Yes, alcohol can be sent by post in the Netherlands, but only under strict conditions. If you are 18 or older, you can order alcoholic drinks online and have them delivered. The delivery person will check your age at the door with a valid ID, and Dutch excise duty must be paid on alcohol delivered in the Netherlands. If you want to send a bottle yourself as a private individual, or send something abroad, additional restrictions apply from the carrier. Below, you will find out what is allowed in each situation, what often goes wrong, and how to get a bottle to its destination safely.
In short
- You can order alcohol online and have it delivered in the Netherlands from the age of 18, with an age check when ordering and at the door.
- The alcohol will only be delivered to the specified address or at an official pickup point. It cannot be left with the neighbors.
- If you order from a foreign webshop, Dutch excise duty must have been paid. The generous allowances for travelers do not apply to parcel post.
- Alcohol with more than 24% alcohol cannot be sent abroad via PostNL, and no alcohol can be sent to the US at all.
- Alcoholic drinks are subject to 21% VAT.
Table of contents
- Can you have alcohol delivered by post in the Netherlands?
- Age check: how it works at the door
- What a remote alcohol seller must arrange
- Sending alcohol yourself as a private individual
- Sending alcohol abroad
- Ordering from a foreign webshop
- VAT on alcohol: 9 or 21 percent?
- How to pack a bottle so it arrives safely
- Our perspective: convenience must never come at the expense of care
- Bar-quality cocktails, delivered right to your home
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
Can you have alcohol delivered by post in the Netherlands?
The short version: yes. According to the Customs information on ordering alcohol online, you can buy alcoholic drinks online if you are 18 or older. However, Dutch excise duty must be paid on alcohol delivered in the Netherlands. With a Dutch webshop, this excise duty is already included in the price, so you as a customer won't notice it.
The rules apply to all types of alcohol: beer, wine, spirits, and also ready-made cocktails. Whether you order a crate of craft beer, a bottle of gin, or a cocktail box, the delivery follows the same legal steps. The difference lies mainly in who bears the responsibility. If you order from a webshop, it lies largely with the seller. If you send something yourself, it's up to you, and the carrier's terms determine what is possible.
A second point that people often overlook: alcohol can only be delivered to the address you provide when ordering, or at an official pickup point. If you are not home, the delivery person cannot leave the package with the neighbors. This is also stated on the Customs page. So expect your package to be returned or sent to a pickup point if no one answers.
Age check: how it works at the door
The age check for online alcohol sales happens in two steps, and both are mandatory.
- When ordering. The NVWA information on age checks for remote sales describes an age verification system: the webshop asks for your age, you actively confirm it, and you receive a message that your age will be checked again at delivery.
- At delivery. For every delivery, the delivery person checks your age with a valid ID. Not only if you look young, but every time.
Which document you need to show depends on the carrier. PostNL will only hand over a package with an age check at the door if you show a valid passport, Dutch driver's license, or European or Dutch ID card and are old enough. A photo of your ID on your phone or an expired card is therefore not enough.
Practically, this means: the person who answers the door must be 18 or older and have a valid ID at hand. If you are ordering for a party and know that you yourself will not be home, choose a delivery day when an adult is present, or have the package sent to a pickup point. If you are ordering a gift for someone else, keep in mind that the recipient must be able to prove themselves to be 18.
What a remote alcohol seller must arrange
For webshops, the rules are stricter than many buyers think. According to the NVWA, a remote seller must have an up-to-date, secure procedure. This states how the age limit is monitored from the moment of dispatch until delivery, and how the delivery person checks the age.
A webshop cannot pass this responsibility on. The Alcohol Act 2024-2025 inspection results show that the seller remains responsible for the age limit, even if the delivery is outsourced to a parcel service. If something goes wrong, the NVWA takes action with fines from €1,565 or €3,135 per violation, depending on the number of employees of the company.
The government expects this supervision to become more important. The explanation of the Alcohol Decree states that young people are finding it harder to access alcohol in shops and bars, which is expected to increase their attempts to buy online in the coming years. A webshop that takes control seriously therefore protects not only itself, but also young people.
At events, it works differently. At a wedding or party, the drinks are usually poured on the spot, for example by a mobile wine bar at your wedding or a cocktail catering service. Then the age check takes place when pouring instead of at the front door. This saves the organizer work: no one has to wait for a delivery person with an ID in hand.
Sending alcohol yourself as a private individual
If you want to send a bottle of wine to your sister in Groningen yourself, or a homemade liqueur to a friend, it is not that simple. Then you have to deal with the carrier's terms, and those differ per company.
PostNL uses a list of prohibited goods and substances for domestic shipments. This includes dangerous, illegal, or harmful goods, such as explosives, compressed gas, flammable liquids, toxic substances, and corrosive substances. Spirits with a high alcohol percentage may fall into the flammable liquids category, so check with your carrier beforehand what exactly falls under that rule before you pack a bottle.
With other parcel services, alcohol is often not a standard product but a separate, business service with its own agreements on packaging and age checks. This service is usually not available to private individuals. Therefore, do not rely on what a friend has done before, but read the current terms of the carrier you want to use.
If you mainly want to have a gift delivered, it is often easier to order directly from a webshop and have it delivered to the recipient's address. Then the seller arranges the age check and the packaging. In our article about sending cocktails by post, you can read what works well in practice, and in our explanation about choosing the right drink gift, you will find ideas for who you want to surprise.
Sending alcohol abroad
For international shipments, the rules are stricter. In the international shipping terms of PostNL, there are three important restrictions:
| Situation | Is it allowed via PostNL? |
|---|---|
| Drinks with more than 24% alcohol, to any country | No, generally prohibited |
| Alcohol to the United States | No, prohibited |
| Alcohol to Russia | No, prohibited |
| Drinks up to 24% to other countries | Depending on the country's import rules |
This means that a bottle of whisky, gin, or jenever around 35 to 40% cannot cross the border via PostNL. Wine, beer, and many liqueurs under 24% sometimes can, but many countries have their own import restrictions. Therefore, look on the PostNL page what applies to the country of destination, and keep in mind that the receiving country may also levy excise duty or import duties. The recipient has to deal with that, not the carrier.
Ordering from a foreign webshop
If you see a bottle or cocktail set that is cheaper in Germany or France, the temptation to order from there is great. Then pay attention to the excise duty. If you order alcohol from another EU country with delivery in the Netherlands, Dutch excise duty must be paid. If the seller arranges the transport, then the seller is responsible for that. This is stated on the previously mentioned Customs page.
A common misconception: the well-known generous allowances that you may take tax-free as a traveler do not apply to parcel post. Those rules are for those who cross the border themselves with the drinks in the car or airplane. If you have your drinks delivered by post or courier, they do not apply according to the Customs. A cheaper price at a foreign webshop does not automatically mean you are paying less, and a webshop that does not pay Dutch excise duty is actually not operating according to the rules.
If you order from a Dutch supplier, the age check happens both when ordering and when delivering, and the excise duty is already arranged. That is the easiest route.
VAT on alcohol: 9 or 21 percent?
The VAT on alcohol is 21%. According to the Tax Authority on the VAT rate on drinks, beer with more than 0.5% alcohol and other drinks with more than 1.2% alcohol fall under the high rate. Non-alcoholic drinks under those limits generally fall under the low rate of 9%.
For someone organizing a party, that is useful information when budgeting. Those who serve non-alcoholic variants in addition to cocktails pay less VAT on them. If you are organizing a business drink, you can read in our guide about drinks for the business drink how much you need per person.
How to pack a bottle so it arrives safely
If you get permission from your carrier to send a bottle, the packaging determines whether it arrives safely. Glass is not good against shocks, and a package goes through multiple hands and sorting machines on its way. A leaking bottle also damages other packages. This method helps:
- Seal the cap extra. Screw the cap on tightly and wrap tape or plastic wrap around it. For a cork, secure it with tape.
- Put the bottle in a sealable plastic bag. If the bottle still breaks or leaks, the liquid stays in the bag.
- Wrap the bottle. Use multiple layers of bubble wrap, also around the neck and the bottom, the weakest points.
- Choose a sturdy box. A box with sturdy walls that is just slightly larger than the packed bottle. Special bottle boxes with cardboard or foam inserts work best.
- Fill all empty space. The bottle must not move when you shake the box. Use crumpled paper or filler material.
- Send bottles separately. Multiple bottles in one box without dividers bump against each other. Use dividers or separate boxes.
- Mark the package. A sticker with 'fragile' and 'this side up' helps, although it is no guarantee.
In hot weather, also take the temperature into account. A package that sits in a delivery van for a day can heat up considerably. For wine and fresh cocktails, that is not favorable. Therefore, preferably send at the beginning of the week, so the package does not sit in a depot for a weekend.
Our perspective: convenience must never come at the expense of care
We send ready-made cocktails, mocktails, and shots every day to customers in the Netherlands and Belgium. Therefore, we see firsthand what alcohol by post is all about. What we notice: most customers mainly want the party to start on time. They think less about the age check at the door, while that determines whether the package is delivered that day.
Our tip is therefore simple. Order for a party a few days early rather than at the last moment, and make sure that someone 18 or older with a valid ID is home on the delivery day. If you live or work in the area of Amsterdam, you can also pick up directly from us, so you don't have to wait for a delivery person at all.
And also think about the guests who do not drink. A party where everyone has a good cocktail in hand, with or without alcohol, immediately feels more welcoming. That is why we offer both, prepared with the same premium ingredients.
— Ruud
Bar-quality cocktails, delivered right to your home
Want cocktails without mixing yourself, and without worrying about breakable bottles or shipping rules? At Cocktails by Nina, you order ready-made cocktails and mocktails, prepared with premium ingredients and spirits, ready to serve. We arrange the packaging and the delivery. Within the Netherlands, shipping is free from €75, in Belgium from €100.
For a party or gift, take a look at our cocktail boxes, or put together something yourself from our ready-made cocktails. If guests who don't drink are coming, our alcohol-free mocktails are a great addition. For larger parties and corporate events, we are happy to help with customization and catering.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have alcohol delivered if I am not at home?
Not to your neighbors. Alcohol may only be delivered to the specified address or to an official pickup point. If you are not at home, the package will usually go to a pickup point, where you must show your age with a valid ID when picking it up.
What proof of identity do I need to show the delivery driver?
For PostNL, this is a valid passport, a Dutch driver's license, or a European or Dutch identity card. A copy or a photo on your phone will not be accepted. Other carriers have similar requirements.
How much alcohol can you have delivered within the EU?
The quantities that travelers are allowed to take duty-free do not apply to drinks delivered by post or courier. For delivery in the Netherlands, Dutch excise duty must have been paid on all alcohol, regardless of the quantity. With a Dutch webshop, this is already taken care of.
Can I send a bottle of spirits abroad?
Not via PostNL if the drink contains more than 24% alcohol: this is not allowed to any country. No alcohol at all can be sent to the US and Russia via PostNL. Other countries have their own import rules.
Is there 9% or 21% VAT on alcohol?
Alcoholic drinks are subject to 21% VAT. This applies to beer above 0.5% alcohol and other drinks above 1.2%. Alcohol-free drinks usually fall under the low rate of 9%.
Sources
- Customs: ordering drinks online
- NVWA: age verification for distance selling
- Alcohol Act Inspection Results July 2024 - June 2025
- Explanatory Memorandum Alcohol Decree
- PostNL: age check at the door
- PostNL: prohibited goods and substances domestically
- PostNL: international shipping terms and conditions
- Tax and Customs Administration: VAT rate on drinks
