PostNL delivery times to increase to three days starting 2027

The caretaker cabinet is granting PostNL an earlier extension of delivery times for personal mail. Starting in 2027, letters and cards may take up to three days to reach recipients. This change was originally planned for 2028 or 2029.

The Minister of Economic Affairs, Vincent Karremans, said the change is aimed at improving delivery reliability. He had previously extended the delivery window from one to two days, starting mid-2026. Despite this, PostNL argued that under the current rules, it cannot deliver mail five days a week in a cost-effective manner.

Karremans also called the rules “outdated,” noting that the number of letters and cards sent in the Netherlands has been decreasing by about 7% annually since 2009. However, the costs of mail delivery have increased, making it increasingly difficult for PostNL to maintain the current delivery times cost-effectively.

“I cannot expect a company to implement a government mandate at a long-term loss. Regulations need to evolve, so I am easing the rules slightly to ensure reliable mail delivery continues,” the VVD minister said.

PostNL is still required to deliver mail five days a week and to meet a 95% on-time delivery target. Medical and funeral mail will continue to be delivered within 24 hours.

PostNL has repeatedly requested financial support from the Dutch government in order to continue carrying out the loss-making Universal Postal Service (UPS). Last month, PostNL was denied their order for two advance payments of 15 million euros each, against 68 million euros in requested support, according to the interim ruling by the Administrative High Court for Trade and Industry (CBb). The court ruled that the government was not required to provide a subsidy at that time, as PostNL had not proven that its financial situation was critical enough to warrant immediate support.

“It is positive that the minister is taking another step toward a new proposal for the UPS, but it remains important that the necessary changes come for the postal market,” PostNL responded. “We will carefully review the new proposal and also note that there is still considerable political uncertainty.”