Approval and proof of identity of private security and investigation agencies staff
Do you want to hire people for your private security firm or detective agency? You need permission from your local chief of police for every single employee. Managers must be approved by the Minister of Justice and Security.
Permission for employees
You apply for permission for all your employees to the office of the chief of police in your area (in Dutch). You must do so for all employees, even if they do not perform security or detective work. Employees are screened for:
- their reliability and professional competence
- any prior convictions
In some cases you can apply for an exemption (Aanvraagformulier ontheffing Wpbr, in Dutch) if your employee does not meet the qualification requirement.
Will your employee work at an aviation site? You must apply for permission from the Civil Aviation Security Monitoring Brigade (BTBB) of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (Koninklijke Marechaussee).
Approval for managers
Managers need to have approval from the Minister of Justice and Security. You must submit a separate application to Justis for each manager (in Dutch). Anyone performing management tasks or who has a say in the running of your organisation must be approved. When granted, this permission is valid for the duration of the licence, with a maximum of 5 years. You need to apply for permission for every new manager or supervisor you hire.
If a manager does security or investigative work as well, they need a separate approval for this.
Apply for a special ID
Once you have permission, you can apply for a special identification document (in Dutch) for your employee, signed by the local chief of police. Your employees are required to carry this special proof of identity at all times at work. Your organisation must keep a secure register of your employees’ identity documents. The document is valid for 3 years at most. IYou must renew it 3 months in advance. The employee must return the expired document when they collect their new ID in person.
If your employee stops working in security, you as the employer have to return the document in person to the chief of police. If you fail to do so, you may be fined.
Foreign employees
Foreign security personnel and detectives who want to work in the Netherlands must provide proof of their reliability and qualifications. They can request 'Recognition of EU professional qualifications' (Erkenning van EU-beroepskwalificaties) at the judiciary service Justis.
Declaration of reliability of alarm installers
Private alarm centres in the Netherlands may only have alarm equipment installed and maintained by certified installers. You must apply for a declaration of reliability from the local police department to become a certified installer. They should apply for this declaration themselves (in Dutch).
Online application procedure via Message Box
Private alarm centres and detective agencies can submit an application for approval also via Message Box. Message Box is a secure e-mail system that enables you as an entrepreneur to exchange digital messages with Dutch government agencies.