Sinterklaas 2026 from abroad: when to order and what can go in the parcel

Pakjesavond, the Dutch Sinterklaas gift evening, falls on Saturday 5 December in 2026. If you live outside the Netherlands, Sinterklaas starts a lot earlier than at home: the chocolate letters, pepernoten and toys from the Dutch catalogues have to be ordered, forwarded and in your house on time. If you only start in November you are usually still fine within the EU, but for the United States, Canada or Australia that is too late.

This article is the practical planning for 2026: per region, how many weeks before pakjesavond you order at the latest, what does and does not fit in a Sinterklaas parcel, and how orders from different Dutch web shops come together in one box at DZH Transport. The background on customs, gifts and surprise parcels from family is in our general article on sending a Sinterklaas parcel abroad.

When to order: count back in weeks from 5 December

Count back from Friday 4 December, the last working day before pakjesavond. That has to cover the web shop delivering to us, us reporting your parcel and you approving it, the journey to your country and, in December, extra room for the carriers' busiest weeks. As a rule of thumb: within the EU you order at the latest three weeks before pakjesavond, so around mid-November. For the United Kingdom and Switzerland allow four to five weeks, because your parcel passes customs there; early November is then the latest moment.

For the United States and Canada allow six weeks, so late October, and for Australia, New Zealand and other far destinations seven weeks or more. That sounds generous, but a customs check can easily add a week and in December the carriers' networks are full. If you bundle several orders, the deadline applies to the last order: the box only leaves once everything has arrived. These are recommendations from experience, not guarantees.

What can go in the parcel?

Chocolate letters, pepernoten, kruidnoten, speculaas and marzipan in their original shop packaging usually travel without problems, as do toys, books and clothing. Shelf-stable and packaged is the key: perishable products such as fresh dairy, meat or pastry with cream filling we do not send, and in many countries they would not pass customs either. When registering the parcel in My DZH, tick that it contains food, so we put it correctly on the customs papers.

For the United States there is an extra step: a parcel with food sent by a business requires a prior notice to the FDA. So state exactly what is inside when you register the parcel, and allow some extra time. Chocolate to Australia, New Zealand or South Africa travels into summer in December and can melt on the way; we do not ship refrigerated. What your country allows is decided by customs there; if in doubt about a product, leave it out.

Several shops, one box

A Sinterklaas parcel rarely comes from one shop: the chocolate letters from one web shop, the toys from another, a book from a third. You request your DZH address in My DZH and use it with your customer code as the delivery address at every Dutch web shop. We receive each parcel and report it, and you approve once the last one is in. Then we pack everything into one box: shipping costs once and customs once instead of three times.

You see the price for forwarding in the calculator beforehand, with no subscription; as standard your shipment is insured up to €99. Do keep an eye on the weight: pepernoten and chocolate add up, and a box that lands just above a weight limit costs more. Outside the EU the recipient pays import VAT and usually import duties on delivery, also on a gift you bought yourself. If family in the Netherlands wants to add something, they order with your customer code and it goes into the same box.

Frequently asked questions