Guidelines for your mailbox

Guidelines for your mailbox

Your house or apartment must be equipped with a mailbox so that the letter carrier can easily deliver your mail. Therefore, a ministerial decree established a number of guidelines that your mailbox must meet.

1) Accessibility

Your mailbox must be easily accessible so that the letter carrier doesn't have to bend over backwards to deliver your mail.

2) Location

Your mailbox must be placed at the separation of your property and the public road. In apartment buildings the mailboxes can be placed e.g. at the front door or on the ground floor as long as the letter carrier can reach them easily.

3) Opening

The opening of the letterbox should be 23 cm wide and 3 cm high. These are ideal dimensions so that the mail can easily get in, but cannot be taken out by just anyone. The ideal height of the letterbox itself is between 70 and 170 cm.

4) Name and number

If you put your name on your mailbox, the letter carrier is sure that he puts the mail there correctly. Your house number ( and bus number) must also be clearly visible.

What if my mailbox is not compliant?

If mailbox does not meet the proper guidelines, you might receive a warning. If you have not made adjustments after two warnings, you will no longer receive mail. Your mail will then only be held at the post office for fifteen days. If you have not picked up your mail by then, it will be returned to the sender.

Exceptions

Exceptions are made for the location of the mailbox or the height/size of the slot only in the following cases:

- Classified buildings with built-in mailboxes

- Houses occupied before 31 December 2007

- Persons with disabilities (visual or mobile)