• Keep the copies and attach the original documents to the parcel in a doculope (self-adhesive document-enclosed envelope).
• Do you not create your invoice in My DHL Parcel? E-mail a digital copy of all the documents to [email protected].

Do your customs invoices still not meet the legal requirements? Go to our help with invoices and we'll quickly help you resolve the problem.

I need help with my invoice

There are fifteen DHL terminals in the Netherlands. These are our ultra-modern sorting centers where you can also send, collect, or return parcels.

Find a DHL terminal

Certain rules apply to the content of your parcel. For security reasons we do not ship the following items:

• Products of exceptionally high value such as art, antiques, and precious stones and precious metals
• Products that can spoil
• Food products, unless they have been packed well and shipped unconditioned
• Money, coins, debit cards and credit cards, SIM cards, securities, and valuable documents such as passports
• Livestock
• Human organs and human remains, including ashes
• Animals (including insects), parts of animals and hunting trophies
• Unaccompanied luggage
• Plants, except flower bulbs
• Fertilizer
• Prohibited items such as firearms, explosives, military equipment, etc.
• Narcotics/drugs
• Dangerous goods (chemicals, paint, batteries, perfume etc.). Under certain conditions, some dangerous goods may be shipped in limited quantities. For more information contact your account manager.
• Parcels with an inherent defect which, because of their nature, can damage people, merchandise, or equipment.
• Illegal goods such as counterfeit products
• Products whose transport is legally prohibited in the country of origin, transit, or destination
• Products that require special facilities, safety precautions, or permits
• Products that can be considered offensive, such as pornography or goods that are politically sensitive, must be packaged correctly and the packaging may not be perceived as provocative
• DHL Parcel does not ship envelopes. 

Dangerous goods may only be shipped in limited quantities (LQ). It is mandatory to register this with your DHL account manager. We do not charge extra for shipping LQ goods.

Within the Netherlands, we send shipments according to the Algemene Vervoerscondities 2002 (general terms and conditions for transportation). For international transportation, we operate according to the international CMR Convention.

You can also add additional insurance to your shipments. This can be arranged per package or for all your shipments.

Insurance per parcel
- For consumers within the Benelux region, the Extra Assurance option provides you with cover up to €500 per package.
- For consumers and business recipients within and outside the Benelux region, you can take out insurance per shipment.

Ongoing insurance for all your shipments
Good to know: you can also take out ongoing insurance through us for all your shipments. In many cases, a considerable discount on the premium is possible.

More about the transport insurance 
 

If your parcel arrives damaged, contact our customer service department as soon as possible. Make sure that you report the damage to us within seven days of delivery. 

If your shipment did not arrive at the recipient's address, please contact our customer service department within fourteen days so we can advise you on what happens next. Make sure that you can accurately describe the goods and the packaging.

Belgium, Germany, and Hungary charge a kilometer levy for freight traffic. In order to partly compensate these costs, we apply a surcharge. This surcharge is only applicable to shipments to, from, and through these three countries. Different rates apply:

• Shipments to and from Belgium: 4.45%
• Shipments passing through Belgium: 1.96%
• Shipments to and through Germany: 3.40%
• Shipments to and through Hungary: 5.45%

If your pallets are shipped within the Benelux, we also return them to you. This takes approximately five working days. This service is at no extra cost.

We can also apply shipment confidentiality on request. The sender will not be listed on the shipment label, so that the recipient will not know who it's from. Select the option "hide sender" when registering your shipment in My DHL Parcel. This service is at no extra cost. You can use it for shipments to consumers and business recipients within the Benelux. 

Parcels and pallets sent to the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg will be delivered the next workday. Parcels to consumers in the Netherlands can be delivered that same day with DHL Same Day. For destinations outside of the Benelux, the delivery times depend on the country. See the list of delivery times per country below.

Delivery times in Europe

If you have missed our driver, they'll leave a card notifying you that they'll try to deliver again the next workday. If there's no one at home on the second delivery attempt, the driver will leave a card stating that you can collect the parcel at a DHL sorting center. You have five days in which to collect the parcel, after which it will be returned to the sender.

If you'd like to plan a third delivery attempt or have the parcel delivered to a different address, you can arrange this with the sender of your shipment.

Missed our driver options for consumers
If consumers are not at home when we deliver, we'll always leave a card informing the recipient how to plan in the next delivery time. Read more about our delivery options.

Have your shipment delivered to a DHL location and collect it the following workday. Make sure to bring a valid ID.

The number of shipments increases significantly during the holiday season. We take this into account and we hope that you do too, as your shipments may be collected or delivered at a different time. Exceptions such as delays are always displayed on your dashboard in My DHL Parcel. If you want to plan ahead, see our holiday season planning for the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg.

Holiday season planning 2020
 

If you want to deliver a parcel or pallet to a building site, select the option "building site delivery" when registering your shipment in My DHL Parcel. This service is at no extra cost. Your shipments will arrive at the correct location without needing a postal code or house number. Just ensure that you enter all the necessary details. Ask our customer service department about the options.

Whether we're delivering a parcel or pallet at a business, store, or institution, we always ask for a signature upon receipt. We also ask for a valid ID at our DHL ServicePoints. For home deliveries, we only ask for a signature if the sender has selected this option for shipment. Signatures as proof of delivery are immediately displayed in track and trace.

If you're not always at the location to receive a business shipment, you can let us know about your delivery preferences with an authorization form which you can request from our driver or customer service department. We offer the following options: 

Key transfer
If you're not always at your location but would like us to deliver the shipments at your address anyway, you can give a key to our trustworthy driver to access the delivery site (for example a garage). 

Delivery at the neighbors
If your business is closed, or if there's not always someone at the location, you can authorize us to deliver your shipments to your neighbors. You will find a card in your mailbox with the recipient's name and house number. 

Notification of business hours
If your business is closed on certain days as standard, let us know and we'll always deliver the following workday.

If consumers are not at home when we deliver, we'll always leave a card informing the recipient how to plan in the next delivery moment. Read more about our delivery options.
 

We even collect pallets and parcels for return from business recipients. The sender can quickly plan in a return shipment with My DHL Parcel or by contacting our customer service department during office hours. We also collect parcels on Saturdays in the Netherlands.

If you're sending a business shipment, you can make it easy for your recipients who can drop off their returns at a DHL ServicePoint. Please note that this only possible for parcels up to 20 kg and 80 x 50 x 35 cm (L W H). You can add the return label to the parcel or e-mail it to the recipient. Your customer can also register the return online and print the label themselves.

With 3,000 DHL ServicePoints, there is always one nearby your customers. You decide whether to send the return label with the order, to send it via e-mail, or to let customers request it online. Make it even easier for your customers and let us collect their return shipments.

Go to return options
 

Track and trace is an easy-to-use online dashboard with which you and your recipients can track your shipments. If we've scheduled a delivery time, it'll be indicated on track and trace. You can access track and trace via our website or integrate the track and trace service in your online store.

Implement track and trace in your webshop
 

We also deliver your business parcels on Saturday. This service is only available in the Netherlands at a small, extra cost. When registering your shipment in My DHL Parcel, just tick the option for "Saturday delivery." Easy as pie! We'll collect the parcel on Friday and deliver it the following day. If something goes wrong and we can't deliver on Saturday, we'll try again the next workday. This service is not available for shipments to the Wadden Sea Islands or for pallets.

We deliver Monday through Saturday to consumers across Europe.

Read more about our delivery options