B2B cold email: the rules in 28 European countries
Can you email a foreign business that never asked to hear from you? The answer depends on the recipient’s country and on the type of address. This map gives it for 28 European countries, address type by address type, with the text that decides and its source. It is dated and will be revised.
How to read this map Opt-out: you may write without prior consent, provided you identify the sender, state where the address came from and offer an unsubscribe in every message. Prior consent: without the recipient’s provable consent, sending is prohibited. Conditional: allowed only in the case described. The country that counts is the one where the receiving business is established, according to its legal notice, not its domain extension.
At a glance
Open to businesses, on an opt-out basis: France, Ireland, United Kingdom (companies), Finland, Estonia, Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, Sweden.
Conditional: Belgium and Norway (generic address only), Portugal (after checking the national list).
Closed, prior consent even for a business: Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland.
Partial: Cyprus (rule for individuals read, regime for businesses referred to a decree we have not read).
The map
| Country | Generic company address (contact@, info@) | Named employee address (firstname.lastname@) | Sole trader | Text and penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France Open |
Opt-out. The CNIL writes that these addresses, which belong to legal entities, are not subject to the principles for prospecting individuals | Opt-out, if the message relates to their profession; prior information and a simple, free opt-out | Opt-out if the message concerns their trade, on our reading of the CNIL’s position on professionals. For an offer touching their private life, prior consent | Postal and Electronic Communications Code, art. L34-5, and CNIL guidance of 10 June 2026. Administrative fine of up to 375,000 euros for a legal entity |
| Ireland Open |
Opt-out. Writing after a removal request is an offence | Not settled by the sources we could read: be careful | Not settled by the sources we could read: be careful | S.I. 336/2011, regulation 13. Criminal offence: a company was prosecuted in 2018 over a single email sent after three removal requests |
| United Kingdom Open to companies |
Opt-out, for a corporate body (Ltd, LLP, plc, Scottish partnership) | Opt-out, but the address is personal data: the UK GDPR applies | Prior consent, or existing customer: sole traders and some partnerships are treated as individuals | PECR 2003, regulation 22, and ICO guidance, under review following the Data (Use and Access) Act |
| Finland Open |
Opt-out: allowed unless the business has expressly refused, with a refusal option in every message | Not settled by the text, which distinguishes natural persons from businesses: be careful | Prior consent: natural person | Act 917/2014 on Electronic Communications Services, sections 200 and 202 |
| Estonia Open |
Opt-out: a free and simple way to refuse in every message | Not settled by the text: be careful | Prior consent: natural person | Electronic Communications Act, section 103¹(1) and (2) |
| Croatia Open |
Opt-out: the law exempts legal persons from the consent requirement. Sender identity and an opt-out address are mandatory | Not settled by the text: be careful | Prior consent, on our reading: the exemption only covers legal persons | Electronic Communications Act (NN 76/2022), art. 50(1), (3) and (4) |
| Slovenia Open |
Opt-out: the consent requirement only covers subscribers who are natural persons | Allowed if the company published this address as its contact address | Prior consent: natural person | ZEKom-2, art. 226(1), (4) and (6) |
| Hungary Open, on our reading |
Opt-out, on our reading: the prior consent in the Advertising Act covers a natural person as recipient | Prior consent, on our reading: the recipient is a natural person | Prior consent: natural person | Act XLVIII of 2008 on advertising, section 6; Act CVIII of 2001, sections 14 and 14/A (an email asking for consent is itself an advertisement) |
| Sweden Open to legal persons |
Opt-out: a valid unsubscribe address is mandatory, including towards a legal person | Not settled by the text, which protects natural persons: be careful | Prior consent: natural person | Marketing Act (2008:486), sections 19 and 20 |
| Belgium Conditional |
Conditional: an impersonal address of a legal entity, for an offer aimed at legal entities. Removal to be confirmed by acknowledgement | Prior consent: it is a natural person’s address, even when used for work | Prior consent: the exemption only covers legal entities | Royal Decree of 4 April 2003, art. 1 and 2, and explanatory report |
| Norway Conditional |
Allowed: an address that does not belong to a specific person, such as post@, can receive marketing | Prior consent, even if the offer is aimed at the business and even if the address is listed in the company register | Prior consent: natural person | Marketing Control Act, section 15, and guidance from the Consumer Authority (Forbrukertilsynet) |
| Portugal Conditional |
Conditional: a company not registered on the national opt-out list kept by the Directorate-General for the Consumer, which the sender must check | Prior consent, on our reading: the law requires it from the “user”, a natural person | Prior consent: natural person | Law 41/2004, art. 13-A and 13-B. From 5,000 to 5,000,000 euros for a legal entity |
| Germany Closed |
Express prior consent | Express prior consent | Express prior consent | UWG section 7. Mainly civil risk: a single email can be an unlawful interference with the business (BGH, 20 May 2009, I ZR 218/07) |
| Austria Closed |
Prior consent of the recipient, with no distinction | Prior consent | Prior consent | TKG 2021, section 174(3). Administrative fine of up to 50,000 euros (section 188(4)) |
| Denmark Closed |
Prior consent, generic addresses included (info@) | Prior consent | Prior consent | Marketing Practices Act, section 10, and the Consumer Ombudsman’s 2021 guidance. Offence punishable by a fine |
| Spain Closed |
Prior consent: the law protects every recipient, natural or legal person | Prior consent | Prior consent | LSSI art. 21. Up to 30,000 euros, from 30,001 to 150,000 euros for a mass or repeated mailing |
| Greece Closed |
Express prior consent: the law extends the rule to subscribers that are legal persons | Express prior consent | Express prior consent | Law 3471/2006, art. 11(1) and (7) |
| Italy Closed |
Prior consent, even if the address appears on a website or in a public directory | Prior consent | Prior consent | Privacy Code art. 130, Garante guidelines of 4 July 2013. Reprimand issued on 12 February 2026 to a small company |
| Latvia Closed, on our reading |
Free and unambiguous prior consent of the service recipient, with no distinction in the text | Prior consent | Prior consent | Information Society Services Law, section 9 |
| Liechtenstein Closed |
Express prior consent of the recipient. Particularity: a single email asking for consent is allowed, if it states the right to refuse | Express prior consent, same tolerance for the single request | Express prior consent, same tolerance for the single request | Electronic Communications Act (KomG, LGBl. 2023 no. 216), art. 63 |
| Malta Closed |
Prior written consent, whether the recipient is a natural or a legal person | Prior written consent | Prior written consent | S.L. 586.01, regulation 9 |
| Netherlands Closed |
Prior consent, except an address the business published to receive commercial offers | Prior consent, same exception | Prior consent, same exception | Telecommunicatiewet art. 11.7. Up to 900,000 euros or 1% of turnover. A Belgian company was fined for emailing small businesses, 75,000 euros after appeal (2016) |
| Poland Closed |
Prior consent of every end user, businesses included. Consent can result from an address provided in order to receive commercial information | Prior consent | Prior consent | Electronic Communications Law of 2024 (PKE), art. 398. Up to 3% of turnover |
| Romania Closed, on our reading |
Express prior consent of the subscriber or user, with no distinction in the article | Express prior consent | Express prior consent | Law 506/2004, art. 12. From 5,000 to 100,000 lei, up to 2% of turnover above 5 million lei |
| Slovakia Closed |
Provable prior consent, obtained before any contact. Writing to ask for consent is prohibited | Provable prior consent | Provable prior consent | Act 452/2021, section 116. From 200 euros to 5% of turnover; proof of consent kept four years after withdrawal |
| Switzerland Closed |
Prior consent for mass advertising | Prior consent for mass advertising | Prior consent for mass advertising | Unfair Competition Act art. 3(1)(o). Criminal offence on complaint when intentional: up to three years’ imprisonment or a monetary penalty |
| Czechia Closed |
Prior consent of every user, natural or legal person | Prior consent | Prior consent | Act 480/2004, sections 7 and 11. Up to 10 million koruna for a bulk or repeated mailing |
| Cyprus Partial |
The law refers to a 2005 decree on legal persons, which we could not read | Not settled: be careful | Prior consent: natural person | Law 112(I)/2004, art. 106(5) |
What applies in every country
The recipient’s law applies. The European e-commerce directive excludes unsolicited commercial email from the country-of-origin principle. Writing from France does not place you under French law alone.
The GDPR comes on top as soon as an address identifies someone. Even where sending is allowed, you must tell the person where their address came from and offer an opt-out from the first message.
Every message identifies the sender and offers an unsubscribe. This is required in every country on this map, including those that close cold email: the rule also applies to permitted mailings.
What this map is not Legal advice. Cells marked “on our reading” or “not settled” flag a point that the texts and authorities do not settle explicitly: when in doubt, treat the contact as a private individual. For a large volume or a borderline case, have it confirmed by a lawyer in the country concerned.
The method, laid out
Each cell rests on the law in force, as published by the country itself, or on the page of the authority responsible for enforcing it, opened on 13 October 2026. The sources for the ten main markets and the analysis are set out in our article B2B cold email in Europe.
Four countries are still missing, because we could not read their official text in force: Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Iceland. Lithuania changed its rule for businesses on 22 April 2026: we will only publish it once we have read the new text. A rule can change from one month to the next: this map is dated for that reason, and each revision will be noted here.
FAQ
In which countries can you email businesses without their consent?
Of the 28 countries on this map, checked on 13 October 2026: France, Ireland, the United Kingdom for companies, Finland, Estonia, Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary and Sweden, with an opt-out in every message. Belgium and Norway only allow a company’s generic address, Portugal after checking its national list. Fifteen countries require prior consent even for a business, including Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland.
The United Kingdom has left the European Union: have its rules changed?
The United Kingdom still applies its 2003 PECR regulations: a company can receive prospecting without prior consent, a sole trader cannot. Its guidance is under review following the Data (Use and Access) Act; we will update the line once it is published.
Can I send a first email to ask for consent?
Almost never in a country that requires prior consent. The Italian Garante writes that consent cannot be requested through a first promotional message, Slovak law prohibits writing to obtain consent, and Hungarian law treats a consent request as an advertisement. Liechtenstein is the exception: it allows a single request email, which must state the right to refuse.
Can Dotsland help prepare a European campaign?
Yes. We build the market-by-market acquisition strategy and the list sorting that goes with it, in our digital marketing strategy expertise. Get in touch.