Dutch Nee-Ja Mailbox Stickers
Expat new to the Netherlands are likely to be confused by the Nee-Ja and Nee-Nee stickers they come across on residential mailboxes. Here is a brief overview of what they mean and where you can get your own…
WHAT THE STICKERS ARE FOR
The purpose of Nee-Ja and Nee-Nee mailbox stickers in the Netherlands can be confusing to new expats, especially when you do not understand Dutch. Additionally, after finding out what they are used for, it can be just as difficult finding out where you get the appropriate sticker for your box.
The Nee-Ja and Nee-Nee stickers relate specifically to bulk mail (neighborhood newspapers, advertising circulars, special offers, etc.). A mailbox without any sticker will receive the largest amount of bulk mail. A mailbox with a Nee-Ja sticker will receive less bulk mail than one without a sticker. A mailbox with a Nee-Nee sticker will receive no bulk mail at all.
DUTCH BULK MAIL CATEGORIES
There are two types of bulk mail in Holland:
- Unaddressed bulk mail is usually advertising meant for any entire neighborhood or post code. It could be a circular, flyer, sample or other form of promotion.
- Addressed bulk mail is intended for any resident living at a specific address. The mail is printed with the specific address on it. A local neighborhood paper would typically fall into this category.
The first word on the sticker is for unaddressed bulk mail (that which is not for a specific residence) while the second word is for addressed bulk mail (‘huis aan huisbladen’).
NEE-JA AND NEE-NEE STICKERS
The Dutch mailbox stickers communicate to the deliverer whether they can place a piece of bulk mail in that particular mailbox. The first word on the sticker refers to unaddressed bulk mail while the second word refers to addressed bulk mail. In Dutch, Nee = No and Ja = Yes. Therefore a Nee-Ja sticker would indicate to the deliverer they cannot place unaddressed bulk mail in the mailbox but can leave addressed bulk mail.
A Nee-Nee sticker indicates the resident does not wish to receive any bulk mail.
JA-JA STICKERS
Amsterdam was the first Dutch city to ban all bulk mail by default. A resident who wishes to receive addressed bulk mail still uses a Nee-Ja sticker as in other cities. However, a resident who wishes to receive both categories of bulk mail has to place a Ja-Ja sticker on their mailbox. The Nee-Nee sticker is no longer used in Amsterdam.
WHERE TO GET A MAILBOX STICKER
Nee-Ja and Nee-Nee mailbox stickers can be picked up for free at your local municipal office (‘gemeente’). If you are unable to visit your local office in person to collect a sticker, you can order one from the website neeneeja.nl for a small fee.
CHANGES COMING TO THE NEE-JA STICKER
Soon the Nee-Ja, Nee-Nee and Ja-Ja sticker system will no longer be used in the Netherlands. It is becoming digital. A resident’s preferences will be maintained in a database that the country’s 44,000+ bulk mail deliverers will need to access and abide by.
POSTFILTER
The Postfilter Foundation is an initiative of the Dutch business community and consists of two registers:
- Postfilter – this register allows you to communicate which unaddressed mail you no longer wish to receive.
- Nationaal Overledenenregister – this is the National Register of Deaths. A family member could register a death so that mail is no longer sent to the deceased’s address.
IN MIJN BUS
InMijnBus is an initiative of Spotta, the largest bulk mail delivery company in the Netherlands. They were testing their digital database system from October-December 2022 in two Dutch cities (Ede and Utrecht). The success or challenges experienced during the test will determine how quickly the system can be rolled out nationally.
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