Message Box: the fastest way to communicate with the Dutch government

If you need or want to exchange messages with Dutch government organisations regarding your business, you can decide to use Message Box. Message Box is an official, secure and reliable email system that makes sure your message will reach the right address and therefore offers (legal) certainty.

You can also use Message Box for completing various procedures of the Dutch government, such as permit or licence applications, notifications and registrations. Or you can use it if you have any questions for Dutch governmental organisations about the way in which they apply rules in the Netherlands. In short, Message Box is the fastest way to communicate and deal with the Dutch government.

For whom?

Message Box is available for:

• Dutch/resident entrepeneurs
• Non-resident, foreign entrepreneurs from within the European Economic Area, who want to offer their services in the Netherlands. The EEA consists of the countries from the European Union, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein.

For which procedures?

Message Box is intended for:

• all procedures that are covered by the Services Act from the European Union
• a number of procedures from the Dutch province of Noord-Brabant
• applying for a Nature Conservation Act permit to the Dutch province of Limburg
• applying for a permit for the import, export and transit of strategic goods and services

Which governmental organisations are connected?

Message Box enables you to digitally exchange messages with:

• Dutch central government
• provincial councils
• municipal councils
• regional water authorities
• autonomous administrative authorities (Zelfstandige bestuursorganen, ZBO's), such as the Dutch Chamber of Commerce
• other organisations with a statutory role

If you send your message via Message Box to any of these authorities, you will receive a notification of receipt. Afterwards you will receive their decision on your request and, if applicable, an invoice. If you do not hear anything, it may be your request has been accepted implicitly. This is called lex silencio positivo. This obligation however only applies to procedures covered by the Services Act.

Questions?

Read the Message Box FAQ or contact the Message Box service desk. For information on how to set up an account, you can read Creating a Message Box account.