Precleared

Guides

Cold email law in the Netherlands: when an outbound agent may send

Before an agent sends a cold or marketing email to someone in the Netherlands, these are the rules that decide whether it may. Each one is quoted from its legal source and checked on the date shown. Precleared applies them to one address at a time and returns the rule that decided, what the footer must include and a signed receipt.

The rules

Allowed

Artikel 11.7 lid 4 Telecommunicatiewet lets a sender who can prove ('kan aantonen') it obtained the email address from its customer in the sale of a product or service use it for unsolicited commercial messages about its own similar products or services ('eigen gelijksoortige producten of diensten'), provided the customer was clearly and explicitly offered a free and easy way to object when the details were collected and in every message. The ACM confirms existing customers may be emailed about related products if they can unsubscribe and the sender is clearly identified.

Footer must include: State the true identity of the person or company on whose behalf the email is sent; include a valid postal address or telephone number to which the recipient can send a request to stop; make the email clearly recognisable as a commercial message; give a free, easy opt-out in this and every message; be able to prove the customer relationship and that an opt-out was offered when the address was collected.

Next step: Confirm the recipient bought from you, that this offer concerns similar products or services, and that an opt-out was offered at sign-up; otherwise obtain consent first.

In afwijking van het eerste lid, kan een verzender die kan aantonen dat hij gebruik maakt van elektronische contactgegevens die hij heeft verkregen van zijn klanten in het kader van de verkoop van een product of dienst, die elektronische contactgegevens gebruiken voor het overbrengen van ongevraagde communicatie voor commerciële doeleinden ten behoeve van eigen gelijksoortige producten of diensten

Telecommunicatiewet, artikel 11.7 lid 4 (geldend van 15-08-2026)

Checked on 17 October 2026

Consent needed first

Dutch law requires prior consent for unsolicited commercial email to companies as well as individuals (artikel 11.7 lid 1 Telecommunicatiewet). The business exception in lid 3(a) applies only to contact details the recipient has designated and published for receiving unsolicited commercial communication ('voor het ontvangen van ongevraagde communicatie voor commerciële ... doeleinden zijn bestemd en bekendgemaakt'); an address published for general contact does not qualify, and parliament's explanatory memorandum says that if a legal person has not made known it wants such messages, the sender must obtain its consent first.

Next step: Only proceed if the page where you found the address states it is for receiving commercial offers (for example a purchasing or suppliers address) and keep a dated screenshot; otherwise ask for consent and keep proof of it for five years, as the ACM expects.

de verzender gebruik maakt van elektronische contactgegevens die door de desbetreffende eindgebruiker voor het ontvangen van ongevraagde communicatie voor commerciële, ideële of charitatieve doeleinden zijn bestemd en bekendgemaakt en deze worden gebruikt in overeenstemming met de door de eindgebruiker aan de contactgegevens verbonden doeleinden

Telecommunicatiewet, artikel 11.7 lid 3 onderdeel a (geldend van 15-08-2026)

Checked on 17 October 2026

Consent needed first

Artikel 11.7 lid 1 Telecommunicatiewet prohibits unsolicited commercial email 'tenzij de verzender kan aantonen' (unless the sender can demonstrate) that the end-user gave prior consent; a purchased list is not proof of consent to messages from you. The ACM says list suppliers are bound by the spam rules too and expects senders to be able to prove consent for five years.

Next step: Do not send; obtain consent from the recipient yourself, or get and verify documented consent from the list supplier that names third-party senders like you.

Het gebruik van automatische oproep- en communicatiesystemen zonder menselijke tussenkomst, faxen en elektronische berichten voor het overbrengen van ongevraagde communicatie voor commerciële, ideële of charitatieve doeleinden is verboden, tenzij de verzender kan aantonen dat de desbetreffende eindgebruiker daarvoor voorafgaand toestemming heeft verleend.

Telecommunicatiewet, artikel 11.7 lid 1 (geldend van 15-08-2026)

Checked on 17 October 2026

Consent needed first

Artikel 11.7 lid 1 Telecommunicatiewet bans unsolicited commercial email unless the sender can prove prior consent, and the only business exception (lid 3(a)) needs an address the recipient designated and published for receiving commercial offers; a scraped address shows neither. The ACM notes that spammers use robots to harvest addresses and treats this as spam.

Next step: Do not send from the scraped list; obtain consent or find a published address that is expressly for commercial offers and record it.

Het gebruik van automatische oproep- en communicatiesystemen zonder menselijke tussenkomst, faxen en elektronische berichten voor het overbrengen van ongevraagde communicatie voor commerciële, ideële of charitatieve doeleinden is verboden, tenzij de verzender kan aantonen dat de desbetreffende eindgebruiker daarvoor voorafgaand toestemming heeft verleend.

Telecommunicatiewet, artikel 11.7 lid 1 (geldend van 15-08-2026)

Checked on 17 October 2026

Consent needed first

Under artikel 11.7 lid 1 Telecommunicatiewet, sending unsolicited commercial email 'is verboden, tenzij de verzender kan aantonen dat de desbetreffende eindgebruiker daarvoor voorafgaand toestemming heeft verleend' (is prohibited unless the sender can demonstrate the end-user gave prior consent), and since 1 October 2009 this applies to companies as well as individuals. The ACM's guidance is to send only to people who gave prior consent and to be able to prove it for five years.

Next step: Obtain and record prior consent (what was agreed, when and how), or establish an existing customer relationship for similar products, then re-check.

Het gebruik van automatische oproep- en communicatiesystemen zonder menselijke tussenkomst, faxen en elektronische berichten voor het overbrengen van ongevraagde communicatie voor commerciële, ideële of charitatieve doeleinden is verboden, tenzij de verzender kan aantonen dat de desbetreffende eindgebruiker daarvoor voorafgaand toestemming heeft verleend.

Telecommunicatiewet, artikel 11.7 lid 1 (geldend van 15-08-2026)

Checked on 17 October 2026

Check one address

curl https://precleared.dev/api/v1/check \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer pc_live_..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "recipient_email": "jane@example.nl",
    "sender_country": "GB",
    "pitch": "Bookkeeping software for small firms",
    "address_source": "published",
    "recipient_country": "NL"
  }'

Over MCP, call contact_check with the same fields at https://precleared.dev/mcp.

Other countries

Decision support with sources, not legal advice.