On this page: Key takeaways · What does the law require to hire security guards in the Netherlands? · Which checks happen when, and who owns them? · Why start the checks at the application, not after the offer? · What changes for trainees, freelancers and borrowed staff? · What happens if a step is missed? · How Radius helps · FAQ
Key takeaways
- The company holds the Wpbr licence, not the guard. Check any security supplier in the public Justis register.
- A licensed firm may not put anyone to work before the chief of police has given permission for that person.
- Treat each requirement as a hiring step with an owner and a date, not as an onboarding task.
What does the law require to hire security guards in the Netherlands?
Four Wpbr requirements apply, on top of the identity check every employer makes.
1. A licensed employer. The Wet particuliere beveiligingsorganisaties en recherchebureaus (Wpbr) prohibits carrying out or offering security work through a security organisation without a licence from the Minister of Justice and Security. Justis issues it for at most five years at a time (1, 7) and keeps a public register of licence holders (6).
2. Police permission for each person. A licensed organisation may not put anyone to work until the chief of police (korpschef) has given permission for that person; for firms based at an airport, the Royal Marechaussee decides. Permission is withheld if the person lacks the competence and reliability the work needs (1, 8). Justis says it covers at most three years (3).
3. The right diploma. The Regeling particuliere beveiligingsorganisaties en recherchebureaus (Rpbr) allows security work only for someone who holds the SVPB Beveiliger diploma in their own name, or a listed equivalent. Event security and hospitality door work also accept a narrower qualification, while plain clothes personal protection and plain clothes shop surveillance need an extra one (2, 4).
4. The ID card. Every guard carries the ID card (legitimatiebewijs) issued by the chief of police and shows it when asked. It is valid for up to three years, or 12 months for a trainee, and the employer applies for a new one at least three months before it expires (1, 8, 10).
The usual employer duty applies too: check identity against an original document before the person starts work, keep a copy in the payroll records and, for workers from outside the EEA and Switzerland, check the right to work (11, 12). Our guide to checks before the offer covers that part in depth.
Which checks happen when, and who owns them?
Each check has an owner and a best moment.
| Check | Rule or official source | Who does it | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| The employer holds a Wpbr licence | Wpbr art. 2; Justis register | The agency or client checks the register | Before you recruit for the contract |
| SVPB Beveiliger diploma, equivalent or SVPB trainee statement | Rpbr art. 5 | Recruiter collects it; employer confirms it | At the application |
| Event, door or plain clothes certificate | Rpbr arts. 7, 7a and 9 | Recruiter collects it | At the application |
| Identity and right to work | Wet op de loonbelasting 1964 art. 28; business.gov.nl | Employer, with the original document | Before work starts |
| Police permission | Wpbr art. 7 | Employer applies; the police screen | Straight after a conditional offer |
| ID card | Wpbr art. 9; Rpbr art. 13 | Employer applies to the chief of police | After permission; carried on every shift |
Why start the checks at the application, not after the offer?
Because the police decide on permission, and you cannot schedule their answer.
Under the Wpbr policy rules, the chief of police normally withholds permission if the person was convicted of a crime in the last eight years and given a prison sentence, even a suspended one, or in the last four years and given a fine or community service. Other facts that cast doubt on reliability also count. Candidates of another nationality living in the Netherlands for under eight years may be asked for a certificate of conduct from their own country, issued in the last three months (14). The Wpbr sets no decision period for these requests and rules out approval by default (1), so a late answer is not a yes.
So change the order of work. Collect the diploma or SVPB statement and any role certificate first, make the offer conditional on police permission, and submit the request the same day. Leave the criminal record screening to the police, and say plainly in the job ad that it is part of the job.
Illustrative example. A facility employer needs 12 guards for a site that opens in six weeks. ID cards come after permission, so documents are collected in week one and conditional offers go out in week two at the latest. These weeks are a planning assumption, not an official processing time.
Twelve guards for a site that opens in six weeks
- Week 1At the applicationCollect the SVPB diploma or statement and any role certificate
- Week 2 at the latestConditional offerRequest police permission the same day
- No set datePolice screeningThe Wpbr sets no decision period, and a late answer is not a yes
- After permissionID cardThe employer applies to the chief of police; the guard carries it on every shift
What changes for trainees, freelancers and borrowed staff?
The core rules stay the same, but the paperwork changes.
- Trainees in the SVPB practical training may work without the diploma for up to 12 months with an SVPB statement, counted from their first day of security work, and only for the organisation where they train (2, 4).
- Freelancers need no licence of their own when a licensed organisation hires them and gives them its uniform and ID card (9).
- Borrowed staff from another security organisation wear the borrower's ID card and uniform. Justis allows an exception only between organisations of the same Wpbr category, with the police told straight away (5).
- Staffing agencies that are not licensed security organisations should ask Justis or a lawyer how the licence rules apply to their model before placing anyone in security work.
What happens if a step is missed?
Fines for the employer, and a guard who cannot legally work the shift.
The Minister can fine a licence holder up to €11,250 for breaking Wpbr rules, including the permission rule (NL) (1). An employer that does not return the ID card when an employee leaves security work risks a fine (8). For a worker from outside the EEA and Switzerland without a required work permit, the government's 2025 fine policy sets a standard €6,000 per breach for a legal entity (NL) (13). The actual fine depends on the case.
Two common mistakes, and the fix:
- Assuming permission follows the guard. The law ties permission to the organisation that puts the person to work, and the ID card goes back when they leave (1, 2). Plan a new request when a guard joins from another employer, and confirm with your regional police unit.
- Letting ID cards expire. Track every expiry date and apply three months ahead.
How Radius helps
Radius Hire is an AI hiring platform for frontline roles in the Netherlands. Its AI Interviewer, Match and Radius Passport sit on one candidate record.
For security roles, the AI Interviewer runs a short, structured voice interview in the language set for the role, so every applicant gets the same questions. Where the employer uses Radius Passport, identity and right to work are checked with a trusted verification partner and certificates are recorded with their expiry dates, so a recruiter can review the evidence before an offer. The Passport does not replace the employer's legal duty to check identity and is not a background check. Radius does not apply for, screen or grant Wpbr permission or the police ID card: the employer and the police do that. Radius never rejects a candidate on its own; a recruiter makes every hiring decision. See also Radius for agencies.