PostNL is the Netherlands' main postal and parcel carrier, and a common one across the Benelux region, so if you ship there its statuses will land on your tracking pages. This guide explains each PostNL status in plain language, in the order a parcel normally moves through them, and flags the few that need action.
Short answer: "Shipment announced / registered" means a label exists but PostNL has not received the parcel yet. "Sorting," "Being sorted," and "In transit" are the parcel moving normally. "Out for delivery" means it arrives today. "Delivered" and "Delivered to neighbours" are completed deliveries. Only "Not delivered," "Available at a PostNL point" (if unexpected), and "Returned to sender" need attention. A parcel delivered to neighbours is normal in the Netherlands, not a problem.
PostNL statuses at a glance
| Status | What it means | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Shipment announced / registered | Label exists, not received yet | Wait |
| Received / Being sorted | In PostNL's network | None |
| In transit / Sorting | Moving between depots | None |
| Out for delivery | With the courier today | None |
| Delivered | Done | Check if not received |
| Delivered to neighbours | Left with a neighbour (normal in NL) | Ask the neighbour |
| Available at a PostNL point | Waiting for collection | Collect within the window |
| Not delivered | Attempt failed | Check next step |
| Returned to sender | Undeliverable | Contact the store |
The normal PostNL sequence
Shipment announced / We have received the shipment information. The store created the label and sent PostNL the data, but PostNL has not physically received the parcel. A label exists, nothing is moving yet. If it lasts more than a business day, the parcel has not been handed over.
Received / Being sorted. First physical scan and sorting. The parcel is in PostNL's network.
In transit / Sorting. Moving between PostNL depots and sorting centres. A quiet stretch of a day is normal.
Out for delivery. With the courier for delivery today, often with a time window. See what "out for delivery" means.
Delivered / Delivered to neighbours. Done. Delivering to a neighbour when the recipient is out is standard practice in the Netherlands, and PostNL records which neighbour. If the customer cannot find it, see package says delivered but not received.
The statuses that need action
Not delivered. A failed attempt or a problem. PostNL usually reattempts, redirects to a PostNL point, or holds the parcel, and the next line says which. Messaging the customer at this scan cuts avoidable WISMO tickets.
Available at a PostNL point. The parcel is waiting for collection at a PostNL location, often after a failed attempt or for a signature item, with a limited holding window. Surface it clearly on your tracking page.
Returned to sender. Unclaimed, refused, or undeliverable. This should open your returns flow automatically so the refund or reship decision happens while the parcel is still moving.
Why PostNL's neighbour delivery confuses non-Dutch shoppers (the merchant view)
Delivering to a neighbour is normal and expected in the Netherlands, but a shopper elsewhere reads "delivered to neighbours" as a missing parcel. And PostNL words its milestones differently from DPD, GLS, and every other carrier you use. Carriers emit anywhere from 10 to 115 distinct statuses each.
Pango normalizes PostNL's statuses, along with GLS, DHL, DPD and 100+ other carriers, into one clean set of milestones on your branded tracking page, and can spell out helpful detail like which neighbour has the parcel, so a normal Dutch delivery does not become a support ticket, and a genuine failed delivery triggers a proactive message.
The bottom line
Most PostNL statuses are normal Benelux parcel movement, and "delivered to neighbours" is standard, not a fault. Watch only for not delivered, unexpected point collection, and returns. For merchants shipping the Netherlands, the fix is normalizing PostNL's feed and explaining its neighbour deliveries clearly. See how it works on the post-purchase operations platform and book a demo.
