Guide
Is B2B cold email legal in the Netherlands? Article 11.7, quoted
The Dutch exception for companies is narrower than most guides say: it turns on why the address was published.
Short answer
Only in narrow cases. Article 11.7(1) prohibits unsolicited commercial electronic messages "tenzij de verzender kan aantonen dat de desbetreffende eindgebruiker daarvoor voorafgaand toestemming heeft verleend" (unless the sender can show that the end user gave prior consent) [1]. Companies and people acting in business can be written to without consent only if the sender uses contact details the recipient has designated and made known for receiving unsolicited commercial communication [3].
General information, not legal advice, as of the date above. Where a regulator says its guidance is under review, we say so. If your situation is unusual, ask a lawyer who practises in that country.
The rule
Article 11.7(1) of the Telecommunicatiewet: "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" [1]. Our translation: using automatic calling and communication systems without human intervention, fax and electronic messages to send unsolicited communication for commercial, idealistic or charitable purposes is prohibited, unless the sender can show that the end user gave prior consent for it. The burden of showing consent is on the sender.
The exception for companies
Paragraph 3 reads: "In afwijking van het eerste en tweede lid, is geen voorafgaande toestemming vereist voor het overbrengen van ongevraagde communicatie voor commerciële, ideële of charitatieve doeleinden aan een rechtspersoon of een natuurlijke persoon die handelt in de uitoefening van zijn beroep of bedrijf, indien:" [2]. Our translation: by way of derogation from the first and second paragraphs, no prior consent is required for sending unsolicited communication for commercial, idealistic or charitable purposes to a legal person or a natural person acting in the exercise of their profession or business, if the following applies.
The condition that matters is (a): "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" [3]. Our translation: the sender uses electronic contact details that the end user has intended and made known for receiving unsolicited communication for commercial, idealistic or charitable purposes, and uses them in line with the purposes the end user attached to them.
The other limb, (b), covers end users established outside the European Economic Area, so it does not help for Dutch recipients.
Our reading, and not a regulator's: the exception is not "B2B is free". It asks why the address was published. A general address on a contact page was most likely published for enquiries from customers, not to receive sales approaches. We did not find ACM guidance that settles where the line falls, so treat a Dutch company as consent-first unless the organisation has said it welcomes such messages.
What every email must contain
Paragraph 7 requires the real identity and a contact point in every message: "de werkelijke identiteit van degene namens wie de communicatie wordt overgebracht," [4] (the real identity of the person on whose behalf the communication is sent), and "een geldig postadres of nummer waaraan de ontvanger een verzoek tot beëindiging van dergelijke communicatie kan richten" [5] (a valid postal address or number to which the recipient can send a request to end such communication). Put a postal address in your signature to meet the wording.
The regulator, the ACM, adds on its spam page that the sender must be plain: "Gebruik geen fantasienaam (alias)" [6] (do not use a made-up name), that "In elk bericht staat de mogelijkheid tot afmelden" [7] (every message offers a way to unsubscribe), and that consent must be provable for five years: "U kunt deze toestemming bewijzen tot 5 jaar na verzending" [8].
Decision table
| Situation | Rule |
|---|---|
| The organisation or person asked to hear from you | Allowed: you can show prior consent |
| Address published with a statement that sales approaches are welcome | Allowed under the paragraph 3(a) exception |
| General address on a contact page | Doubtful: published for enquiries, not for this |
| Guessed address | No: nobody designated or published it |
| Anyone who objected | Never again [9] |
How Honest Intros fits
Honest Intros shows warnings on German and Australian companies only. It has no Dutch rule, so a campaign aimed at Dutch organisations is your decision at approval. Each email carries your details and an unsubscribe link, and an opt-out stops all further email at once. Adding a postal address to your signature is yours to do.
Questions
Is B2B cold email legal in the Netherlands?
Only in narrow cases. Article 11.7 needs prior consent, and the exception for companies applies when the sender uses contact details the recipient designated and made known for receiving unsolicited commercial communication.
Does the Dutch spam ban apply to company email addresses?
Yes. The ban covers legal persons and people acting in business, with the exception in paragraph 3, which depends on how the address was published.
What must a Dutch commercial email show?
The real identity of the person on whose behalf it is sent and a valid postal address or number for requests to end the communication. The ACM also says every message should offer a way to unsubscribe.
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