Selling and serving alcohol (alcohol licence)

The Alcohol Act defines who can sell (off-licence) or serve (on-licence) alcohol in the Netherlands, and which rules they need to follow. For instance, you must check the age of your customer. And you may not offer discounts over 25%. 

The Alcohol Act makes a distinction between: 

• Drinks with less than 15% alcohol, such as beer and wine (including port and sherry, also when the alcohol percentage of these beverages is higher than 15%)
• Strong drinks with 15% alcohol or more (spirits, liquor) 

Age verification rules for alcohol sales 

You are not allowed to sell alcohol to individuals younger than 18. You must always ask young people for their identity card to prove their age. Do you sell alcohol to someone who is younger than 18? You can get a fine, a (temporary) ban on selling alcohol, or your licence may be revoked. You also have a duty to prevent the sale of alcohol to underaged youths through persons who are aged 18 years or older (proxy sales). This is punishable. You, the entrepreneur, can then also be fined. 

Catering establishments 

If you want to serve alcoholic beverages in your catering establishment (your guests consume their drinks at your establishment), you must have an alcohol licence (alcoholvergunning). You apply for an alcohol licence to your municipality. Your staff members must be 16 years or older to serve alcoholic beverages. Bartenders younger than 18 may sell alcohol, but they are not allowed to drink it. Pre-secondary vocational (vmbo) pupils aged 14 and 15 are allowed to serve alcohol, only as part of their internship. 

Conditions for an alcohol licence 

If you sell or serve alcohol in your business, you need an alcohol licence. For example, you have a pub, restaurant or off-licence (liquor store). To be eligible for an alcohol licence, the owner and manager(s) of the company must meet several requirements, such as:

• you must be at least 21
• you must have a Social Hygiene diploma or certificate. This applies to all owners and co-owners of a catering establishment
• you must be registered in the Social Hygiene Register

Please check all conditions and costs for an alcohol licence with your municipality.

Shops 

Do you own a shop where you sell groceries? You are allowed to sell low-alcohol beverages such as beer, wine, port, and sherry (less than 15%) without an alcohol licence. You cannot sell liquor (over 15%). You can only sell the alcoholic drinks in a closed container and your customers cannot drink or sample the beverage in your store. This also applies to businesses such as department stores, snack bars, and delivery services (retail). 

You cannot sell alcohol in a non-food retail shop (such as a clothes shop). 

Shop with a catering section 

If you want to serve alcoholic beverages in a licenced catering section, your premises must comply with certain rules:

• The area must be separated from the shop on all sides and must be lockable.
• Your premises must comply with the general building regulations and with the layout requirements for catering establishments.
• A customer must be able to enter your main shop without having to pass through the licenced catering section.

Off-licence or liquor store 

You can only sell liquor (over 15%, spirits) in your off-licence (liquor store) if you have a liquor licence (alcoholvergunning voor het slijtersbedrijf or slijterijvergunning). You apply for a liquor licence to your municipality. Liquor stores/off-licences may not be directly connected to another shop. There must be a hallway between both stores. 

You can only sell the liquor (and other alcohol) in closed containers, and your customers cannot drink the alcohol in your store. You may not sell anything other than beverages or products related to these beverages (such as corkscrews). Customers are allowed to taste alcoholic beverages for free, if they ask for it. However, this can only be offered by the staff of your off-licence. A promotion team is not allowed to do this. 

Your staff must be at least 16 years. Staff aged 14 and 15 are only allowed if they are working for you as part of their pre-secondary vocational (vmbo) internship. 

Wholesalers 

Wholesalers need a liquor licence if they want to sell strong alcoholic beverages (over 15%) to consumers. You apply for a liquor licence to your municipality. Does your wholesale business sell exclusively to businesses (B2B)? Then you do not need a liquor licence. 

Petrol (service) station 

You cannot sell any alcoholic beverages in petrol stations. 

Selling alcoholic beverages online 

Do you want to sell alcoholic beverages online? For low alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, port, and sherry) you do not need an alcohol licence. You need a liquor licence if you want to sell high-alcohol beverages (more than 15%). You apply for a liquor licence to your municipality. 

These rules apply to, for example: 

• supermarkets with a web shop
• off-licences (liquor stores) with a web shop
• web shops
• beer delivery services ('bierkoeriers')
• online food delivery services 

Age verification for web shops 

You cannot sell alcoholic beverages to minors (under 18). If you sell alcohol from a distance, from a web shop or by telephone, you have to verify the age of your customer twice: 

1. before the purchase, and
2. upon delivery 

There are also rules on how to verify a customer’s age. Find out more on the rules for age verification for distance sales of alcohol. 

Selling alcoholic beverages at an event or on a market 

Do you want to serve alcoholic beverages at an event? And do you not have a licence for the location you want to serve these drinks? You can apply for a licence dispensation under the Alcohol Act (tapontheffing) to your municipality. This applies to low alcoholic drinks (less than 15%). You may also need an event licence. 

You are not allowed to sell or serve alcoholic beverages from a market stall. 

Discounts 

As a retailer you must limit discounts on alcohol sales to at most 25% (in Dutch). This applies to web shops and physical shops such as supermarkets and liquor stores. Other promotions are also forbidden if the discount for customers amounts to more than 25%. This rule does not apply to drinks that are consumed at the spot, such as at bars or in restaurants. 

Online application procedure via Message Box 

You can also apply for the alcohol licence and the licence dispensation under the Alcohol Act online via Message Box. Message Box is a secure email system that enables you as an entrepreneur to exchange digital messages with Dutch government agencies.