Voting by post if you live outside the Netherlands
If you are registered as a Dutch voter abroad, you can send your postal vote to the polling station in The Hague. Alternatively, you can post or hand deliver your postal vote to a Dutch embassy or consulate-general.
Postal vote certificate, return envelope and ballot paper envelope
A postal vote certificate is a voting pass for voters outside the Netherlands. The municipality of The Hague sends the postal vote certificate, return envelope and ballot paper envelope by post about 12 weeks before the elections.
Ballot paper and list of candidates
You mark your vote on the ballot paper. The municipality of The Hague sends the ballot paper and list of candidates about 4 weeks before the elections. You will receive them by email (or by post if that’s what you requested when you registered). If you would like to change how you receive your ballot paper, contact the municipality of The Hague (thehague.nl).
Together with your voting documents you will receive detailed instructions on how to send your vote to the postal vote polling station in The Hague. The instructions can also be found on the website of the municipality of The Hague. You must send your vote by post.
It’s also possible to post or hand deliver your postal vote to a Dutch embassy or consulate-general. Call the embassy or consulate-general for instructions.
- Do you want to post your vote? Please contact the embassy or consulate general to find out if the postal address is the same as the visiting address.
- Would you like to drop off your postal vote? Please contact the embassy or consulate general to find out when you can do so.
If you live in Aruba, Curaçao or St Maarten, you will receive your voting documents through the Dutch representation. You can also cast your vote here.
Find out more about voter registration for residents of Aruba, Curaçao and St Maarten (thehague.nl)
If the postal service in the country where you live is slow or unreliable, you can arrange for someone in the Netherlands to vote on your behalf. This is called voting by proxy and is only possible in the elections for the House of Representatives and the European Parliament.
If you are in the Netherlands at the time of the election, you can vote with a voter’s pass in a Dutch municipality.