How to cancel a Dutch internet or phone contract (with English template letter)
Door Lisa van den BergBijgewerkt op 7 min lezen
After the initial term, a Dutch telecom contract runs on indefinitely and you can cancel any time with at most one month's notice. During the initial term you usually pay the remaining months, unless you move abroad or somewhere the provider can't deliver. English template letter included.
Short answer
As of 29 September 2026: once the initial contract period is over, you can cancel a Dutch internet, TV or mobile contract at any time with a notice period (opzegtermijn) of at most one month (ACM ConsuWijzer). You may cancel in the same way you signed up, so an online contract can be cancelled online. During the initial term (maximum 2 years) you usually have to pay for the remaining months. If you are moving abroad, KPN and Ziggo let you end the contract early with proof, such as a municipal deregistration or a job contract abroad (KPN, Ziggo). Always ask for written confirmation.
When can you cancel a Dutch telecom contract?
Any time after the initial term, with at most one month's notice. Dutch telecom contracts have a fixed initial term, typically 1 month, 1 year or 2 years, and a provider may not bind you for longer than 2 years. After that, the contract is not renewed for another fixed period: it continues indefinitely and you can cancel with a notice period of at most one month (ACM ConsuWijzer).
| Situation | Can you cancel? | What does it cost? |
|---|---|---|
| After the initial term | Yes, any time | Only the notice month |
| During the initial term | Yes | Usually the remaining months of the term |
| Moving abroad | Yes, with proof (KPN, Ziggo) | KPN: contract ends on your emigration date; Ziggo: no extra costs with proof |
| Moving to an address the provider can't serve | Yes, with proof (Ziggo) | No extra costs with proof |
| Price rise beyond what the contract allows | Yes, usually free | Nothing extra |
Not sure when your initial term ends? Our cancellation date calculator works it out. More detail: notice periods for internet, TV and mobile (in Dutch). The Dutch terms are explained in Dutch telecom contracts explained.
How do you cancel, step by step?
- Check your contract end date in your provider's app or online account.
- Switching provider? Let the new one cancel for you. For home internet, the switching service (overstapservice) means the new provider cancels your old contract and coordinates the switch; during a switch you may be without service for at most one working day (ACM ConsuWijzer). For mobile, porting your number to a new provider ends the old contract.
- Otherwise cancel yourself via the provider's online cancellation form, by phone or in writing. You may always cancel in writing, and in the same way you signed up (ACM ConsuWijzer).
- Ask for written confirmation by email or letter, with the end date.
- Return equipment such as the modem or TV box. KPN, for example, says returns via PostNL are free (KPN). Not returning it can lead to a charge; see returning your modem (in Dutch).
What should a cancellation letter say? (English template)
Your name, address, customer number, what you cancel, the date and a request for confirmation. Copy and adapt:
To: [provider name], customer service
Subject: Cancellation of my subscription – customer number [number]
Dear Sir or Madam,
I hereby cancel my [internet / TV / mobile] subscription, customer number [number], [phone number if mobile], at the address [street, house number, postcode, city].
Please end the subscription at the earliest possible date, taking into account the notice period of at most one month, or on [date] if that is later.
[If moving abroad: I am moving abroad on [date]. Attached is proof: [deregistration from the municipality / employment contract abroad / statement from a foreign educational institution].]
Please confirm this cancellation and the end date in writing and let me know how to return any equipment.
Kind regards,
[Name], [date of birth], [email address]
Prefer a ready-made letter? Our cancellation letter tool fills in the provider's details for you.
What if you leave the Netherlands?
Most large providers let you end the contract when you emigrate, but you need proof. KPN says the notice period is always one month and it accepts a municipal deregistration certificate, a job contract abroad or a statement from a foreign educational institution, in Dutch or English. A phone on instalments must be paid off in full first (KPN). Ziggo says your subscription can't cross the border with you and that with proof you can cancel early without extra costs (Ziggo). Check your own provider's rules; other providers may handle it differently.
Deregister first
You deregister with your municipality when you leave the Netherlands. The confirmation letter is the easiest proof for your telecom provider, your health insurer and other contracts.
The full list of things to arrange when arriving and leaving is in the moving checklist.
Veelgestelde vragen
At most one month once the initial contract period has ended. The contract then continues indefinitely and you can cancel at any time.
Usually yes with proof. KPN accepts a municipal deregistration, a foreign job contract or a school statement; Ziggo waives early termination costs with proof. A phone on instalments must be paid off.
You may always cancel in writing. Most providers handle an English letter or email; KPN explicitly accepts proof documents in Dutch or English.
Not if you use the switching service (overstapservice): the new provider cancels the old contract for you. Check afterwards that it happened; if not, cancel yourself straight away.
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