Frequently asked questions about the coronavirus (business)

We are following the guidelines set out by the RIVM and taking precautions to prevent further spread of the virus. We are making sure our employees know what to do to stay healthy and work in a way that is as hygienic as possible.

According to the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), there is only a small risk of being infected through contact with surfaces and items such as post and parcels. To reduce the risk even further, their advice is to wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your face after handling post and parcels. Please refer to the RIVM website for more information.

We are doing everything we can to deliver in line with the agreed service frameworks, taking additional measures when appropriate. If there is reason to change the measures, we will inform you through your contact person, by email and via Mijn PostNL. The latest information is available at postnl.nl/en/corona.

We send updates about international deliveries in the form of ISAs (international service alerts). You can subscribe to these alerts. We use these messages to keep you up to date about the developments for each destination. In general, many countries are experiencing delays at the moment. Exports to some countries are also no longer possible at the moment. Information about these countries is also shared in the ISAs. We currently do not accept deliveries for these destinations.

Many countries have taken measures that affect the delivery of post and parcels. Deliveries are delayed in some countries, and in other countries deliveries have stopped entirely. The latest information on international deliveries is available at our overview of international service alerts.

Many international postal companies still have guidelines that aim to minimise physical contact and the risk of spreading the virus. This can affect service provision, for example when it comes to signing for receipt. In many countries, the delivery worker will sign on behalf of the recipient.

We are storing those items of post until their destinations become accessible again. If a destination is inaccessible for an extended period of time, we will return the post to the sender. For most destinations, we do this after seven days of storing the post. Find out which countries are not accepting deliveries at the moment.

This varies for each country. In many countries, the postal company will contact the recipient so that they can deliver the post at the first attempt. We don’t know how the post is returned if this does not work.

In many countries, freight traffic continues. It is therefore still possible to deliver to those countries, although parcels may take longer to arrive. Some countries have closed their borders completely. Find out which countries are affected.