What are the email marketing best practices and GDPR requirements for EMEA countries like Poland, Turkey, Romania, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Croatia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Latvia, and Estonia?

Summary

Email marketing in EMEA requires a dual focus on GDPR compliance and deliverability best practices. GDPR mandates explicit, informed consent (often via double opt-in), purpose limitation, and respect for individual data rights, with significant fines for non-compliance. Specific countries like Poland have unique regulations, while Hungary and the Czech Republic use different mailbox providers. Deliverability strategies involve email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), list segmentation and cleaning, dedicated IPs, monitoring sender reputation, and adapting to local customs. Technical and organizational measures are essential to ensure data security and facilitate individual rights.

Key findings

  • GDPR's Strict Consent: Requires explicit, informed consent (often double opt-in) and demonstrable consent, avoiding pre-ticked boxes. Individuals have extensive rights.
  • Deliverability via Authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are crucial for authenticating emails and avoiding spam filters.
  • List Management: Segmenting and regularly cleaning email lists improves deliverability and engagement.
  • Country-Specific Rules: Poland has unique legal text requirements; Hungary and Czech Republic rely on specific mailbox providers (Seznam, Freemail).
  • GDPR Compliance: Requires a clear and accessible privacy policy and easy unsubscription options.
  • Penalties for Non-Compliance: Significant fines for failing to comply with GDPR requirements, emphasizing its importance.
  • Cultural Adaptation: Understanding and respecting local customs and languages is important for effective campaigns.

Key considerations

  • Obtain and Document Consent: Implement double opt-in and maintain records of consent to demonstrate compliance.
  • Implement Email Authentication: Configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to verify email sources and avoid spam filters.
  • Localize Marketing Efforts: Research and adapt to local customs, languages, and legal requirements in each EMEA country.
  • Ensure Data Security: Implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect personal data.
  • Comply with GDPR: Regularly review and update compliance measures, including privacy policies and data processing practices.
  • Facilitate Individual Rights: Have processes in place to handle requests related to data access, rectification, erasure, and portability.
  • Monitor Performance: Continuously monitor sender reputation and deliverability metrics to identify and address issues.

What email marketers say
14Marketer opinions

Email marketing in the EMEA region requires careful consideration of GDPR and local regulations. Best practices involve obtaining explicit consent (often through double opt-in), providing transparent privacy policies, and ensuring easy unsubscription. Specific countries like Poland have unique legal text requirements, while Hungary and the Czech Republic rely on non-standard mailbox providers with stricter filters. Deliverability is enhanced by using a dedicated IP, authenticating emails (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), segmenting lists, cleaning lists, and monitoring sender reputation. Adapting to local customs and languages is also crucial for effective marketing campaigns.

Key opinions

  • GDPR Compliance: GDPR applies to all organizations processing data of EU citizens, requiring explicit consent, transparent data processing, and easy unsubscription.
  • Country-Specific Regulations: Poland has stringent legal text requirements, while Hungary and the Czech Republic rely on non-standard mailbox providers with stricter filters.
  • Email Authentication: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication protocols is critical for improving email deliverability.
  • Double Opt-In: Many EMEA countries, especially Germany, require double opt-in to ensure verifiable consent.
  • List Hygiene: Regularly cleaning email lists by removing inactive subscribers and hard bounces improves sender reputation and deliverability.
  • Personalization: Tailoring emails to individual subscribers using relevant details increases engagement and conversion rates.

Key considerations

  • Legal Compliance: Consult with legal counsel to ensure compliance with GDPR and local regulations in each EMEA country.
  • Localization: Adapt marketing messages and practices to local customs, languages, and cultural norms.
  • Technical Setup: Implement proper email authentication, list segmentation, and cleaning procedures to optimize deliverability.
  • Monitoring: Continuously monitor sender reputation and adjust strategies based on performance metrics and feedback.
  • Provider Specifics: Be mindful of specific email providers used in countries like Czech Republic and Hungary and use available postmaster tools where available.
  • Data Security: Keep data secure and be transparent about data processing.
Marketer view

Email marketer from ActiveCampaign recommends to segment your list based on demographics, behavior, purchase history, and engagement. This helps you send more relevant emails and improve engagement rates. Use automation to trigger emails based on specific actions.

February 2025 - ActiveCampaign
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks notes that in Hungary and the Czech Republic many users use non-standard mailbox providers like seznam.cz and freemail.hu which may use stricter filters than providers such as Gmail.

May 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit user explains that under GDPR, consent must be freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous. Pre-ticked boxes are not valid. You must clearly explain what the user is consenting to. Keep records of consent and allow users to easily withdraw consent.

July 2023 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Sendinblue explains that for GDPR compliance, obtain explicit consent, provide a clear and accessible privacy policy, allow easy unsubscription, keep data secure, and be transparent about data processing. Implement double opt-in and regularly review and update your compliance measures.

March 2022 - Sendinblue
Marketer view

Email marketer from IAPP explains that GDPR applies to any organization processing personal data of EU citizens, regardless of the organization's location. Consent must be freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous. Data processing must be lawful, fair, and transparent. Individuals have rights to access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, data portability, and to object to processing.

March 2023 - IAPP
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests including GDPR information in the privacy policy instead of every email, to avoid deliverability issues. Recommends adding company address, name, contact number, and subscriber email address in the footer. Also mentions that some Polish providers like Onet may require payment for premium delivery for large email volumes. He identifies popular "non standard" email providers in Poland: wp.pl group (o2.pl and wp.pl), onet.pl, interia.pl, gazeta.pl

August 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Warrior Forum shares that when marketing in other countries you should research local customs, understand the language and slang, respect cultural norms, and adjust your marketing message to fit.

February 2023 - Warrior Forum
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that Seznam in the Czech Republic has a postmaster tool where domains can be registered to provide insights into deliverability.

July 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Woodpecker shares that personalization is vital for email marketing success. Tailor your emails to individual subscribers by using their name, company, and other relevant details. This can increase engagement and conversion rates.

June 2022 - Woodpecker
Marketer view

Email marketer from Klaviyo explains that maintaining good email deliverability involves using a dedicated IP address, authenticating your emails (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), segmenting your list, cleaning your list regularly to remove inactive subscribers, and monitoring your sender reputation.

October 2024 - Klaviyo
Marketer view

Email marketer from SuperOffice explains to regularly clean your email list by removing inactive subscribers, those who have unsubscribed, and those who have hard bounced. This helps improve your sender reputation and deliverability. Use double opt-in to ensure subscribers are genuinely interested.

October 2021 - SuperOffice
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that Poland has strict GDPR requirements, including a lengthy legal text that needs to be added to every email, typically at the end after the sign-out. Provides an example of the text and advises to check with a lawyer as laws may have changed.

December 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet shares that in Germany, the key is to have explicit double opt-in. You must obtain verifiable consent before sending any marketing emails. The imprint (Impressum) is mandatory, including the company name, address, and contact details in every email.

October 2022 - Mailjet
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus shares that you should always authenticate your emails using SPF, DKIM and DMARC as part of your standard practice. This is because it helps mailbox providers verify you are who you claim to be. When you fail to do this your emails may go to spam.

September 2024 - Litmus

What the experts say
3Expert opinions

Successfully navigating email marketing in the EMEA region requires a strong understanding of GDPR and technical best practices for deliverability. Experts emphasize the importance of explicit consent, often achieved through double opt-in processes, to comply with GDPR regulations. Furthermore, implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication is crucial for verifying email sources and avoiding spam filters. Failure to adhere to GDPR’s consent and purpose limitation rules can result in significant financial penalties.

Key opinions

  • Explicit Consent Required: GDPR mandates explicit consent, recommending double opt-in to ensure subscribers genuinely want to receive emails.
  • Authentication is Critical: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication protocols are essential for verifying email sources and improving deliverability.
  • GDPR Impact: GDPR imposes demonstrable consent, purpose limitation, and gives individuals greater control over their data, impacting email marketing practices.

Key considerations

  • Implement Double Opt-In: Establish a double opt-in process to ensure explicit consent is obtained and documented for each subscriber.
  • Configure Email Authentication: Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication to ensure emails are verified and not marked as spam.
  • Comply with GDPR: Understand and adhere to GDPR requirements, including consent, purpose limitation, and individual data rights, to avoid fines.
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource explains that implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication protocols is critical for improving email deliverability. These protocols help verify that emails are sent from legitimate sources, reducing the risk of being marked as spam.

April 2021 - Spam Resource
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource explains that GDPR requires explicit consent and recommends implementing a double opt-in process to ensure valid consent is obtained. This helps confirm that the subscriber genuinely wants to receive emails from you.

March 2024 - Spam Resource
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that GDPR significantly impacts email marketing by requiring demonstrable consent, purpose limitation, and providing individuals with greater control over their data. Email marketers must ensure compliance to avoid hefty fines.

May 2022 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says
3Technical articles

GDPR introduced significant changes impacting email marketing, including stricter consent rules, expanded individual rights (access, portability, erasure), mandatory breach notifications, and increased enforcement with substantial fines for non-compliance. Consent must be freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous, requiring clear affirmative action from the data subject. Organizations must also facilitate individuals' rights to be informed, access, rectify, erase, restrict processing, data portability, and object to processing, as well as rights related to automated decision-making.

Key findings

  • Stronger Data Consent Rules: GDPR necessitates that consent be freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous, requiring a clear affirmative action from the data subject.
  • Expanded Individual Rights: Individuals possess rights to access, portability, erasure, rectification, restriction of processing, and objection to processing, which organizations must facilitate.
  • Mandatory Breach Notification: Organizations are required to notify data protection authorities and affected individuals in the event of a data breach.
  • Stricter Enforcement: Non-compliance with GDPR can result in substantial fines, making adherence critical.

Key considerations

  • Obtain Explicit Consent: Ensure that consent is freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous before processing personal data for email marketing.
  • Facilitate Individual Rights: Establish processes to allow individuals to exercise their rights to access, rectify, erase, and port their data.
  • Implement Data Security Measures: Adopt appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure data security and protect against data breaches.
  • Establish Breach Notification Procedures: Develop and implement procedures for notifying data protection authorities and affected individuals in the event of a data breach.
Technical article

Documentation from ICO explains that individuals have the right to be informed, right of access, right to rectification, right to erasure, right to restrict processing, right to data portability, right to object, and rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling. Organizations must facilitate these rights.

October 2024 - ICO
Technical article

Documentation from Article 29 Working Party explains guidelines on consent clarify that consent must be a freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous indication of the data subject's wishes by which he or she, by a statement or by a clear affirmative action, signifies agreement to the processing of personal data relating to him or her.

April 2023 - European Data Protection Board
Technical article

Documentation from European Commission explains that GDPR brought key changes including stronger rules on data consent, new rights for individuals (access, portability, erasure), mandatory breach notification, and stricter enforcement with significant fines for non-compliance. Organizations must implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure data security.

December 2023 - European Commission