Postal rates 2024 European countries compared
Postal rates for 2025 are going up again. Comparing Dutch postal rates with those of other European countries seems only fair to me. Where does the Netherlands stand on this ranking? Is the increase for 2025 not too bad, or will we stop sending mail altogether? A comparison of 28 European countries was included in *de Volkskrant* on October 22nd. Read the remarkable results. For the full article, you can read the newspaper in the library.
Post offices compared (2024 rates)
A standard domestic letter is being compared. There are also differences in weight per country, for example from 0-20 grams or from 0-50 grams. In 11 of the 28 countries, it is possible to buy a cheaper stamp if you allow delivery to take longer (up to 6 working days) rather than the next working day. At PostNL, we do not have this differentiation. Denmark has the most expensive rate (€4,69), while Cyprus has the cheapest (€0,43).
Selection of domestic postal rates (2024)
Denmark €4,69 Postal changes in Denmark mean that stamps issued before January 1, 2024, are invalid for domestic mail. The Danish Parliament recently adopted new postal legislation that will have serious consequences for stamp collectors, letter writers, and businesses that use the postal service to deliver their letters or products.
<strong> More info: </strong>
https://www.linns.com/news/us-stamps-postal-history/postal-changes-in-denmark-make-stamps-issued-before-jan.-1-2024-invalid-on-domestic-mail
Italy € 2,90 Finland € 2,50 Belgium € 2,27 UK € 1,98 France € 1,79 Switzerland € 1,28 Austria € 1,20 Netherlands € 1,14 Slovenia € 1,02 Luxembourg € 1,00 Croatia € 1,00 Portugal € 1,00 Germany € 0,85 Spain € 0,82 Malta € 0,45 Cyprus € 0,43
International postal rates (2024)
Netherlands €1,80 Germany €1,10 Belgium €2,78 (Europe) €3,00 (World) If you live close to Germany (border area) and need to send a lot of mail, the German postal service is cheaper than PostNL.
PostNL postal rates 2025
New postal rates The postage rate for letters within the Netherlands will increase to €1,21 as of January 1, 2025. The basic rate for letters abroad will be €1,90. Every year, PostNL releases special December stamps at the end of the year. The rate for the PostNL December stamp for 2024 is €1,06. A sheet of 20 December stamps costs €21,20. The stamps will be available for purchase from November 18 via postnl.nl, or at post offices, parcel points, and stamp sales outlets. New package rates Sending a domestic package for which the shipping label is purchased online remains €6,95. Postage for a package at a PostNL point will increase to €8,25. Rates for international packages vary based on weight and destination country. Rates for sending international packages remain largely unchanged when the consumer purchases the shipping label online. A higher rate will apply when purchasing a shipping label via a PostNL point. PostNL press release regarding 2025 rates: https://www.postnl.nl/over-postnl/pers-nieuws/persberichten/postzegelprijs-2025-bekend/
Are my old stamps still valid?
- Stamps with an amount in euros are only valid if you add extra stamps to reach the current rate.
- Stamps with an amount in guilders have not been valid since November 2013. You can no longer use them to frank your mail.
- Since 2010, December stamps feature the word 'December' and no longer a value indication in euros. These remain valid even after tariff changes. Therefore, you do not need to add extra stamps during the Christmas period.
- December stamps with a value in euros are only valid if you add extra stamps to reach the current rate.
A number of those cheaper rates for slow mail:
Denmark €3,35
Italy € 1,25
Belgium € 1,43
VK €1,02
France € 1,29
Austria € 0,95
Slovenia €0,84
Croatia €0,58
Portugal €0,65
I had to send the Baltic Association magazine abroad. 106 grams. Rate Netherlands 9 euros (becomes 7,60 euros), rate Germany 3,70 euros (becomes ?). Domestic Germany 1,60 euros and domestic Netherlands 3,70 euros.
The various 2025 postal rates are listed at the bottom of this PostNL link: https://www.postnl.nl/tarieven/
It is interesting to see how Dutch postal rates compare to those in other European countries. As a transporter, I find it useful to follow these developments.
It is striking that Denmark is so expensive at €4,69 for a standard letter, while the Netherlands is relatively in the middle at €1,14 (2024). The information regarding the validity of older stamps is also useful to know.
It is good that attention is being paid to the various options in other countries, such as cheaper rates for slower delivery. Perhaps an idea for PostNL?