Dutch voters abroad: Voting by post
If you are registered as a Dutch voter abroad, you will receive a postal voting slip in order to vote by post.
The standard way of voting for Dutch voters abroad is to vote by post. This page contains information about:
- what you will receive from the Municipality of The Hague
- how you can vote by post
- what you need to vote
The municipality will send you
- The postal voting slip is proof that you are allowed to vote. You will not be able to vote by post without the postal voting slip. You will get an email notifying you when the postal voting slip has been sent.
- The postal voting slip will be accompanied by an orange return envelope printed with the address of the postal voting office where you can send your vote. A postal voting office is a polling station where the votes of Dutch voters abroad are checked and counted. You will also receive a white envelope in which you can later insert the ballot. You then place the white envelope inside the orange envelope.
The municipality will send you the ballot, the candidate list and instructions for the special ballot for Dutch voters abroad as well as for mailing in your vote. You can send in your vote only once you have received the ballot.
Voters on Curaçao, Sint Maarten and Aruba
Voters who live on Curaçao, Sint Maarten and Aruba can collect their voting papers from the Netherlands Representative Office. You will not receive your voting papers at your home address and/or your personal email address. You will receive a letter from the municipality by email or post with more information. For example about where you can collect your postal voting slip and ballot.
You did not receive your postal voting slip?
You can request a replacement postal voting slip. You can indicate whether you want to receive the replacement postal voting slip by post or by email. You may use your own return envelope and ballot envelope to send back your vote. Please remember that in some countries the postal service is slow or unreliable.
How to vote
- When you receive the ballot by email, print it out. Use black ink. Use white unprinted paper and print out the ballot on only 1 side of the paper.
- Take the ballot and colour in the circle next to the name of 1 candidate from 1 political party. Use a colour which is easy to see. For example, red, black, blue or green.
- Insert your voted ballot in the white ballot envelope. You can also use your own envelope. Seal the envelope.
- Take the postal voting slip, fill in the date and sign it. The signature must be the same as the signature on your identity document.
- Make a copy of your valid Dutch identity document. A Dutch proof of identity can be:
- a valid Dutch passport
- a valid Dutch identity card
- a valid Dutch identity card for Aruba, Curaçao or Sint Maarten which states that you have Dutch citizenship (nationality)
- a valid identity card for Bonaire, Saba or Sint Eustatius which states that you have Dutch citizenship (nationality)
- Take the pre-addressed orange return envelope or a return envelope which you address yourself. And insert the following documents in the return envelope:
- the white sealed ballot envelope containing the filled-in ballot. (Have you lost the white ballot envelope or was it damaged? You can also use your own white envelope.)
- the signed postal voting slip
- the copy of your Dutch identity document
- Seal the return envelope and make sure it has sufficient postage.
- Mail the return envelope. The return envelope can be:
- sent to the polling station in The Hague.
- sent to or handed in at the Netherlands embassy or consulate. The embassy or consulate will forward your vote to the postal voting office in The Hague.
Sending your postal vote
Do you want to make sure that your postal vote arrives on time? Use the orange return envelope and write your own (return) address on the back. Send the envelope with sufficient postage and use priority mail service, if possible. According to PostNL, it will take an average of 5 to 15 days for your postal vote to arrive. This depends on the postal service of the country you are in. It is not necessary to use Track & trace or to send it by registered mail. The Track & trace information does not go across the border and registered mail is no faster in the Netherlands. Do you have any questions about sending your postal vote? Contact your local postal service.
Return envelope or own envelope
Using the pre-addressed orange return envelope is not mandatory. You can also use your own envelope in any colour. Would you still like to have a new orange return envelope? Request one by sending an email to Begin link: kbn.verkiezingen@denhaag.nl, end link. or by calling telephone number +31 (0) 70 353 44 00.
Are you using your own envelope? Then send it to:
Gemeente Den Haag
Kiezers buiten Nederland
Postbus 20020
2500 EA Den Haag
THE NETHERLANDS
Secret ballot
The signature on your postal voting slip will be compared to the signature on the copy of your Dutch identity document. The white envelope with your ballot will be placed unopened in the ballot box. This ensures that your vote cannot be linked to your identity and guarantees that you remain anonymous.
Contact
Do you have any questions? The Municipality of The Hague organises the elections for Dutch voters abroad. The Elections Unit is available on telephone number +31 70 353 44 00. Or send an email to Begin link: kbn.verkiezingen@denhaag.nl, end link. .
Also see: Dutch voters abroad